http://www.aviationtoday.com Aviation Today en-us 2013 Tue, 21 May 2013 13:37:18 EDT First of all, I hate partisan politics. There are too many times when it gets in the way of the nation’s—any nation’s—best interest. Second, while I knew the recent budget battle that raged on Capitol Hill was going to go down to the wire, I had good money that said a resolution was... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/lawenforcement/Law-Enforcement-Notebook-Sequestration-Reservations_79175.html Wed, 1 May 2013 0:00:00 EDT If you flipped though the previous pages of this issue without reading the Rotorcraft Report entitled “Laser Attack Injures Helo Crewmember,” I’m flattered that you landed here first. But what I’m about to tell you is a continuation of that piece written just for the law enforcement... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/lawenforcement/Law-Enforcement-Notebook-Watch-Out-for-This-Laser!_78647.html Fri, 1 Mar 2013 0:00:00 EST As you may have heard, we recently lost a crew of fellow police aviators. Officers Richard J. Halford and Shawn A. Smiley of the Atlanta Police Department went down in their OH-6 on Nov. 3 at approximately 2230 hours while searching for a missing nine-year-old. Wires were involved, but as of this writing... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/lawenforcement/Officers-Halford-and-Smiley-Men-of-Honor_78393.html Fri, 1 Feb 2013 0:00:00 EST It was in October, about nine years ago. Mike and I had just landed after a routine night patrol. As I was completing my post-flight inspection and he was returning the nozzle to the fuel pump, I saw a car stop on the road off the end of the runway. This wasn’t unusual, since people frequently stopped... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/lawenforcement/Ground-Security_77797.html Thu, 1 Nov 2012 0:00:00 EDT A couple of years ago, I was asked by one of Rotor & Wing’s sister publications to write an article on how aircraft are painted. So, I called a relatively small outfit with a fine reputation for such work to see if they wanted to be featured in it. To make a long story short, I left two messages... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/lawenforcement/Law-Enforcement-Notebook-Where-Are-You-PIO_77185.html Sat, 1 Sep 2012 0:00:00 EDT Times are tough, ladies and gentlemen. With very few exceptions—none of which I can even think of at the moment—law enforcement agencies are having a hard time finding helicopter pilots and flight medics. Uh, let me rephrase that: Law enforcement agencies are having a hard time finding helicopter... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/lawenforcement/The-Search-for-Pilots-and-Medics_76665.html Sun, 1 Jul 2012 0:00:00 EDT With all due respect to the real folks who fly for the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, and the fictitious cops who appear in the TV series “Reno 911,” I’m just not real crazy about Nevada. Even so, I’ve already booked my flight to Reno, because that’s where the 42nd annual... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/lawenforcement/The-Center-of-Our-Universe_76083.html Sun, 1 Apr 2012 0:00:00 EDT A good friend of mine sent me a news clipping the other day. Basically, the sheriff of a fair-size department is having such a tough time financing his air unit, he has decided to solicit sponsors to help cover the costs of the operation. Now, if the image of a decal-laden NASCAR vehicle comes to mind... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/lawenforcement/A-Paid-Advertisement!-On-a-Police-Helicopter!_75679.html Wed, 1 Feb 2012 0:00:00 EST A few days ago, I was talking to some college aviation students of mine, when the subject of aircraft development came up. Since many of them are active-duty or contract personnel who work at the nearby naval air station, they’re pretty knowledgeable when it comes to some of the Navy’s newest... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/lawenforcement/Umanned-vs-Manned_74887.html Tue, 1 Nov 2011 0:00:00 EDT About 10 years ago, I ended up as the acting lieutenant in charge of the helicopter unit where I worked. It really wasn’t that big a deal. With the guys and the lady I had surrounding me, things were actually pretty sweet. Our biggest problem at the time was not having enough pilots to cover all our... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/lawenforcement/Overdoing-the-Overtime_74222.html Thu, 1 Sep 2011 0:00:00 EDT