News Articles MD HELICOPTERS DELIVERS MD 600N TO BRAZILIAN OPERATOR FOR SERVICE IN THE AMAZON

MESA, AZ, JUNE 6, 2007   -  Deliveries at MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI), continue to increase, as Arizona Taxi Aero of Amazon, Brazil took delivery of its first MD 600N single-turbine, eight-place helicopter. The delivery, MDHI's 12th this year, was part of a celebration at the company's Mesa, Ariz., headquarters.

"The safety of our customers is our primary concern," said Capt. Cesar P. Fernandez, president of Arizona Taxi Aero. "The NOTAR technology built into the MD 600N makes this possible both in the air and when we are on the ground."

Arizona Taxi Aero received its first NOTAR-technology helicopter, an MD 520N , in 2004, from Helicentro Morumbi, MDHI's distributor in Brazil, which also was responsible for the sale of the MD 600N.

"We selected the MD 600N for its safe and efficient operations, but also because of its low noise impact on the Amazon region, where we will be operating," Fernandez said. The MD 600N is the quietest helicopter in its class.

"Many of our customers, being sensitive to preserving the environment, request a quiet helicopter whenever possible. These customers include many non-governmental operators who are working to preserve the Amazon region," Fernandez said.

Arizona Taxi Aero has operated both fixed- and rotary-winged aircraft in the Amazon region for more than 20 years. Helicentro Morumbi, which became an MDHI distributor and authorized service center in 2002, operates Sao Paulo, Brazil's first heliport.

As MD Helicopters, Inc., nears the two-year anniversary of its acquisition by the Patriarch funds, company Chairman and CEO Lynn Tilton says she has achieved her primary goal of bringing back an American legacy. "We are selling, building, and delivering aircraft. Today MDHI is a strong, viable company with a core of world-class operational talent, and a product line that customers love."

MD expects to deliver 43 aircraft in this fiscal year and 85 during 2008. Deliveries of this magnitude have not taken place at MD since 1999, prompting Tilton to liken the company to a "Phoenix rising from the ashes."

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About MD Helicopters:
MDHI is a leading manufacturer of commercial and military helicopters. The MDHI family of rotorcraft is world renowned for its value, versatility and performance. Products include the twin-engine MD Explorer®, and single-engine versions of the MD 600N®, MD 520N®, MD 500E® and MD 530F®. Only MD Helicopters feature the NOTAR® system for anti-torque control. The company is based in Mesa, Ariz. For more information, visit http://www.mdhelicopters.com.

About Patriarch Partners, LLC
Patriarch Partners, LLC is a private equity and investment firm in New York, North Carolina and Texas. Patriarch provides innovative financial solutions, strategic direction and operational expertise to companies undergoing periods of pervasive change. Funds managed by Patriarch have in excess of $5 billion and include majority and minority ownership positions in more than 67 companies.

Contact: Debbie Jones, MDHI
(480) 346-6474
debbie@mdhelicopters.com