Wilson Construction Invests in MDHI Aircraft Modernization
MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) announces delivery of a newly certified MD 530F to Wilson Construction, headquartered in Aurora, OR. An operator of MDHI-brand helicopters since 2005, Wilson Construction had delivered its hardworking E-model aircraft to be overhauled and recertified as an F-model (Type Certificate 369FF) at MD Helicopters’ Mesa-Arizona manufacturing and completions center.
"The E-to-F conversion program is one of our most popular and valuable aftermarket services,” says Nick Nenadovic, vice president of Aftermarket & Customer Support for MD Helicopters, Inc. “This unique-to-MD Helicopters capability is an outstanding resource for E-model operators who want to affordably upgrade the capability of their aircraft with minimal downtime.”
For over 20 years, Wilson Construction has delivered safe and efficient helicopter operations in the electric-utility construction industry. With a fleet of seven helicopters, including six MDHI-brand aircraft, Wilson’s veteran pilots complete complex jobs safely and efficiently in sometimes extreme and harsh conditions. With this conversion, the Wilson Construction rotorcraft fleet includes three (3) MD 500E and three (3) MD 530F helicopters.
MD Helicopters’ exclusive E-to-F conversion program allows for the maintenance of essential safety margins while delivering increased hot-and-high performance capability. Enhancements to the Wilson Construction aircraft include:
- an Onboard Systems dual cargo hook
- an engine upgrade from the Rolls Royce 250-C20B to the more powerful RR250-C30
- replacement of the main rotor and tail rotor blades
- upgraded F-model main rotor gearbox.
Additionally, MDHI provided an overall interior and exterior refresh, including a new three-color paint scheme, updated interior paint, new seating and updated flight controls.
“The simplicity and reliability of our MD 500-series aircraft is really the backbone of our nationwide operations,” says Ron Stewart, director of Operations of Wilson Construction. “Often tasked to work in extreme environments, the conversion of this aircraft to a truly, like-new MD 530F will allow us to maintain our high level of availability and outstanding safety margins even in warmer, higher-elevation environments, meeting customer requirements more effectively and efficiently than ever before.”