Police in Germany Find
Explorer Quite Arresting

ILA 2000: The state police of Baden-Wurttenberg, based in Stuttgart, have exercised options on two Explorers, bringing their fleet of the twin-engined aircraft to five, MD Helicopters will announce at ILA.

The state police of Lower Saxony fly three Explorers.

This brings the total of MD Explorers ordered by German customers to 12. Not including the Stuttgart police order, Germany accounted for seven of the 20 Explorers in Europe at the end of March. Another 40 Explorers were in service elsewhere in the world; another 40 are on order.

MD Helicopters CEO Henk Schaeken is here at ILA to talk up the success of the Explorer in Europe, and Germany in particular. "I am really pleased with the way the Explorer is being accepted in Europe," he said. He attributes its popularity to several factors: it is the world's only twin-engined helicopter with FAA certification for single-pilot IFR in Category A conditions; the NOTAR (no tail rotor) system makes it safer and much quieter; and the company is owned "locally" by the Dutch RDM Group, which bought it from Boeing 18 months ago.

An Explorer operated by Aero Lloyd is on static display at ILA near the MD chalet (No. 48).

©Show News 2000