Rotorcraft
Exhibit celebrates helo’s role in news gathering
When the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., opened last month to tell the tale of news gathering, publication and broadcast and to champio

When the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., opened last month to tell the tale of news gathering, publication and broadcast and to champion the concept of a free press, it did not ignore the role of aviation in the news-gathering and -broadcasting process.

In fact, the first thing visitors will see is a Bell 206B JetRanger III suspended in the atrium. Jonathan Thompson, a Newseum staff member, said that organizers reached out to news organizations and found none willing to spare a working model. So Bell Helicopter Textron donated its demonstrator, and–along with co-sponsors Edwards & Associates, FLIR Systems, Helicopters Inc. and Spectrolab–invested six months and complimentary materials. The 206B is outfitted with a gyro-stabilized camera and FLIR unit, a 30-million candlepower Nightsun searchlight and a belly-mount microwave transmitter.