A new MD 520N is joining the fleet Burbank and Glendale Police Joint Air Support Unit. MD Helicopters Photo
MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) has delivered a new MD 520N helicopter to the Burbank and Glendale Police Joint Air Support Unit located in the state of California. With this delivery, Burbank and Glendale will own four MD 520Ns. Joining the MDHI team at the company’s headquarters in Mesa, Ariz., were Lt. Stewart Brackin and Sgt. Rich Phillips with the Glendale Police Department; Capt. Mike Albanese and pilot Steve Conaway from the Burbank Police Department; and Rich Weiser, director of maintenance for Glendale/Burbank Police Air Support.
“The addition of our fourth MD 520N aircraft to our Joint Air Support Unit reinforces our commitment to providing proactive law enforcement and high quality police services to our diverse community,” said Lt. Stewart Brackin, Burbank/Glendale Police Air Support. “These aircraft are unmatched for their speed, durability, and maneuverability. And, due to the integration of MD Helicopters’ exclusive NOTAR technology, they are much quieter and considerably safer to operate. Our pilots, and the citizens of Glendale and Burbank, really appreciate that.”
Together, Chief Scott LaChasse of Burbank PD and Chief Castro of Glendale PD add, “We believe that air support is essential to provide the community and police field personnel a tool that enhances safety and provides efficiency at a time when personnel and resources have been reduced due to staffing and budget reductions.”
The MD 520N is one of just three helicopters — all manufactured by MD helicopters, Inc. — that feature the exclusive NOTAR system for anti-torque and directional control. By replacing conventional tail rotors with the NOTAR system, the margin of safety immediately increases for crew and aircraft, and the noise decreases; making it an exceptional choice for operation in densely populated areas.
Among the equipment on the MD 520N is a cargo hook, wire strike protection kit, Garmin G500H, moving map and tactical radio. MD Helicopters Photo
The Burbank/Glendale MD 520N is equipped with a 420-shp Rolls-Royce 250-C20R/2 turbine engine and a complete Law Enforcement Performance Package. Utility features — dual side mounts, a 2,000-pound cargo hook, auxiliary fuel tank, and wire strike protection kit — are complemented by a cockpit configuration that features a Garmin G500H EFIS all-glass avionics flight display, Garmin Aera 796 portable GPS, an AeroComputers moving map system, and a Technisonic tactical radio. The SX-16 Nightsun searchlight provides bi-directional focus capabilities that allows the operator to cycle between wide and narrow focus, and a FLIR ULTRA8500 imaging system provides greater range and visibility to optimize the helicopter’s support of all tactical ground operations.
“MD Helicopters is proud of the depth, breadth and long-term loyalty of our law enforcement customer base,” said Lynn Tilton, CEO for MD Helicopters. “Our aircraft deliver the overall performance and reliability airborne law enforcement agencies require. We are honored by Burbank/Glendale’s long-standing commitment to MDHI and are excited to see this latest MD 520N join their air support fleet.”
