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Donaldson Inlet Barrier Filters Keep Los Angeles Fire Department Helicopters Ready for Service

Written by thomas · Filed Under Aeronautics News 

April 11, 2011

thomas

ST. LOUIS, Mo., April 11, 2011 – Donaldson Aerospace & Defense, a division of Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE: DCI), is helping the Air Operations Section of the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) meet the Department’s creed, “serving with courage, integrity and pride.”

Donaldson has provided Inlet Barrier Filters (IBFs) for the Section’s newest in-service rotorcraft, two AgustaWestland 139 twin-engine medium helicopters. A third new AW139 is coming from the factory with the IBF kit installed. Air Ops also plans to acquire additional AW139s as it retires older rotorcraft from its fleet and will include Donaldson IBFs on these helicopters as well.

“Filters are critical for the missions we fly,” said Rick Wheeler, an LAFD Air Ops pilot. “We conduct search and rescue flights and aerial firefighting in unimproved areas that tend to be real dirty, and that can affect engine capability and safety of flight. It’s also surprising how much debris stirs up even when flying over cityscapes and airports.”

According to Wheeler, the unit’s six helicopters, including the AW139s, three Bell 412s and a Bell 206 Jet Ranger used for flight training, search and rescue and utility missions are constantly on call, with each aircraft accumulating up to 500 flight hours per year. Donaldson IBFs have improved AW139 readiness. “In the past, engines could quickly become blocked in smoky or dusty environments, increasing engine temperature and sometimes curtailing flights,” Wheeler explained. “With IBFs installed, there’s no problem with particulates, and that really saves engines.”

Wheeler added that IBFs can operate without power restrictions. In fact, both AW139s received FAA certification for Category A operations, which the Donaldson IBFs are approved to support.  The IBFs also are easily maintained. Filter Maintenance Aids facilitate cleaning or replacement during daily inspections and progressive maintenance. A cockpit indicator enables air crew to bypass the system in emergencies and keep air flowing through the engine, an important feature missing in other AW139 engine inlet protection options. “Donaldson IBFs work really well,” Wheeler concluded.

The Los Angeles Fire Department’s Air Ops Section has served the city and its residents since 1962, conducting aerial firefighting, air ambulance, mountain, over-ocean and swift-water search and rescue and support missions. The Section currently operates six helicopters based at Van Nuys Airport. Air crews are highly trained in emergency flight procedures, and paramedics hold advanced medical certifications relating to patient airway management and flight physiology as required by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

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