|
Airborne Law Enforcement Association, Inc. |
|||||||||||||
|
ALEA E-Newsletter |
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
Fish and Wildlife Debuts 'Nighthawk'
FWC’s Aviation Division now has a fleet of 14 aircraft, including two twin-engine airplanes, five single-engine airplanes and eight helicopters used in a variety of missions. Source: www.wptv.com [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
Austrian Police Add to Fleet
Source: www.shephard.co.uk [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
Sheriff’s Office Ready for Purchase
Source: www.nevadaappeal.com [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
Skyquest Delivers First HD Displays for UK Police
Source: www.skyquest.co.uk [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
San Diego Police A-Stars Get Upgrades
Source: www.jetsource.com [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
Grant Helps Agencies With Live Helicopter Video Feeds
In all, 13 agencies in Central Florida will receive part or whole packages to equip 17 helicopter units with the ability to downlink camera images to those observing on the ground. Source: www.gainesville.com [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
State Police Contract With Backup Medical Helicopter
"Their role is to supplement us," said Capt. Jeff Evans, State Police Commander, which also runs its Sussex County airborne medical operation. While other helicopters provide hospital-to-hospital transport, only Christiana Care has an agreement to provide state police backup. The new medical base will include a medical staff of 16, four pilots and one mechanic, and will handle a projected 400 flights in the first year. Source: www.delmarvanow.com [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
New York City OK’s Police Wireless Network
Source: www.mercurynews.com [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
MD Helicopters Reduces AOG By 90%
Source: www.mdhelicopters.com [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
City Accepts R44 Raven II
Source: www.robinsonheli.com [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
Houston To Modernize Computer Systems
Source: www.connpost.com [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
Regional Aircraft Soon To Be Airborne
Several agencies will maintain and operate the helicopter, including the Wilmington Police Department, Pender County Sheriff's Office and Leland Police Department. A full-time pilot was hired in July, and Wilmington police officers are training to work alongside the pilot and be designated tactical flight officers. Source: www.wilmingtonstar.com [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
NVG Lighting STC in Operation For Two Agencies
This STC was obtained in support of an American
Eurocopter’s contract with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The
first aircraft was delivered in July and 14 additional aircraft are on
contract for delivery through third quarter 2007. Sacramento County
Sheriff Department has also recently accepted delivery of a new Eurocopter
EC-120 covered by this STC. Source: www.aerodynamix.com [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
Attention Central Region Members
Your ALEA Regional Safety Seminar is coming up soon. If you
haven’t registered, time is running out!
Registration information is
available online. [TOP] |
|||||||||||||
|
Advertise in
ALEA's E-Newsletter For rates and availability, contact: Jennifer Thornton Get Your Organization's News Online Send your press releases, company logos and photos to:
Lisa Wright Join Our Mailing List
ALEA’s Monthly E-Newsletters are designed to help keep you
informed on the very latest information in the airborne law enforcement
industry. Our E-Newsletters are distributed by email, as an
additional benefit to our membership. Anyone may
join our mailing list. |
|||||||||||||
This newsletter is published monthly by the Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA), a public benefit, non-profit California corporation. The ALEA is comprised of air crew and air support personnel in law enforcement and others who support, promote, and advance the safe and effective use of aircraft by law enforcement agencies. © Copyright 2006 by the Airborne Law Enforcement Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this newsletter in whole or in part without written permission from the Editor is prohibited. Product and corporate names mentioned in this newsletter are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the ALEA.
