New Maryland State Police Helicopters

[x635 4,066]

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce today that it has been awarded a contract by the Maryland State Police Aviation Command to provide six AW139 helicopters for their Medevac fleet program. The $71 million contract calls for the first AW139 to be delivered 18 months after contract award. These aircraft will be produced at AgustaWestland’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania production facility.

More info:

http://www.agustawestland.com/news/agustawestland-awarded-contract-maryland-state-police-aviation-command

Has anyone heard of this company? Or is it a result of mergers?

All I gotta say is support Texas and buy a Bell!!!

[grumpyff 1,159]

The NYPD Aviation Unit operates 4 of the A119 helicopters

My linkhttp://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1141221818221&set=o.116126445080980

[STAT213 332]

More info:

http://www.agustawestland.com/news/agustawestland-awarded-contract-maryland-state-police-aviation-command

Has anyone heard of this company? Or is it a result of mergers?

All I gotta say is support Texas and buy a Bell!!!

Seth,

Bell doesn't really make a decent, tested EMS airframe right now. The 407 is nice, but its little. The 429 is brand new and there's only one flying EMS in the states right now that I know of.

Augusta Westland is a European Company. They also make the previously mentioned NYPD a/c and a few other platforms. Life Flight of Maine flies two of them.

I am not sure why MSP went with something SO big, other than they could. I used to hang out with some of their guys at conferences and they were insistent that they had to have something bigger than the Dauphin. Everybody else in the country does EMS and police work in small machines like Westchester's 407 (which I think is a little too small for EMS) and Life Net's A-Stars (also too small) or medium machines like Life Net's EC135s. NJSP uses the S-76.

As a comparison, the AW 139 is rated for 15, count em 15 passengers, while the Bell 407 can carry 6. The Bell's rotor diameter is 35 feet, the AW 139 is 45. BIG difference in helicopters.

Hey, good on 'em, but to me its overspending taxpayers dollars.

[JScott128 41]

I believe NJSP is retiring the S-76's and going to the AW 139. There has been talk about it for a while and I don't think its been cancelled. It looks like 5 have been ordered. The NJ contract with AW is here: http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/noa/contracts/t1983_09-x-39917.shtml

Scott

[helicopper 1,050]

Seth,

Bell doesn't really make a decent, tested EMS airframe right now. The 407 is nice, but its little. The 429 is brand new and there's only one flying EMS in the states right now that I know of.

Augusta Westland is a European Company. They also make the previously mentioned NYPD a/c and a few other platforms. Life Flight of Maine flies two of them.

I am not sure why MSP went with something SO big, other than they could. I used to hang out with some of their guys at conferences and they were insistent that they had to have something bigger than the Dauphin. Everybody else in the country does EMS and police work in small machines like Westchester's 407 (which I think is a little too small for EMS) and Life Net's A-Stars (also too small) or medium machines like Life Net's EC135s. NJSP uses the S-76.

As a comparison, the AW 139 is rated for 15, count em 15 passengers, while the Bell 407 can carry 6. The Bell's rotor diameter is 35 feet, the AW 139 is 45. BIG difference in helicopters.

Hey, good on 'em, but to me its overspending taxpayers dollars.

The US Park Police use the Bell 412 as an EMS and rescue platform with excellent results. I'll be the first to agree that the 407 is a questionable EMS platform but it does work and dozens of operators around the country use them, also with great sucess. The 429 may evolve into a competitor for the EC145 and now I guess the AW139 but only time will tell.

Agusta Westland has been around for a while. Their more common aircraft are the A109 and A119 (NYPD) but the 139 is sure catching on with the NJSP and MSP contracts. It is an enormous aircraft and is not at all cost effective or practical for law enforcement missions which both agencies allegedly perform also. Between the fuel cost and noise, they're not going to be doing any patrol with them.

That 10 foot difference in the rotor diameter is going to matter also. And I hope they educate their responders about increasing the size of the LZ and not trying to use anything like cones for LZ makers.

