truTV Heads to Hawaii for Exciting New Series MAUI CHOPPER

Series Follows the Brave Men and Women of Windward Aviation as They Risk Their Lives In One of the Most Beautiful � But Perilous � Places on Earth

MAUI CHOPPER Premieres Monday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. (ET)

On the island of Maui, breathtaking beaches are a dream destination for vacationers and inhabitants alike. But with crashing waves, looming cliffs and deep ravines, it's also the kind of place where a beautiful day can turn into tragedy. When danger strikes, chief helicopter pilot Don Shearer and his crew at Windward Aviation may be the only chance of survival for tourists or residents trapped in life-threatening situations. truTV follows this brave group of first-responders in the exciting new real-life series MAUI CHOPPER, premiering Monday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. (ET).

Based at Kahului Airport on the island of Maui, Windward is one of the best utility helicopter companies in Hawaii. Windward operates on Kauai, Oahu, the Big Island and Molokai, as well as Maui.

Maui's search-and-rescue, lifeguard and fire departments all team with Shearer for emergencies. Because of people like Shearer and his crew, Maui remains one of the safest and most beautiful places for visitors from all over the globe.

In MAUI CHOPPER, viewers will be in the thick of the action as single-engine helicopter pilots work in dangerous environments. A pilot will �slingload,� or hook, a rope to the bottom of a helicopter, then attach an EMT worker to drop into locations to rescue injured people. All the while, a pilot must keep a helicopter steady in high winds, to ensure rescuers 200 feet below don't crash into rocks. Any loss of concentration, even for a second, can cause a chopper to lose control and further jeopardize the safety of the injured.

In episode 1 of MAUI CHOPPER, a fire threatens to engulf an entire neighborhood. Shearer is the first on the scene and, with very little water nearby, is forced to dip into local swimming pools. A second fire starts, and Shearer calls for reinforcements. The fire refuses to go out, and the pilots have to decide whether to fly at night to save houses and their inhabitants. Flying in the dark is extremely dangerous but, for these pilots, there is no other choice.

Later, a hiker falls unconscious after hitting her head on a rock. With no way out by foot, the Maui Fire Department calls Shearer to lift her to safety. Hovering low above a gushing river in 45 knot winds, a rescue team on the ground tries to load a stretcher with the injured hiker. This job is as difficult as it gets for a helicopter pilot � but, for Shearer, it's all in a day's work. It is vital that he get the victim to a waiting ambulance before her condition worsens.

Finally, during a lighter moment, a photographer wants to shoot beautiful models for a catalog on a beach that is accessible only by helicopter. Who better to call than Shearer and Windward Aviation?

Al Edgington and Mark Koops serve as executive producers of the series, which is produced for truTV by Reveille and 2 Roosters Media LLC. For truTV, Jon Crowley serves as executive producer and Robyn Hutt as executive in charge of production.

truTV is television's destination for real-life stories told from an exciting and dramatic first-person perspective. Currently seen in 90 million U.S. households and enjoying more than a year of solid and consistent ratings growth, truTV features high-stakes, action-packed originals that give viewers access to places and situations they can't normally experience. Among truTV's primetime fan favorites are the original series Smoking Gun Presents, Most Daring, Speeders, Ocean Force, Principal's Office, Forensic Files and Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege and Justice. During the daytime, the channel features expert trial coverage under the name IN SESSION.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.