December 2006

Airborne Law Enforcement Association, Inc.

ALEA  E-Newsletter

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RCMP to Buy New Chopper

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta will replace its only helicopter this winter when the $3-million Eurocopter A-Star 350 B3 arrives. The new chopper, expected to be in service by February, will replace the RCMP’s current Bell Jet Ranger, which was bought in 1993 and stationed in Edmonton.

The Alberta province will cover 70 percent of the funding for the new purchase, and the Ottawa province will cover the remaining. The aircraft will be used for search and rescue operations, detection of criminal activities such as marijuana grow operations and transportation of human resources.

Source: www.canada.com

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Northern Illinois Police Receive Surplus Helicopters

Two northern Illinois communities, Byron and Belvidere Counties, are getting two surplus Bell OH-58A helicopters that will help with SAR and counter-drug and -terrorism missions. State officials say the town of Washington will also receive a helicopter soon. Two other communities near Chicago have received surplus federal helicopters in recent months.

Source: www.wqad.com

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City Donates Hangar Space for County's Helicopter

The Durant (OK) City Council donated hangar space to the Bryan County Sheriff's Office to store its recently acquired Bell OH-58C surplus military helicopter. Last month, the council also voted to waive the rental fee and to sell the Sheriff's Office fuel at cost. The aircraft will be used for manhunts, aerial firefighting and search and rescue operations.

Source: www.durantdemocrat.com

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San Diego To Auction Aircraft

As part of the San Diego Police Department’s fleet replacement project, they will be auctioning their Bell 206 helicopters. The City of San Diego has retained the assistance of Nationwide Auction Systems to assist in finding buyers for each of the four Bell helicopters.  Each helicopter will be auctioned independently over the course of the next few months as SDPD accepts delivery of their completed Eurocopter AS350B3s. The first auction is scheduled for December 16, 2006.  Included in the auctions will be a 1968 Bell 206B, a 1972 Bell 206B-III, a 1993 Bell 206B-III and a 1993 Bell 206L-4.  Feedback on the successes and/or pitfalls of the auction process will be available to ALEA members who might be seeking input for similar projects.  Contact Sergeant Mark Hanten at (858) 573-5078.  Anyone interested in the auctions can view additional information online.

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Minnesota Takes Delivery of Enstrom Aircraft

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation delivered an Enstrom 480B to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource (MN DNR) recently. After an acceptance ceremony, the helicopter was flown to Brainerd, Minnesota and was immediately placed into service on several resource enforcement missions. “Our initial operating experience with the 480B has been very positive and successful. We are finding the aircraft and its capabilities fit our dual mission of law enforcement and natural resource assessment even better than expected. We look forward to a long and successful use of this aircraft,” said Captain Trenholm, Chief Pilot, Enforcement Aviation Section.

Source: www.enstromhelicopter.com

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Sheriff's Detective Dies After Crash in Utah

A Uintah County Sheriff's Department detective died last month from injuries suffered in a helicopter crash in eastern Utah. The pilot is in critical condition. The detective, Corporal Kevin Orr, 34, and pilot Brian Grayson were participating in a joint air and ground search for a 25-year-old missing woman when the helicopter hit an unmarked power line and fell into the Green River.  You can view Corporal Orr's memorial at ALEA's Fallen Hero Memorial.

Source: www.lasvegassun.com

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United Kingdom Reports on NVG Research

Research into technology that will increase the night vision of helicopter pilots has been completed by the UK’s Ministry of Defense (MoD). Jointly funded by the MoD and BAE Systems, the Covert Night and Day Operations for Rotorcraft (CONDOR) program has been testing new sensor and system integration technologies with the objective of enhancing situational awareness on helicopters in both normal and poor weather.

During the last three years, the program achieved the first flying demonstration of helicopter pilot aides, including visor-projected images of the real world generated from multi-spectral sensors and laser-derived obstacle symbology. Information from databases and a laser obstacle sensor were combined with stitched and fused images from an array of uncooled infrared and low-light sensors and projected onto the helmet’s visor to warn the pilot of specific terrain threats such as pylons and overhead cables.

Source: www.shephard.co.uk

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Police Helicopter Back on Patrol

One aircraft in the Cleveland (OH) Police Department Aviation Unit’s fleet went back on patrol last month for the first time in nearly three years. The two-helicopter unit was put on hold and 251 police officers lost their jobs because of budget cuts in January 2004.

For now, the aircraft’s use is being restricted to 20 hours a week. Court-ordered money from drug, cash and property seizures is funding the helicopter, and the city plans to apply for federal grants. The second chopper should be up and running by the end of December.

Source: www.cleveland.com

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Standard Aero Wins ‘Great Ideas’ Competition

Standard Aero was selected as the winner of the 2006 Great Ideas Competition award at the SAE Department of Defense (DoD) Maintenance Symposium & Exhibition last month. The competition recognizes promising new technologies, processes or business practices that can impact the DoD maintenance environment.

