Pima Sheriff's second Helio Turboprop Conversion, Tricycle Gear was added later.

In 1999 Sgt. Rick Pearson of the Pima County (AZ) Sheriff’s Department was tasked by his command to come up with a patrol support aircraft.  The only caveat was that it had to be cheaper to procure and operate than a traditional helicopter. 

Pearson almost immediately had an answer,  a fixed wing Helio Courier STOL aircraft.  Pearson had prior experience flying Helio airplanes and new that they had a stall speed in the high 20’s and could take off in 300’ with no head wind and at max gross weight.  Sgt. Pearson also knew that the Helio Courier had been used as a forward observation aircraft during the Vietnam era, and that hard points could be installed under the wings to mount a FLIR camera.  It was the perfect aircraft as far as he was concerned.

In 1999 the Pima County Sheriff’s Dept. purchased a 1974 model Helio Courier HT-295, and set about making the necessary upgrades to put it into service as a patrol support aircraft.  By early 2000 “Survey One” took to the air with a fresh coat of paint and a fresh engine overhaul.  It didn’t take long for the Pima County Sheriff’s Dept. to know that they had made the right decision going with the Helio Courier.  The aircraft flew an average of 5.5 hours a night, required little maintenance and had an operational cost of approximately $100 per hour. 

As great as this patrol aircraft was, the members of the Air Support Unit recognized that it could be better.  Over the next several years the Pima Sheriff’s Air Support Unit would convert this aircraft to a turboprop, then acquire a second Helio Courier and convert it as well.  This makes the Pima County Sheriff’s Department the owners of the only two Helio HT-420 aircraft in the entire country!

The turbine engine used for the conversion was the Rolls Royce C-20 with the B-17c turboprop conversion.  Now this was not the first time a Helio Courier had been converted to a turboprop.  A 1967 conversion “B-15” version of the engine resulted in 320 shaft horse power, but it actually underperformed the piston engine at higher altitudes.  The B-17c conversion results in 420 shaft horse power.

R.R. C-20 Turboprop engine being installed.So what kind of performance do they get with their turboprop Helio Courier?  How about a take off roll of 100’ at 87% torque, a landing roll of 50’,  a minimum forward air speed of about 30 knots IAS, 20 gallons per hour at loiter speed, and the ability to loiter for several hours longer than any LE pilot wants to stay in the air.  But there is more, at loiter speed (which is 70-80 kts) the prop only turns at about 1700 rpm resulting in little tip noise, and a very quiet aircraft above the city.  No who could use less noise complaints right?  Top speed for the aircraft is about 140-150 kias at 8500’ msl.

One of the first flights after the Turboprop Conversion.Both Helio Courier turboprops are outfitted with a FLIR Star Saffire III camera making them a true stand off “eye in the sky.”  Deputies in the cockpit of one of these aircraft are capable of monitoring a police call from several miles away, often without the bad guy or even the general public even knowing they are there. 

So what is the cost of such an aircraft?  Here are some numbers provided by Sgt. Pearson for their second aircraft.

Airframe:  $150,000
R.R. C-20 Turbine Engine:  $250,000
Total Conversion:  $450,000
FLIR Star Saffire Camera:  $450,000
Aero Computers Moving Map:  $100,000
Direct Operating Cost:  About $170 an hour. (about 1/3 of a Bell 206B3)

Sgt. Pearson notes that their program has been so successful, the budget for the Pima County Sheriff’s Air Support Unit was actually increased this year.  This is noteworthy in a time when many police air units are facing budget cuts.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Helio HT-420 aircraft are operated under “Public Use” aircraft rules.
While the aircraft may not be FAA certified, only factory parts were used in the conversion and FAA standards were followed as closely as possible. 

Any department or agency interested in acquiring and converting their own Helio aircraft for patrol can contact Sgt. Pearson if they have further questions.

rick.pearson@sheriff.pima.gov 

Police Helicopter Pilot.com would like to thank Sgt. Pearson for his cooperation, information and photos that made this article possible. 

