Over the course of a decade, the air medical community has equipped its helicopters with more than 1,000 Inlet Barrier Filter Systems (IBFs) from Donaldson Aerospace & Defense, a division of Donaldson Company, Inc.
David Brigham, owner and president of AeroBrigham, a completion and customization provider, has been installing IBFs on a range of helicopter types since 2006. As a long-time aircraft maintainer, Brigham said having a healthy engine thanks to a Donaldson IBF “can be the difference between picking up a patient and not.”
According to Brigham, “It often means that over the life cycle of the engine there won’t be a loss of revenue due to the inability to pick up a large patient later in the cycle because of reduced power. It also means less fuel costs.”
During the past 11 years, Brigham said he’s consistently seen Donaldson IBFs deliver better performance margins, longer time between power recovery washes, and lower overhaul and maintenance costs.
What’s more, “the Donaldson IBF is a fairly easy installation compared to other manufacturers, and, from an operator’s point of view, it is the easiest and most cost effective for maintenance. I would recommend anyone with a turbine-powered helicopter to install a Donaldson filter system.”
Dozens of high-profile air medical programs fly with Donaldson IBF protection, according to Matt Fortuna, general manager of Donaldson Aerospace & Defense. “Helping the air medical community fly critical lifesaving missions is a point of pride for everyone at Donaldson. “We look forward to meeting with our current and prospective customers at AMTC and discussing options for improving mission efficiency and effectiveness.”
A range of Donaldson IBFs will be on display in booth 822 during the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC), Oct. 16 to 18, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Visitors to AMTC may see oiled and dry media IBFs for Airbus H130 and Bell 407 helicopters and may speak with company representatives about their filtration needs.
