Falcon Aviation Services Signs Delivery Position Agreements for Four Sikorsky S-76D Helicopters

Released on Wednesday, July 16, 2008

FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIR SHOW, July 16, 2008 � Falcon Aviation Services (FAS), a provider of helicopter charter and maintenance services based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), today announced the signing of delivery position agreements for four S-76D™ helicopters with Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. for VIP/Corporate transport. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

FAS was formed in late 2005 under the initiative of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, who attended the Farnborough Air Show and announced the signings with Sikorsky. The S-76D helicopter will be the next production model in the S-76® helicopter line that already has delivered more than 700 aircraft performing many missions including VIP and Head of State, emergency medical transport, search and rescue, civil defense, and offshore oil crew transport. The S-76D model is on track for initial certification in late 2009.

With 14 aircraft currently in service, the FAS growth strategy is underpinned by firm orders for an additional 23 new helicopters and corporate jets with a value exceeding USD $450 million. The S-76D helicopter positions, if converted to delivery contracts, would become the first Sikorsky aircraft to join the fleet, making FAS the first operator of the S-76D helicopter in the UAE.

"Sikorsky is proud to be associated with Falcon Aviation Services and to continue supporting the growth of general aviation in the UAE," said Joseph Gigantelli, Sikorsky's Regional Sales Executive for the Middle East region. "We look forward to expanding on our relationship with FAS and already have entered discussions on working with them to establish a maintenance center for our commercial helicopters."

The S-76D helicopter offers a more than 1,000-lb increase in useful load and extended range performance over the S-76C+™ aircraft. In addition, the D model will feature:

All-composite, flaw-tolerant main rotor blades

Rotor Ice Protection System (RIPS,) as an available option

Advanced Thales TopDeck® avionics system and autopilot

Dual speed rotor with active vibration control system

Pratt & Whitney Canada PW 210S engine

Quiet tail rotor

Additional fuel capacity

New electrical generation system

Quiet Zone™ technology main gearbox

Goodrich Vigor® Health and Usage Management System (VHUMS)

The S-76C++™ helicopter, which first entered service in 2005 and remains the current production model, includes a powerful Turbomeca Arriel 2S2 Engine, an inlet barrier filter to protect the engine against erosion and environmental contaminants, a new Health and Usage Monitoring System, and a quiet main gearbox utilizing Quiet Zone™ technology that will significantly reduce interior noise levels without any weight, maintenance or Time Between Overhaul penalties.