All Pima Sheriff pilots are IFR Certified, and benefit from this all glass panel.

If you were to climb in the back seat of one of our patrol helicopters today, and go on a patrol flight with us, you would here similar talk between the two crew members.  While we don't necessarily verbalize every control input, there are certain things that we do verbalize every time.  Flying over or in the area of high tension wires is one of those times.  When approaching wires, one member of the crew will call them out and the other member will acknowledge them.  It goes something like  this, "coming up on the wires", "got the wires".   You might also here "crossing on the pole", or like one of our pilots likes to say "adding a couple hundred extra feet for the wife & kids." 

What we are practicing here is basic CRM, "Cockpit Resource Management" or "Crew Resource Management" whichever term you prefer.  All pilots are familiar with the concept. 

For us, verbally calling out every set of high tension wires, every time we fly over or near them is part of a disciplined approach to identifying hazards to flight.  In addition it continuously reminds us where every set of high tension wires in the county are located, particularly along some of our standard flight paths.   

No one likes to talk about the mistakes of dead pilots.  But talk about them we must in order to learn and hopefully prevent ourselves from ever making the same fatal mistake(s).  The fiery crash of a Bell 206 helicopter with 4 souls on board, near Auberry Ca. earlier this month is a sad reminder of the dangers of high tension wires.  But there is a little more to this crash than simply flying along and not seeing the wires, or not knowing they were there.  One must read the NTSB preliminary report carefully to see what I am referring to.

wikimedia.org photoIn this case, "crossing on the pole" would almost assuredly have saved the lives of the pilot and the 3 Fish & Game wildlife biologist who were passengers on the helicopter.  If you can envision two towers with a span of high tension wires between them, you would see that the high tension wires have at least some droop to them.  The greater the span, the greater the droop.  But in this case there is a smaller lighter wire running from the top of each tower to the opposite tower.   These wires are often much harder to see, and do not have the same droop as the heavier wires.  In this case the Bell 206 came down a canyon in straight and level flight over the top of the drooped high tension wires, but apparently did not see the smaller ground wire running between the tops of the two towers.  There is little doubt as to what occurred as the crash was witnessed by two USFS law enforcement officers who were in the area. 

Every year in America you can count on one or two low flying helicopters, following freeways during bad weather and often at night, crashing into high tension power lines.  The result is always the same, a fiery crash onto the freeway. 

Whether you are an LE pilot, civilial pilot, future pilot, or even a passenger in a helicopter calling out wires, knowing their locations along your flight path, and even knowing a little bit about them may very well save your life one day. 

Remember, altitude is your friend & "got the wires."

Now anyone who works in or around helicopters knows that they are notorious for oil leaks.  We have all heard terms such as "operational seepage" or funny quips like "a helicopter is nothing more than a thousand spare parts flying in formation around an oil leak."  Well one day Bob finally had enough of the standard helicopter turbine engine oil leak and fired off the following letter, (recently dug out of an old file in the maintenance hangar).

XXXXXXXXX RotorCraft, Inc.

El Cajon, Ca. 92020

August 21, 2000

"Dear Folks:

This is in Reference to your expensive 250C20 series engines.  You are probably aware of the tendency of these engines to leak oil.  Much of our maintenance effort is spent on trying to fix these never ending leaks. 

I think I may have come upon a remedy for the above problem.  For about fifty years I have operated lawn mowers.  These mowers have a vertical shaft that drives a blade.  This mechanism is immersed in oil.  In spite of poor maintenance, sudden stoppage, over speeding (one turned so fast that it almost went into a hover), lack of oil, too much oil, and imbalance and out of track blades, etc.  I have yet to see a drop of oil on the surface where the machines were parked.  In light of the above I think you should either merge with Briggs & Stratton or hire one of their engineers. 

