St. Louis, MO., March 9, 2005 — Good news for Canadian operators of MD 500 Series helicopters. There's a new option for keeping your helicopter engines clean and in peak operating condition without the use of cumbersome engine air inlet diverters (also known as snow baffles) that had been mandated by Transport Canada Airworthiness Directive (AD) CF-2000-23.

That's because Transport Canada (TCCA) has issued a revised TCCA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for an Inlet Barrier Filter (IBF) system produced by Aerospace Filtration Systems, Inc. (AFS) for MD 500Cs, MD 500Ds, MD 500Es, and MD 530F/FFs as an Alternate Means of Compliance to the Transport Canada AD.

AFS performed in-flight snow testing of the system that resulted in TCCA revising the existing Canadian STC. And, as a result of the snow testing, MD 500 operators equipped with the AFS IBF now have an alternate means of complying with the AD while flying in falling and blowing snow.

The AFS system includes dual filters designed to optimize airflow and efficiency in hover and forward-flight conditions. The system enables air to flow unrestricted into the engine but keeps snow out. It also improves engine performance over the entire airspeed envelope. The filters can be removed and replaced quickly and easily. And during months when the temperature and weather changes dramatically, the cumbersome job of installing and removing the snow baffles is eliminated — making life a little easier for operators.

AFS systems filter out more than 99 percent of dirt, sand, and debris while actually enhancing engine performance, especially when compared to inlet particle separators or less capable filter systems. Operators who equip their helicopters with AFS filtration systems gain more useful load, more engine temperature margin, and a greater margin of safety. Other benefits include reduced operating and overhaul costs, and reduced engine operating temperatures for increased engine life.

AFS has experienced significant growth in recent years, delivering some 1,000 systems and 7,000 filters to a growing list of military and commercial customers worldwide.

AFS produces filter systems for the Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, Bell 407 and 206L3/4, the MD Helicopters AH/MH-6 Little Bird and MD 500, Boeing CH-47 Chinook APU and AH-64 Apache APU and the Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk main engine and APU. Several new commercial filter systems are slated for introduction in 2005. As an engineering-driven company, AFS is constantly developing products and applying advanced technology for engine inlet design. In addition, custom solutions, including design and certification of filtration systems for unique applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles, are available.

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For more information, contact:

Aerospace Filtration Systems, Inc.
Jay Foster
Sales and Marketing Manager
(636) 300-5050
foster@afsfilters.com