Chief Inspector, AgRotors, Inc.
August 13, 2003

Aircraft Services, Southern California Edison
January 01, 2003

Chief of Maintenance, Helicopter Division
January 29, 2002

Deputy Chief, Air Operations U.S. Border Patrol
May 28, 1997

William Hare
Aircraft Services, Southern California Edison

January 01, 2003

I would like to give you some dirt. I have used it to my advantage but I am finished with it.

In February of 2001 FDC/aerofilter installed their filter in our MD500D for the final FAA flight tests on the MD product line. We were interested in putting a barrier filter on our MD500s because they were loosing power and eroding to axial compressors before 1750 hours or midlife to overhaul.

During the flight tests we saw the improvement in power and what it took to clog the filter. That was great, but explaining it to or even doing a business case study was too hypothetical to our non-aviation management.

Later in that year we followed up inspecting and repairing some transmission towers after a fire had gone through the area. After 3 long days of flying the ship returned to base with its inlet filters looking horrible but with no impending by-pass light.

I inverted the filters and knocked out 12 oz. of dirt. Even more dirt was held in the oil impregnated filters. We took this baggie of dirt (12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter) to the next management meeting. It was thrown on the table with the explanation that this would have gone through the engine had we not installed the filter.

After that demonstration there was no arguing the worth of the filter. We currently have the FDC/aerofilter inlet barrier filter on all four of our aircraft and are very pleased with the results. Any new aircraft coming into the fleet will have your barrier filter installed.

William Hare
Aircraft Services
Southern California Edison