Respectfully,

Bob XXXXXXXXXX

P.S.  You might pass this on to MD Helicopters we have the same problem with their gear-boxes.  I'm sure they would be grateful."

See a copy of the original here.  I thought this letter was just too good not to share.

Utah Trooper Terry Mercer landed his Eurocopter AS 350 B2 Helicopter on this pinnacle a total of 11 times during the rescue of an injured hiker in Washington County Utah.When Utah State Trooper Terry Mercer landed his helicopter on this pinnacle back in August to rescue an injured hiker, he had no idea that it would turn into the story which it did.  Once the pictures started filtering out, they began to show up on every major news outlet in the country.  But now that things have settled down, I thought it would be a good time to ask Trooper Mercer a few questions of my own about this pretty incredible landing, or make that 11 landings. 

PHP (Police Helicopter Pilot.com): You are a former Navy Pilot right?  How many PIC hours do you have in helicopters?

Trooper Mercer:  Yes, as a former Navy Pilot I retired from the Navy with about 9000 hrs pretty evenly split between helo and fixed.   I was an H-3 pilot by trade and flew two tours off of USS John F Kennedy.  I ended up with just under 4500 hrs helo with about 3000 PIC.  When I went to the training command tour, helo consolidation for all the services up at Ft Rucker was being discussed, so no helo instructors were being sent to Pensacola.  I ended up going as a fixed instructor.  I feel this made me a better aviator, but I did miss out on the TH-57 (jet ranger) time. 

PHP:  How long have you been flying for Utah DPS?  Are you Sworn?  If so, did you work the streets prior to being transferred into the air unit?

Trooper Mercer:    When I retired I couldn't even get an interview with the light helo EMS outfits, so I ended up with the Patrol and drove the Highways of Utah for 8 yrs having a ball.  After 8 years the Aero Bureau finally had an opening.   I began flying an Army surplus Bell 58 in 2000.  Finally in preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympics we got the two Eurocopter Astar B-2's that we fly now.

PHP:  Had you completed an official Mountain Flying Course prior to this landing?

Trooper Mercer:     I was sent to Canada for Canadian Helo Mt Flying course and then when we obtained the B-2's myself and the other Helo pilot went back up for B-2 initial course.  Since then we go to Dallas for Eurocopter's factory school each year for refresher training.  We train each year in-house for an instrument flight and an altitude/external flight. 

PHP:  Does your unit routinely practice or do these types of pinnacle landings?

Trooper Mercer:  Pinnacles such as this are not specifically practiced, however the events of this morning are not everyday, but not uncommon either. 

PHP:  On your initial recon......did you pick out this LZ or did the ground rescuers pick it out and ask you to attempt a landing there?

Trooper Mercer:  I had looked at the pinnacle when I first got there, but decided the SAR team would be "ledged" out and have no access to the victim.  As I dropped the rope team up high one of the first team members had hiked to the victim and then explored out to the pinnacle and sort of goat-hopped out to it, showing me that they could get on and off of the pinnacle. 

PHP:  When you first looked at this LZ did you think for a minute that you would be able to successfully land there? 

Trooper Mercer:  A quick visual of the pinnacle and I knew that it was safe, doable, and the closest site possible.  It immediately changed the entire operation from a 1-1 1/2 day event to a 2-3 hr operation.     

PHP:  What was the worst part about landing on this particular pinnacle?

Trooper Mercer:  I shut down on the pinnacle on the first landing to evaluate the footprint.  The starts  were the worst as the ac sort of shifted weight as the blades began to swing. 

PHP:  Were all of the landings pretty much the same, or were some more difficult than others?

Trooper Mercer:  It was on that third landing that I got sloppy and landed about 15 inches back and so when Cory got out the aircraft sort of teetered back on the skids.  The U-tube footage is when I started it back up and was positioning it forward again.  That's why I was alone and landed about 4=5 times to sort of feel out the footprint and determine where I'd be the most solid. 

