A Eurocopter AS-350

 As I was getting ready to leave, I heard the sound of a helicopter.

Turns out that it was a Eurocopter AS-350.

These helicopters are made by Airbus.

It turns out that this one is owned by the Department of Homeland Security.

I would imagine it is patrolling the borders.

Catching the Survival Flight Helicopter

As I was trying (unsuccessfully) to get pictures of the oil, I heard the helicopter getting ready to take off from the hospital.  I wasn't too far from a spot where I could get a decent picture, so I walked over there.

 The helicopter is a Eurocopter EC-155 (Now Airbus H155) which was developed from their Dauphin (Dolphin) line of helicopters.  It first flew in 1997 and the first production model was introduced in 1999.  The first customer was the German Federal Police system.

 It has 1 or 2 pilots and can carry 13 passengers.  It has two turboshaft engines which gives it a speed of 175 knots.  I thought it was pretty cool to get a picture of it with the hospital as a backdrop.  Usually I catch it in flight on the way to somewhere.

 When I looked up this one on FlightAware, apparently it was heading over to Detroit for something.  The flight lasted 17 minutes and they stayed for roughly 2 hours.

 This is what I'm normally used to seeing.

Or this.  Anyway, it was pretty cool to catch even though I really wanted to catch the owl.

A Eurocopter Passes Over

As I was waiting for the next ship, a helicopter flew over.  Fortunately, I had my big lens on my camera so that I could catch it.

 This is a Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopter) AS350 Ecureuil (or Squirrel).  It is a single engine light utility helicopter originally built by Aerospatiale   in France. 

 It was originally developed in the early 70's to replace the Alouette.  There was another helicopter called the Gazelle that was successful with military customers but it never took off in the civilian market.  It had it's first flight in 1974 and introduced to the market the next year.

It is powered by either a Lycoming LTS101 or Turbomeca Arriel power plant.  It can fly 155 knots to around 15,000 feet.  There have been almost 4,000 produced.  I'm not sure who owns this one though.