Police Aviation News January 2012

Police Aviation News January 2012 18
Meanwhile the decision on the final contractor expected to take up UK SAR operations from
2015, and that will include the replacement of the Sea King helicopters, is not expected until
March.
UNITED STATES
FEDERAL: Boeing is not going to submit bids based on its Chinook helicopter or the V-
22 tiltrotor aircraft built with Textron Inc's Bell Helicopter unit for a US Air Force competition
for 112 new combat rescue helicopters.
Boeing's decision follows a similar announcement by other manufacturers and that effectively
leaves the only contender for the contract as Sikorsky.
©Two Bear Management
MONTANA: The state is one of those with few dedicated public safety air resources. The
latest is a privately funded rescue group called FEAR - Flathead Emergency Aviation Resources
active in the Rocky Mountains in north-west Montana.
One year old now it was set up as an idea in 2011 by then-Flathead County Undersheriff
Jordan White along with other like-minded individuals. The current Sheriff Chuck Curry is a
critical care paramedic, pilot, aircraft owner, and spent twenty-six years working on Montana’s
ALERT air ambulance helicopter while also serving as the undersheriff of Flathead
County. Undersheriff Jordan White is an emergency medical technician, pilot, aircraft
owner, and spent three years as the SAR coordinator for the sheriff’s office. Jim Bob Pierce,
owner of Red Eagle Aviation, partnered with the sheriff’s office several years ago to facilitate
the launch of an aviation programme.
The Sheriff’s Office has several volunteer units that assist the Sheriff’s Office with a variety
of tasks and services. They include a Reserve, SAR/Mountain/K-9 Rescue, a Mounted
Posse and even a Dive Team. The office has another element with a soft aviation relationship
and that is Project Lifesaver designed to provide a safety net for vulnerable citizens
wearing a small electronic bracelet emitting a radio signal 24/7 and is managed by Project
Lifesaver International. The Sheriff’s and local volunteer SAR teams use a mobile locator
system to locate the wearer.
In March 2012, White resigned from his undersheriff position in Kalispell after being hired by
Two Bear Management LLC, based in Whitefish, Montana owned by venture capitalist Michael
Goguen. Goguen extended not only a job to White but also complete funding for
FEAR that runs into millions of dollars.
FEAR currently operates thanks to access to a red white and blue Bell 407 owned by Two
Bear Management but next year a new $5M Bell 429 will be delivered for role equipping as
a far more capable rescue craft at additional cost. The role fit has yet to be hardened but