NEWS | WPD US Wichita Police Department State of Kansas

Wichita Police Dept Air Section 40th Anniversary






Wichita Police Dept Air Section 40th Anniversary
MD Helicopters, November 16, 2010 - Mesa, Arizona - MD Helicopters, Inc (MDHI) joins with the Wichita (KS) Police Department Air Section in celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The WPD Air Section is one of the original 13 charter members of "Operation Sky Knight," the first formal police helicopter patrol program in the United States. The program was initially launched as a pilot program by the Los Angeles (CA) Sheriff's Department.

The Air Section owns and operates an MD 500E and is budgeted to fly up to 1,000 hours annually.

The unit's full-time staff is comprised of Lt. Paul J. Shields (Supervisor/Pilot); Officer Peter D. Dolieslager (Pilot); Officer Bradley E. Carver (Tactical Flight Officer); and David L. Frye (Director of Maintenance). Since its inception, the unit has logged over 50,000 flight hours.

The Air Section’s motto is “A Proud Tradition of Providing Airborne Public Service since 1970. ”

They became operational in January of that year flying Hughes/Schweizer Model 300B/C piston powered helicopters for 33 years until upgrading to the current MD 500E.

Wichita, located in south central Kansas, is the largest city in the State, with a population in excess of 375,000 and a geographic area over 150 square miles. As a three-time “All American City” winner, Wichita offers its residents and visitors a quality of life that is clean, safe, and growing. It serves as the financial, transportation, and distribution center of the central Kansas region. From the earliest days of the aircraft industry, Wichita has been a leading producer of general aviation, commercial, and military aircraft and is universally recognized as “The Air Capital of the World.” The Wichita Police Department's personnel strength includes a compliment of over 800 commissioned officers and non-commissioned, civilian employees. The Air Section is dedicated to supporting officers assigned to the field at the operational level and plays a vital role in the Department's “Safe and Secure Community” Public Safety Initiative.

MD 500E: For more than 20 years the MD 500E has earned its reputation as a hands-down favorite, delivering the highest speed, payload and productivity in its class.

Like others in the MD 500 Series, the MD 500E features ample cabin space for five, with unsurpassed visibility. The large, flat floor provides plenty of room for cargo, and the useful internal load of 1,519 pounds (689 kg) is ideally suited for most utility operations. The T-shaped instrument panel provides space for a full complement of modern avionics.

With a five-bladed main rotor and the choice of a 420-shp Rolls Royce 250- C20B or 450-shp Rolls Royce 250-C20R turbine engine, the MD 500E cruises easily at 135 kt (250 kph) over a range of 258 nm (478 km). For applications where noise is a concern, the MD 500E can be equipped with a four-bladed tail rotor for quiet performance. Proven reliability of the derated turbine engine, fail-safe design and a worldwide network of factory-authorized service centers make it a favorite of Police Departments around the globe.

About MD Helicopters, Inc: MD Helicopters, Inc., is a leading manufacturer of commercial and military helicopters. The MDHI family of rotorcraft is world renowned for its value, versatility and performance. The MD Helicopters family includes the twin-engine MD Explorer®, and single engine versions of the MD 600N®, MD 520N®, MD 500E® and MD 530F®. The NOTAR® system for anti-torque control is used exclusively by MD Helicopters. The Company is based in Mesa, AZ. For more information about MDHI visit http://www.mdhelicopters.com.
About Patriarch Partners LLC

The Patriarch platform is a vertically integrated private equity firm with robust in-house operational turnaround expertise. Patriarch Partners, founded in 2000, was built upon a proprietary patented financial model designed to manage and monetize the distressed portfolios of financial institutions. Patriarch has since evolved into a global investment firm that concentrates on direct investments in distressed businesses with a focus to rebuild them, managing funds with over $7 billion of equity and secured loan assets with equity investments in more than 70 companies, and controlling interests in approximately two-thirds of these. For more information, please visit http://www.patriarchpartners.com.


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WPD US Wichita Police Department State of Kansas




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