Trooper Mercer's third landing of his Utah DPS helicopter provided a little scare when it rocked back on it's heels after shutdown.

PHP:  It appears there is a sheer rock wall in front of you.  How far away was this wall, and did it actually help your landings as a hover reference?

Trooper Mercer:   Over all, the landings were very safe as I had almost 25-30 ft from the wall, so the  blade clearance was not a factor.  The boulders on the right of the aircraft were 3-4 feet below the blades so all I had to do was sit it down.  I thought I had about 18-24 inches fore and aft, but like I said after it teetered I narrowed it down to 4-6- inches fore/aft, but I had a good rock that I could put about 4 inches to the right and 2 inches forward of the right front skid tube and as long as I put it right there, the rest of the AC would obviously follow along.

PHP:  What was the elevation and were there any winds?

Trooper Mercer:  The altitude down there is about the lowest part of the state  (3600 at the site), so even though it was hot I had plenty of power and the wind was dead calm that morning so I had no excuse not to get it done..

PHP:  Was your TFO assisting with each landing by watching skids and talking you down?  Did you make some of these landings as the only person on board the helicopter?

Trooper Mercer:   On occasion during sling missions of marijuana we will use ground radio assistance to position the sling, but during missions like this we fly solo and we don't land where the pilot doesn't have safe clearance.  Our passengers are good SAR members so they help with clearances but the pilot is the final judge.  With just two full time and one part time AirMed pilot we are able to maintain currency and proficiency to a high degree.

PHP: I understand  you did 11 landings, what time frame was this over?   

Trooper Mercer:  I landed 11 times with the first 7 bringing in members 3 at a time with gear.  After taking the medic and victim to the hospital there was 16 people still up there.  I told them to have 2 people on each side of the landing site and load hot to get them off.  Like the professionals they are they were loaded with gear and buckled in about two min each time, so the last four landings were very quick down, load and go.  Like I indicated earlier without shutting down and starting it was really easy.  We originally spotted Jim (the victim) at 0820 and all persons were off the mountain and back at the Command Post by 1140 hours.

PHP:  Having never flown a Eurocopter, I hear they are kind of "squirrley" in ground effect.....would you agree and did this make these landings more difficult?

Trooper Mercer:  The B-2 is called the Ecureuil which means squirrel  in French.  When you hover at 2-4 ft it is "squirrley" so the common tendency is to high hover at about 7-8 ft which smoothes it out a lot, but is not near as good if you have to do a hovering-auto.  Up there that day, the Pinnacle was so small that it really was pretty smooth all the way to the landing so ground effect was I believe, minimized.

Utah DPS Trooper Terry Mercer sits with his Eurocopter AS 350 B2 while victim is being packaged for transport.

PHP:  Thanks Trooper Mercer for taking the time to share your experiences with the readers of Police Helicopter Pilot.com

One of the freedoms of living in the greatest country on earth is the freedom to get out and enjoy the raw and rugged beauty of this United States of America.  Millions of people each year do exactly that, all across the country.  When things go wrong, and some times they do, it is nice to know there are professionals such as Trooper Mercer and the Washington County (Utah) Sheriff Search and Rescue ready to take the call. 

You can see all of the pictures from this rescue by clicking on the above link to the Washington County SAR site. 

San Diego Sheriff's Bell 407 helicopter. Rocky Laws photo.

The Iron Mountain Peak is a very popular hike in San Diego County due to it's close proximity to civilization, and the fact that it is a moderate hike that can be accomplished in about 3-4 hours.  From the parking area to the peak is about 5.6 miles round trip, and a 1,000 foot rise in elevation.  The Iron Mountain summit is 2684' msl.  On any given morning one can find 20-30 cars parked at the trail head off of Hwy 67. 

On this particular evening the Sheriff's Communications Center received a call from a subject who advised that there was a body at the summit on Iron Mountain.  There was something about the conversation that lead the dispatcher to suspect that the subject was reporting his own death.  The dispatcher asked the caller if he was the body, and the caller indicated that he was.  At some point the call was lost, and the Sheriff's patrol helicopter was launched. 

