Helicopter and business aircraft leasing firm Milestone Aviation announced at the Air Medical Transport Conference yesterday that it would purchase five new Eurocopter EC130B4 helicopters. The order is valued at $17 million, with deliveries slated for the second half of next year. Milestone said it will offer these aircraft for lease to “high-quality operators.” To this end, Milestone and American Eurocopter have formed an arrangement under which “the American Eurocopter sales team will work on the front end to identify leads and assist with closing Milestone leases on these helicopters.” American Eurocopter president and CEO Marc Paganini said Milestone “brings a new option to the table for our clients by providing 100-percent financing and flexible leasing solutions” for customers. According to Milestone chairman Richard Santulli, his company chose the EC130 because it is “widely used in the emergency medical service and tour industries,” a segment where he sees a “clear-cut business opportunity.” Since launching in August last year, Milestone has leased more than two dozen helicopters and private jets valued at more than $240 million. The company has signed commitments that will push that total to more than $300 million by year-end.