MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) will return to HAI HELI-EXPO in booth #9554, sharing its successes in the two years since its leadership change.
Featured in the MDHI booth is Wilson Construction’s MD500E to MD530F conversion helicopter. Aurora, Oregon-based Wilson Construction upgraded its MD 500E during overhaul to take advantage of increased hot-and-high performance capability. The conversion includes an upgrade to the more powerful Rolls Royce 250-C30, new main and tail rotor blades, an upgraded F model main rotor gearbox, and an Onboard Systems cargo hook. The converted aircraft delivers considerable capability gains – increased gross weight, impressive cruise airspeed, and maintains low direct operating costs while providing better lift throughout the flight envelope.
MDHI will also feature their new slim line glass cockpit for the MD 500E single-engine helicopter. Based on the FAA-certified flight deck for the MD 530F, the cockpit design for the 500E aircraft features next-generation technology and high-resolution LCD displays housed in an elegant slim line console that improves forward visibility. Planned for FAA certification in Q2 2022, the slim line glass cockpit features:
- Garmin G500TXi Electronic Flight Instruments (EFIS) displays
- Howell Instruments Electronic Engine Instruments and Crew Alert Systems (EICAS)
- Garmin GTN 650 Touchscreen NAV/COM/GPS
Industry Appreciation Happy Hour, Tuesday, March 8
To celebrate the return of HELI-EXPO and show our appreciation to our industry, MDHI invites customers and fans of MDHI to gather at our booth, #9554, for a casual MDHI-style Happy Hour Tuesday, March 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. Mix and mingle while enjoying a beer, courtesy of MDHI.
Recognizing Transition Training Scholarship Recipients Tuesday, March 8
MD 500 Transition Training Scholarship recipients, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students Darren Mudge, Oliver Myers, and Brandon Hutchins will be at our booth #9554 during show hours on Tuesday, March 8.
MDHI to Receive Award Wednesday, March 9
Earlier this year MDHI was named the recipient of the HAI Salute to Excellence Humanitarian Services Award for the company’s dedication of time, resources, and logistics to deliver desperately needed supplies to the most remote reaches of the Navajo Nation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through 52 support missions, where MDHI employees volunteered time and MDHI donated the MD 900 helicopter, maintenance, and fuel, the Navajo Nation received more than 40,000 pounds of supplies and equipment donated by the Arizona Veterans Medical Leadership Council for its tribal members, including a helicopter full of Christmas gifts and Santa Claus.
HAI will publicly interview the 2022 Salute to Excellence winners at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, at the HAI Connect booth (#7417). During the event, MDHI will share the story behind these life-saving humanitarian missions.
