Columbus Police upgrades MD 500Es

MD Helicopters MD 530F

The Columbus Police Department will upgrade four of its MD 500E helicopters to MD 530Fs

The upgrades will be done through an FAA-approved factory re-certification program at MD Helicopters’ facility in Mesa, Arizona.

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Available exclusively through the MD Helicopters factory, the E-to-F conversion allows MD 500E operators the option to re-certificate their aircraft as a brand new MD 530F.

“Over the period of just a several weeks we can completely upgrade existing E-models through a series of inspections, modifications and upgrades,” said Nick Nenadovic, vice president Aftermarket and Customer Support for MD Helicopters. “In the end, the customer has a new, factory-built, FAA-certified F-model at a fraction of the cost of a new aircraft acquisition.”

“Since its inception in 1972, the Columbus Police Department Helicopter Unit has flown nearly 230,000 flight hours – 16 hours a day, 7 days a week – with more than 95,000 of those hours in our MD 500Es,” said Lieutenant Greg Estep who oversees the helicopter unit. “As one of the largest municipal law enforcement aviation units in the United States, we are confident the conversion of our E models to F models will allow us to continue to expertly perform our missions without compromise. We are excited to be able to continue delivering direct support for ground patrol officers and serving the citizens of Columbus with these exceptional aircraft.”