Standard Aero was chosen as one of four finalists from government and industry to present their idea of revolutionizing the way the DoD thinks and conducts maintenance operations and management. Standard Aero's winning Great Idea, entitled "Engine Workscope Optimization" detailed reliability-based tools available to improve fleet performance.

Jim Henry, Standard Aero Vice President, Technology Development states, "The innovative methods developed by reliability engineering have made a dramatic change in the way maintainers develop repair and overhaul workscopes. They now know how to quantify the outcome of changes to a maintenance program before they are made and are able to select alternatives that benefit both their fleets and their organizations."

Source: www.standardaero.com

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U.S. Donates Four Helicopters to Peru

The United States formally donated four modern helicopters to the Peruvian National Police to help them fight drug trafficking. The $2.5-million UH-II aircraft will be used in the central jungle area, as well as in the area surrounding the rivers in southern Andes. With this donation, the number of helicopters owned by Peru's police totals 23.

Peru's Interior Minister, Pilar Mazzetti, said at the public donation ceremony at the Police Aviation Directorate that drug trafficking was a worldwide phenomenon, and that Peru's police had seized more than 19 tons of drugs in more than 6,809 operations and destroyed 693 cocaine-manufacturing factories.

Source: www.english.people.com.cn

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Topeka Police Department Orders New R44 Helicopter

Schreib-Air, Inc. was awarded the bid to provide a new police helicopter as well as training and maintenance support for the Topeka (KS) Police Department. The City of Topeka placed the bid for the new helicopter this past September, which also includes the option for a second helicopter next year.

In addition to standard equipment, the helicopter will be equipped with the FLIR 8500, zoom color TV camera, gyro stabilized gimbal, fold-down monitor mount, moving map system, digital recording system, searchlight, public address system, and Garmin GPS navigation system.

Source: www.shephard.co.uk

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Use of Helicopter Donated to Sheriff's Office

The New Hanover County (CO) Sheriff's Office has accepted a donation from local businessman Scott Gerow for use of his helicopter. Gerow is donating his time to fly the chopper for the sheriff's department when they need help, since they do not have an aviation unit. Sheriff Sid Causey said that the helicopter would be especially useful in the county's Project Lifesaver Program.

Gerow says he will try to be available anytime the sheriff's department needs his helicopter, and he'll fly it for free. Sheriff's deputies say the gas will be paid for with money seized from drug dealers.

Source: www.wect.com

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MD Helicopters Appoints President

Lynn Tilton, Chief Executive Officer of MD Helicopters, announced last month that Charles Vehlow has been appointed President at MDHI. “I have been working quite closely with Chuck and the high quality MD executive team over the last year as we have battled together to bring the MD Helicopter name back to prominence and its rightful place in the helicopter world. The wisdom, experience and leadership that Chuck has demonstrated made him the natural choice for this job, which will include much of the day-to-day leadership, as we continue to execute on our promise to bring MDHI and its legendary aircraft back to our loyal operators. I feel very lucky that Chuck has agreed to take on this challenge to help me rebuild this great company,” said Ms. Tilton.

Source: www.mdhelicopters.com

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Attention Southeast Region Members
January 22-24, 2007 in Jacksonville, FL

Your ALEA Regional Safety Seminar is coming up soon. If you haven’t registered yet, don’t be left out in the cold, sign up now! Complete registration details are available via the ALEA website. For additional information, please contact Southeast Region Director Ralph Groover at (407) 667-6203 or e-mail him at rgroover@alea.org.

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Nomination Period Closes December 15, 2006

Only one week remains to nominate your candidate for the Board for the 2007-2009 term. The nomination period for ALEA elected offices to serve the term July 2007 thru July 2009 will be open until December 15, 2006. The following offices are now open for nomination:

• President

• Chief Financial Officer

• Central Region Director

• Canadian Region Director

• Southeast Region Director

Members residing in that region shall elect region directors, and the director must reside in the region in which he is elected to represent. Nominations must be submitted by mail, facsimile or e-mail and must be addressed to the ALEA Secretary. Please insure nominations indicate the following:

• Name of nominee

• Position person is being nominated for

• Person making the nomination

SEND YOUR NOMINATION TODAY! Nominations must be received or postmarked on or before December 15, 2006. Confirmation of the nominations will be provided. The ballots will be distributed by mail on or about May 1, 2007. The ballots will be counted during the 37th Annual Conference & Exposition in Orlando, FL and the results announced at the General Membership Meeting to be held on July 12, 2007.

Send your nominations to:
Martin L. Jackson, Secretary
Airborne Law Enforcement Association
411 Aviation Way, Suite 200
Frederick, MD 21701
E-mail: secretary@alea.org 
Facsimile: (301) 631-2466

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E-mail: jthornton@alea.org 

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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.
411 Aviation Way
Suite 200
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone (301) 631-2406
Fax (301) 631-2466