ST. LOUIS, MO., September 16, 2005 — Aerospace Filtration Systems, Inc. (AFS) is spreading the word about the value of inlet barrier filtration (IBF) systems for civil helicopters — and the message is resonating with
members of the air medical community.

Five operators flying 10 Bell 407s for air medical and search and rescue work now have installed AFS IBF systems on their helicopters, and additional orders are imminent, AFS officials say.

“Our experience shows that operators will embrace new technology if it delivers the benefits they need,” AFS President Michael Scimone said. “Products that increase performance and decrease operating costs will
succeed in any market.”

Rick Rhoden, Aviation Base Manager for Memorial Star Transport (part of Bismarck, N.D-based Med-Trans Corp.) in Colorado Springs, Colo., agrees. “We fly our Bell 407 in a dusty, high-density, high-altitude environment, so a high-technology filtration system is of great value to us. Even after just 330 hours, we’re very happy with the system.”

Because they cannot afford down time when lives are on the line, Rhoden and other air medical operators have found that the IBF system benefits their operations with an effective one-two punch of enhanced performance
and reduced requirements for engine maintenance.

“We’re protecting our engine, which is important, but on a day-to-day basis we really appreciate the weight savings. Since we fly at 6,000 feet that is just huge for us,” Rhoden said. “Plus, our IBF system runs much cooler
than a particle separator.”

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

The AFS Bell 407 system includes a single filter design optimized for hover and forward-flight conditions and providing improvements in engine performance over the entire airspeed envelope. An optional access door allows the filter to be removed and replaced quickly and easily, without the cumbersome job of removing the inlet fairing, which greatly improves the maintainability of the system.

AFS is the industry leader in the design, development and manufacture of high-performance engine inlet barrier filtration systems for commercial and military propulsion systems. Based in St. Louis, Mo., AFS has delivered
more than 1,000 systems and 9,000 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.

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