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on Monday, June 25. Specialized in operations from Airborne Law Enforcement (ALE) and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to corporate transportation and utility, these customers braved the Texan heat to experience the X3 up close at American Eurocopter's Grand Prairie facility. In the morning, Louis Duran from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Jay Paschke from the Fort Worth, Texas, Police Department and Joe Drummelsmith of Union Holdings opened up the day's flight demos. Next in the cockpit was Dennis McCall, chief pilot for Air Methods. "The X3 a very capable and smooth aircraft," he said. "The autopilot kept up with everything that I and the test pilot wanted to do. I think that with the X3 you can do the same job more efficiently and thus reduce the number of aircraft needed." Finishing out the day was Don Wall, CEO of Canadian Helicopters (CHL). "It was a fantastic ride really," Wall said. "The speed and acceleration were really surprising," he continued. "It feels more like an airplane but still has the versatility of a helicopter. I think the X3 will be a successful product as it goes into development." Shooting & Editing : Thibault TEYCHENE ©EUROCOPTER, June 2012