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several mechanics, pilot transition
training at FlightSafety,
and onsite mission training with
Priority 1 Air Rescue, all of which
was completed by early 2013.
TRAINING & ACCREDIATION
Another bright spot was the
HPD Air Support Division becoming
the second public safety
aviation unit in the nation to be
accredited by the Public Safety
Aviation Accreditation Commission.
Much hard work went into
preparing for the onsite assessment,
culminating in full accreditation
in 2012.
Since the unit’s founding and
original flight crew training, HPD
has always trained its pilots and
tactical flight officers in-house.
Two police officer/instructor
pilots are assigned full-time to
the training section to handle the
duties. There is no flight experience
requirement to become a
TFO, and pilot trainees are taken
from the TFO corps.
HPD TFOs normally spend
between 24 and 36 months flying
“the right seat” before they are
chosen for pilot training. Once
chosen, their full-time assignment
is to obtain their commercial
rotorcraft rating. The curriculum
consists of a minimum of
40 hours of ground school with
approximately 250 hours of flight
time. All flight training during
this phase of training is done in
one of the unit’s three Schweizer
300Cs.
Once they have achieved their
commercial rating, they transition
to turbine operations and
then are assimilated back into
the patrol section and placed on
the flight schedule. Bi-weekly
check rides are given for the first
three months—longer if deemed
necessary. All unit pilots, regardless
of experience, receive quarterly
check rides. To date, HPD
flight instructors have trained
approximately 143 officers to be
law enforcement patrol pilots.
HPD’s Cessna 182, on the
other hand, is operated by unit
personnel that have obtained
their fixed-wing rating on their
own. To be considered PIC of
the aircraft, the individual must
have a commercial/instrument
fixed-wing rating. The fixed-wing
program will soon be upgraded
to a larger, more capable aircraft,
with the Mahindra Air Van
8. This is a VFR/IFR airplane with
a mission suite in the rear cabin
and a retractable FLIR 380 in a
cargo pod configuration.
When not on scheduled patrol
flights, HPD aircrews are on
standby and ready to respond at
a moment’s notice. In addition
to patrol flights, aircrews regularly
fly maintenance flights
and special assignments, such
as photo flights, dignitary protection
flights, static displays,
and surveillances. In 2019, the
division flew a total of 3,039.1
hours while responding to 4,451
calls resulting in 348 arrests,
262 being felonies. Additionally,
the division performed more
than 1,127 critical infrastructure
inspections.
MAINTENANCE & TECHNOLOGY
The HPD Air Support Division
employs eight civilian A&P
mechanics, five of which are
also IAs, for in-house maintenance.
They are divided between
two shifts and supervised by
a sergeant. With the exception
of engine, transmission, engine
accessory, avionics, instrument,
and rotatable repairs/overhauls,
the technicians perform
all maintenance. The dedication
and attention to detail of the
award-winning maintenance
staff (a member of the mainte-
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