Bushveld Game Capture in Vryburg, South Africa, has received an MD 500ER single engine helicopter, which it will deploy in order to dart and count game. Founded in 2006, the company is responsible for the capture, sale, transportation and care of wildlife, and it is expanding its helicopter fleet to more effectively protect the species of the South African savannah.

The right-hand command aircraft is the second MD Helicopter purchased by Bushveld and features air conditioning, upgraded leather seating and cabin panels, extended heavy-duty landing gear, a Fargo auxiliary fuel tank and cargo hook to support external loads up to 910 kgs. The cockpit configuration includes the Garmin 500H EFIS all-glass avionics flight display with touchscreen and GPS navigation.

“The decision to add this MD 500ER to our Bushveld fleet was an easy one for me,” says chief pilot and owner Tina de Jager. “We fly in some pretty difficult conditions on a daily basis, so safety is of paramount importance. Not only are MDs one of the safest helicopters in the world, they have power to spare, high cruising speed and are very economical to run.

“Additionally, and just as important as the helicopter itself, is the after-sale service. I've always found this to be excellent with MD, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing it will always be there is invaluable.”