A short time later the night crew arrived at the mountain's summit in their Bell 407 helicopter, to discover a single male at the only picnic table on the mountain.  The subject was non responsive to the presence of the helicopter, the spot light, or the PA announcements from the crew.  No weapon could be seen, and there was no way to assess the subject's medical status from the helicopter.  Also, there was no LZ at the summit suitable for landing the larger, 7 passenger, Bell 407. 

In addition to airborne law enforcement, sheriff's helicopter crews often find themsevles at the center of coordinating people and resources in order to accomplish the mission at hand.  This helicopter crew was suddenly faced with the challenge of getting the right people and resources to the top of the mountain, in the darkness, in order to assess the subject's condition and bring the matter to a safe conclusion.  In a typical situation such as this, law enforcement almost always enters the scene first, secures any weapons and makes the scene safe for medical personnel to enter and render aid to the victim. 

In this case the crew set about coordinating with the responding ground units, San Diego Fire Rescue Helicopter (Copter 1) and eventually the Medical Examiner Investigator.  The first responding ground deputy was picked up and flown to a Cal-Fire LZ equipped with a metal landing pad, located about half way between the parking area and the mountain summit.  From here the TFO and the ground deputy began the one hour hike to the summit. 

At the same time the pilot coordinated with San Diego Fire Rescue to conduct a night hoist operation once the scene at the summit was deemed safe.  San Diego Fire Rescue would insert a paramedic to assess the victim and provide medical attention if necessary.

Upon reaching the summit the responding TFO and deputy found that the subject was indeed suffering from an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound, and a weapon was recovered.  The San Diego Fire Rescue Helicopter lowered their paramedic who assessed the victim and found no signs of life.  Now began the wait for the Medical Examiner Investigator to respond. 

Once the M.E. Investigator arrived at the trail head parking area, she too was picked up and flown to the Cal-Fire LZ.  She then began the one hour hike to the summit, accompanied by the pilot.  At the conclusion of her on scene investigation the victim was prepared for transport by helicopter.

The San Diego Fire Rescue Helicopter responded back to the scene and conducted a basket lift of the victim, who was then transferred to M.E. personnel waiting at the trail head.  Finally, the helicopter crew, ground deputy, and M.E. Investigator could begin their hike back to the Cal-Fire LZ and their return flight to the trail head.   

This incident is another excellent example of the vital role helicopters play in modern law enforcement and public safety.  Not only do helicopters save lives, but they solve problems. Even with the assistance of two helicopters, this incident took almost 6 hours to resolve.  Excellent job Deputies Joyce and Kaupe and thanks to San Diego Fire Rescue for their assistance!

Do you know what to do if you suspect someone is suicidal?  Learn more by following this link, suicide prevention.

File photo of a Cessna Citation, Wikimedia.org, Become an FBI pilot and you may find yourself flying a Citation similar to this one.

The FBI has made it public knowledge that about 88% of their aviation assets are dedicated to surveillance missions.  In 2003 the FBI acknowledged that since the 9/11 attacks their request for aircraft, for surveillance missions had increased by 60%.  What this also means is that the FBI's Aviation Program operates far more fixed wing aircraft than helicopters, as fixed wing aircraft are better suited for these types of missions.  And while some of these aircraft will fall into the light jet category, just as many are propeller driven piston engine aircraft valued for their lower air speeds and unobtrusive appearance. 

The FBI has a total of 56 Field Offices all of which have access to aircraft from the FBI's Aviation Program for the purposes of surveilliance, photography, and the transportation of critical personnell, equipment and evidence during crisis situations. 

