11/24/08 _ The EC175 takes shape

On November 15, 2008, Eurocopter accepted delivery of the first EC175 fuselage to be assembled in Harbin by HAIG, Eurocopter’s partner in China. A special ceremony was held in China to celebrate this proud achievement. All the partners on the EC175 program attended the ceremony, together with representatives from the main industrial, aeronautical and political entities in Heilongjiang Province and Beijing. On November 24, 2008, the PT1 airframe arrived at the new hangar in Marignane where the EC175 will be assembled. Eurocopter teams began working on the aircraft the very next day. Finally, on December 5, 2008, the Rotors and Transmissions Product Center delivered the main gearbox for the PT1 directly to the assembly hangar.

CHILI _ ExponavaL 2008

Exponaval 2008 in Valparaíso, Chile, gave Eurocopter the opportunity to show off its experience in the field. The Chilean Army was on hand to conduct a demonstration of its naval search and rescue (SAR) capabilities with its AS365 N2 Dauphins and AS332 F1 Super Pumas. These aircraft are also used to patrol Chile’s 5,000 km of coastline and to transport troops. The Mexican Army was also invited by Exponaval’s organizers to perform an exercise with its AS565 MB Panther. This aircraft is used to support the Mexican Coast Guard in the fight against drug trafficking. Eurocopter held a technical conference on naval SAR operations and performed a flight demonstration with an AS350 B3 Ecureuil/AStar. The Group also held a special event to celebrate 40 years of work as a trusted partner of the Chilean Army.

TAF HELICOPTERS _ The 5,000th Light helicopter

On November 17, 2008, TAF Helicopters took delivery in Marignane of an AS355 NP Ecureuil–the 5,000th light helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. Based in Barcelona, TAF Helicopters specializes in aerial work and emergency medical services (EMS). The AS355 NP Ecureuil will provide back-up for the other Ecureuils used for aerial work and the EC135s used for EMS missions.