MESA, Arizona, May 2, 2003 - An MD Explorer® helicopter has been delivered for electronic news-gathering in Japan, raising that nation's total number of MD Explorers to 12.

The twin-engine MD Explorer was delivered today in Mesa to Aero Partners, Inc., the distributor for MD Helicopters, Inc., in Japan.

The well-equipped helicopter will be the first MD Explorer certified to operate at 6,500 pounds in Japan. It will be based at Haneda Airport in Tokyo and will be used by Asahi Shimbun Press (ASP), a prominent Japanese newspaper, for aerial photography. 

The new MD Explorer is equipped with advanced satellite communications (SATCOM) and numerous other communications radios, as well as a fully integrated global positioning system. It has the ability to downlink photographs directly to the newspaper headquarters from breaking news scenes, and is equipped so that operators may send and receive faxes and e-mail. In addition, the helicopter is equipped with a newly certified dual auxiliary fuel tank that extends the helicopter's fuel endurance by 90 minutes.

 "Japan is a very important market for MDHI, and we are pleased that the aircraft has been so well accepted there," said Henk Schaeken, chairman and chief executive officer of MDHI. "Japanese operators have very stringent requirements concerning safety, reliability, vibration and noise levels. The MD Explorer has proven that it excels in all of these areas, and we expect more sales."

ASP already operates one MD Explorer, which has flown about 900 hours for electronic newsgathering missions in the Osaka area. That aircraft is known as the "Asadori," or Morning Bird. Newspaper readers in Japan will be asked to help name the new aircraft.

Because the aircraft operate over heavily populated urban areas, the quiet performance of the NOTAR® system equipped MD Explorer has been an important benefit.

The MD Explorer is the only light-twin helicopter in the world with FAA and JAA certification for single-pilot Category A IFR operations, which also makes it the only light twin to meet the very stringent safety requirements of JAR OPS 3, Class 1.

In addition to the MD Explorer, the MD Helicopters family includes the MD 600N® and the MD 500 Series, including the MD 520N®, MD 500E® and MD 530F®.

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