Airborne Law Enforcement Association, Inc. |
|||||||||||||
Skyquest
Aviation made its first deliveries of high-definition, multi-function
displays for police aircraft in the United Kingdom. Using the latest
video processing technology, airborne observers will now see increased
levels of information in video images, and if recorded to HD
recorders, images will offer far superior post-mission analysis,
especially useful for recognizing individuals or analyzing crime
scenes. [
The
Alachua County (FL) Sheriff’s Office obtained a $3.1 million federal
grant for a video downlink system. The system, funded by the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, transmits real-time video captured
from a police helicopter to ground observers, emergency dispatch and
firefighting officials in several surrounding counties. [
A
new Robinson R44 Raven II Police Helicopter will now patrol above the
City of San Bernardino (CA) through a contract with airborne law
enforcement specialist California Aviation Services. Deployed to
support the city’s anti-crime program, Operation Phoenix, the R44
Raven II Police Helicopter is on duty 40 hours a week. Following
the success of neighboring Fontana, the City of San Bernardino is now
the second city within San Bernardino County to utilize an R44 Police
Helicopter in their law enforcement programs. [
The
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) took delivery last
month of a new Bell 206 L4 helicopter, named "Nighthawk", which will give
the FWC a high-tech edge in the sky in south Florida. The $1.5 million
aircraft is equipped with an infrared camera, laser targeting and video
downlink technology, which will help to chase poachers hiding in dark
woods, conducting patrols along the coast or searching for unlucky air
boaters stuck in the swamp. The helicopter replaces a military surplus
helicopter that is about 30 years old.
Austrian
Police helicopters are getting a facelift. Similar to their police cars,
the Interior Ministry aircraft will now feature a silver-blue-red paint
scheme. The agency has also ordered eight new helicopters for delivery in
time for the EURO 2008 soccer tournament, which is being jointly hosted by
Austria and Switzerland in June 2008. Since 2000, the police aviation
division has become increasingly important to the country, having been
called upon 4,821 times for use in various missions. 
Officials
in Placer County (NV) Sheriff’s Office are conducting a feasibility study
to be completed by mid-December to see if funding a new helicopter is an
option. The Placer County Aviation Unit now operates a 1971 Bell OH-58
helicopter acquired through military surplus 11 years ago. Its age is
requiring increasing maintenance costs and the aircraft has power
limitations at high altitudes and restricted lift and weight capacities.
Jet
Source Inc. has completed the first of four American Eurocopter AS350B-3
helicopters for San Diego Police Department’s Aviation Section. The
helicopter is outfitted with a state-of-the-art law enforcement package
that is entirely NVG capable and includes a thermal imaging system, Avalex
moving map, and a custom-designed radio command suite. To meet San Diego
Police Department’s mission specifications, Jet Source designed and
fabricated a custom panel, console and racks in addition to all necessary
engineering, installation and interfacing. 
Christiana
Hospital's emergency helicopter operation plans to expand into Sussex
County, putting a medical crew within a 15-minute flight of every Delaware
resident. Beginning this month, the addition gives a dedicated statewide
backup to a Delaware State Police airborne medical system that flew 3,500
missions last year.
The
City of New York has awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. a $500 million
contract to build a government-use only wireless network that will let
police and firefighters plug into city computer systems, even when they
are rushing to emergencies. Police hunting for a suspect would be able to
download a mug shot or view surveillance video. Fire chiefs might use the
system to map the location of each unit or see around a wall of smoke and
flames by getting live aerial footage of a burning building, beamed in
from a hovering helicopter. It is expected to take five years to finish
building the small radio antennas that will stretch the system across more
than 300 square miles, but the network is expected to be operational by
spring 2008.
MD
Helicopters, Inc. announced last month that it has reduced AOG’s
(Aircraft-On-Ground) by 90 percent since the company’s July 2005
acquisition by Patriarch Partners. MDHI is now able to provide both
routine and higher priority parts on the same day the order is received in
over 80 percent of the cases. The company has also been able to fill 90
percent of customer AOG orders in less than 72 hours. "This announcement
confirms the commitment MD Helicopters is making to rebuild the high level
of customer service and operator feedback critical to supporting the large
MD Helicopter operating fleet," said Jeffrey L. Snyder, General Manager,
Customer Support of MD Helicopters, Inc.
Sapphire
International Inc. is developing a customized application for the Houston
Police Department's Helicopter Patrol Unit. The program, called FoxFlight,
will allow the division to better track its patrol, administrative,
maintenance, inventory, budget, systems administration and training
flight-management components. The project should be completed by the end
of this year.
A
military surplus helicopter is being refitted and rebuilt for the
Wilmington (NC) Police Department and could take to the skies by
mid-October. The OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter will be used to assist
with drug interdictions, fugitive apprehensions, car pursuits and search
and rescue missions.
Aero
Dynamix, Inc. recently received a new Supplementary Type Certificate (STC)
for NVG-compatible cockpit lighting modifications in the EC-120.