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NEWS AND PRODUCI~ Industry News and Products 377th Medevac Unit Awarded Air/Sea Rescue Award for Night Rescue Mission The 377th Medical Company in Seoul, South Korea, has been awarded the Air/Sea Rescue Award, sponsored by Lucas Aerospace, honor- ing members of air res- cue crews "for valiant performance in air/sea rescue," according to the award plaque presented to the winning crew's rep- resentative. The award was presented to CW3 Patrick Young, pilot in command of the rescue mission, in ceremonies at the DUST- OFF 12thAnnual Conven- tion and Renunion, February 22-24 in San Antonio,Texas. The company earned the award for a mission performed on March 1, 1990. CW3 Patrick Young, pilot; CW2 Gary Bottger, co-pilot; PFC Sheila Sikes, flight medic; and SPC Raul Espejo, crew chief; responded to a 3 a.m. medevac request to save two soldiers whose ve- hicle was swept in the rain- swollen Namhan River in Anmal, South Korea. With the aid of night- vision goggles, CW2 Bottger navigated the heli- copter, piloted by CW3 Young, to the location of the soldiers, who were clinging to the roof of their submerged vehicle. With navigational aid from CW2 Bottger and hover instruc- tions from SPC Espejo, CW3 Young carefully and expertly positioned the UH- 60A over the rescue site. Both soldiers were then hoisted into the helicopter. Turbomeca Arriel Retrofit Now Offered on BK 117 Turbomeca officials an- nounced a retrofit package will soon be available for MBB's Lycoming-powered BK 117 B-1 helicopters. "Numerous operators have approached us on an Arriel retrofit for the BK," said Dennis Nichols, presi- dent and CEO of Turbomeca Engine Corpo- ration in Grand Prairie, Texas. 'q'he Arfiel's ex- tremely low unscheduled removal rate (1 per 4,273 flight hours) and 2,500- hour TBO with no required mid-time hot sec- tion inspection should be very attractive to BK 117 operators. "I'here has never been an FAA Airworthiness Directive issued on the Arriel," added Nichols. 'q'his kind of reliability has made the Arriel one of the most sought-after engines in helicopter history." DeVore Aviation Revises Distribution of Tel-Tail DeVore Aviation Corpo- ration has announced that it has become the sole dis- tributor of TEL-TAIL verti- cal tail floodlights for fixed-wing aircraft and for TEL.TAIL tail/rotor and forward facing recognition 30 The Journal of Air Medical Transport ° May 1991