One of the first documented cases of an FBI agent using an aircraft for official purposes was in 1938 during an extortion investigation.  The investigation reached a point where a package was to be thrown from a moving train, and the FBI agent needed to be in a position to witness the transaction.  However, the first major deployment of aircraft by the FBI was in 1975 when two agents were murdered on the vast Pine Hills Indian Reservation in South Dakota prompting a lengthy and difficult investigation. 

In addition to fixed wing aircraft, the FBI operates a number of helicopters.  The following information about the FBI's Hostage Rescue Unit is from Wikipedia.com; 

"The HRT operates a Tactical Aviation Unit, which is staffed by FBI special agents. The Tactical Helicopter Unit, a subunit of the aviation unit, contains a variety of helicopters specially modified for the HRT's use. These helicopters include eight military converted UH-60 Black Hawk tactical transport helicopters and several McDonnell Douglas 530 Little Bird light helicopters. Unlike the military, whose aircraft are not always in the same location as the tactical operators, the HRT’s Tactical Helicopter Unit is literally right out the front door on a low hilltop. Also, the HRT operates two C-5 Galaxy cargo planes for transportation purposes. All the HRT's Tactical Aviators fly daily."

While there are positions in the FBI for rotor-wing pilots, it would appear to me that the bulk of FBI missions are carried out by fixed wing pilots.

So how does someone land a job as an FBI pilot?  If you have read the articles I have posted in "How to become a police helicopter pilot" then you know that any position as a police or law enforcement pilot is going to be a long term goal for most people.  The FBI even more so.  I recently had the opportunity to speak to an FBI pilot and inquire as to how one obtains the position.

FBI Agent/Pilot:  Currently all FBI pilots are sworn agents.  All are graduates of the FBI academy in Quantico Va., and all have spent time working the field in law enforcement investigations.  While some other federal agencies have started to trend toward hiring very experienced civilian pilots, the FBI has not adopted this approach.

Additionally, most or all FBI Agent/Pilots came into the agency with previous aviation experience.  For example, the pilot I interviewed for this article began flying at age 19, became a military pilot, and ultimately a state trooper where he flew helicopters in their air unit.  Before the cutoff age of 37 he applied for, and was hired by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Where did most current FBI Agent/Pilots get their flying experience?  I am told it is a blend of both military and civilian flying experience.  In other words there is no requirement to have been a military pilot.  Pilots who obtain their ratings through civilian flight schools are well represented among the ranks of FBI pilots.   

College Degree:  Before we get too far along in the aviation side of becoming an FBI Agent/Pilot, we need to look at the basic qualifications for an entry level FBI agent.  Yes, you will need that 4 year degree from an accredited university, but not just any degree.  The FBI has identified specific areas of study that they require in order to meet the minimum qualifications.  A visit to the FBI's official website will answer most of these questions for you.  You may want to look at what they call their "diversified" degree & experience category.

Flight Experience:    While I would love to be able to report to you exactly what ratings and how much flight time you will eventually need to become an FBI pilot, it is just not possible at this time.  Requirements often change with the needs of the department or agency.  If there is an abundance of FBI agents with aviation experience to chose from, more ratings and experience by be required to be competitive.  If there is a shortage (at the time) of agents with aviation experience, the requirements are going to be less. 

What is it really going to take:  Any law enforcement aviation unit whether small or large, federal or local, will have movement of personnel.  People retire, people lose their flight medicals, people move on to different assignments, etc., etc.  So ten, fifteen and twenty years from now there will be FBI Special Agents competing for positions in the FBI Aviation Unit.  The question is, will you be one of them?  Have a plan and then work your plan. 

You will need a college degree in one of the areas of study required by the FBI.  What will you do to make this happen?  Here is a tip.  I can assure you the FBI will want to know what your GPA was in college and probably in high school.  It tells them a lot about you!

You will need certain aviation ratings and flight experience.  What are you willing to do to make this happen?  I would imagine at the very least you would want to set your goals on a commercial fixed wing license with IFR and Multi-engine ratings.  Yes this will cost you money, unless of course you go the military route. 