[RescueKujo 130]

Seth, the AW139. is the helo LAFD is using for Fire 3 and Fire 5...

[JBE 328]

If I remember right, the Coast Guard used a few of them as well for interdiction and SAR. However, they don't show any as being in the inventory right now.

[RescueKujo 130]

If I remember right, the Coast Guard used a few of them as well for interdiction and SAR. However, they don't show any as being in the inventory right now.

Here's a photo from a photography web site I belong to

USCG AW-139

[ltx17 19]

Here's a photo from a photography web site I belong to

USCG AW-139

that is a pic of an A109

[JBE 328]

My bad, I knew they were Agustas. Thanx DK!!!

[JScott128 41]

My bad, I knew they were Agustas. Thanx DK!!!

The USCG version of the 109 is the MH-68A, Sting Ray. A good explanation of its role and additional pics can be found here:

http://www.alea.org/PhotoGallery/gallery.asp?rid=164&gid=208

And the USCG's site on the HITRON unit and the MH-68A is here:

http://www.uscg.mil/history/webaircraft/AC_HITRON_History.asp

Scott

Edited November 2, 2010 by JScott128

[mfc2257 464]

In a previous life, I worked extensively with MSP aviation, specifically Trooper 2 (Andrew's AFB) and Trooper 3 (Frederick, MD). These guys are amongst the busiest emergency services aviators in the US with Trooper 2 at one point (possibly still today) being the busiest air medical unit in the country. (On a side note, lets not forget the crew of Trooper 2 that was lost in a severe weather related crash while on approach to the AFB to meet a ground unit not long ago)

These guys are often the only folks that are in the air during adverse weather conditions. They also respond on a regular basis over state lines into PA, WV, VA, and in the District. Many times they are the only bird available to major incidents where multiple patients need to be transported. This may be one of the reasons for the larger airframe. They are truly a multi role aviation unit and thus the size of the Dauphin may not fit their growing LE, S&R, and air medical needs moving forward.

MSP Aviation Command operates 7 units with 11 airframes (one is actually based out of a tiny outcrop of WV that shoots into MD). The order is only for 6 new birds. I'm wondering if one of the Dauphins is going to stay in service or if they are eliminating a unit.

Edited November 2, 2010 by mfc2257

[INIT915 1,119]

MSP Aviation Command operates 7 units with 11 airframes (one is actually based out of a tiny outcrop of WV that shoots into MD). The order is only for 6 new birds. I'm wondering if one of the Dauphins is going to stay in service or if they are eliminating a unit.

Chris:

From an aviators perspective, what is the logic of replacing the entire fleet at one time, versus phasing in, standardization?

[NJMedic 96]

More info:

http://www.agustawestland.com/news/agustawestland-awarded-contract-maryland-state-police-aviation-command

Has anyone heard of this company? Or is it a result of mergers?

All I gotta say is support Texas and buy a Bell!!!

PennSTAR out of Phildelphia (Hospital of the University of Pennslyvania Flight Program) flies an Augusta.

[mfc2257 464]

PennSTAR out of Phildelphia (Hospital of the University of Pennslyvania Flight Program) flies an Augusta.

The PennSTAR Agusta is an AW109 which is roughly half the size of the AW139 that MSP is purchasing and nearly the same size as the Dauphin that they are replacing.

[vtach39680 23]

Hey Rob did DHART still have the 109 power when youovee to NH? I used to live being in that aircraft

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Hey Rob did DHART still have the 109 power when youovee to NH? I used to live being in that aircraft

According to their website the operate EC135s

http://www.dhmc.org/webpage.cfm?site_id=2&org_id=85&morg_id=0&sec_id=1872&gsec_id=1875&item_id=1875

[vtach39680 23]

Before 1999 they had a 109 power and were trying to decide between the MD explorer and the EC135. They replaced the 109 power with the EC135 which they use still to today