I don't think anyone can tell you exactly how to get there.  All I can do is show you the opportunity, point you in the right direction, and wish you good luck.  Ultimately it will be your hard work, dedication to your goal, and perserverience over many years that will determine whether or not you are selected for that pilot position 10 or 15 years from today.  Go for it!

Sources:  Wikipedia.com, Associated Press, FBI Official Website. 

Grounding of the helicopters will save the city $195,000 this fiscal year according to published reports.  The city has left open the possibility of future patrol flights for now however, by announcing that they will maintain ownership of the idle aircraft.  Tulsa's police helicopters were equipped with the 8500 model FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared Camera) allowing the officers on board to see criminals in the dark.  The 8500 FLIR is essentially the gold standard in todays police helicopters for night time operations. 

In the video below the helicopter crew can be heard logging off for the final time.  The crew member on the radio can be heard saying "Police 1 and Police 2 10-7 grounded."  The code 10-7 generally means "out of service." 

Police aviation is an integral tool of modern day law enforcement.  While the department will survive without an air unit, one can be just as assured that some violent criminals will evade capture due to the lack of air support.  One can only hope that the City of Tulsa will continue to support their police aviation unit when the budget allows. 

Source:  Tulsaworld.com

PHP.com has obtained a copy of the video.

Also, as I stated in the original post, I have personally received emergency procedures training from the same CFI on several occassions and can attest to his professionalism, outstanding skill level, and expert knowledge of all things helicopters.  You be the judge.

Sacramento P.D. OH-58 Helicopter on patrol.

Every law enforcement officer understands that cooperation from the public is vital when it comes to solving crimes, catching the perpetrator, and suppressing crime. 

When it comes to police helicopters one of the most vital pieces of equipment on board is the public address system (P.A.).  Kevin Means of the San Diego Police Air Support Unit, a recognized expert in FLIR operations, goes so far as to call the P.A. the "day time FLIR."  That is how successful the P.A. is in locating wanted suspects, missing kids, and missing elderly subjects. 

It makes sense to go a step further and disseminate current information to the public, when the police helicopter is going to be spending any significant amount of time working a call in your neighborhood.  After all, the police helicopter is already disseminating the information directly to the public in the form of those P.A. announcements. 

The Sacramento Police Department is leading the way (at least in the U.S.) in what is sure to be a new trend in airborne law enforcement.  That is, publishing current information on it's website anytime the Sacramento Police Helicopter is orbiting a call for any significant amount of time.  Citizens can go to the Sacramento Police Department's website and click on the "Helicopter Activity" bar on the left side of the page.  Citizens will generally get the type of call is being worked, along with descriptions of fleeing suspects or missing kids, etc. 

One might wander why this is necessary if the helicopter is already announcing the information over the P.A. system.  Well on many police helicopters the speaker is directed down and out of the co-pilot's or observer's side of the helicopter toward the center of the orbit or search area.  Consequently people on the outside of the orbit often cannot understand what is being broadcast.  The result is calls flooding into the communications center from citizens complaining that they can't understand what is being said, and wanting to know what is going on in their neighborhood. 

Publishing this information online is smart, keeps the public informed, and overall enhances the effectiveness of the police on the ground and in the air. 

I have already heard that our own agency is working on a similar solution, but I do not have the details or a time frame as of yet. 

In the U.K. both the  West Yorkshire Police Dept. and the Northamptonshire Police Department have similar programs.

More and more police agencies today are using Twitter and Facebook to update the public on current police activity to include traffic accidents etc.  I predict it is only a matter of time before the vast majority of police agencies with an air support unit follow suit. 

In addition to keeping the public informed and helping to find fleeing suspects etc., there is one more huge benefit to this.  Though most citizens support their local police aviation unit, there are those who view them as nothing more than noisy and costly good old boy flying clubs.  While we won't convert everyone, letting the public see in real time the types of calls the aviation unit is assisting, will most likely have a net positive result.