Feb 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 2

SURVIVING THE
STREETS
AROUND THE COUNTRY
The Secret to Ending Chases
By Garry Parker
Last year I wrote several articles
on law enforcement emergency
vehicle operation. It is
difficult to understand how a law
enforcement officer spends so
much of their duty time in vehicle
operation and loses control
of their vehicle and crashes into
a tree or a guardrail. The operator
is skilled through (sometimes)
years of exposure. The
advantage is you drive like you
breathe. The detriment comes
from complacency. Complacency
comes from attitude.
I have been reading a couple of
books recommended by Gorden
Graham. The first was Warnings
Unheeded by Andy Brown. This
book describes two tragedies at
Fairchild Air Force Base outside
of Washington. The second tragedy
covered in the book was the
most intriguing to me. A story of
the pilot of a B-52 bomber. The
pilot, Lt. Colonel Authur “Bud”
Holland, skilled to the point of
complacency. Lt. Colonel had
logged over 5200 hours flying
missions behind the controls of
this massive aircraft. Lt. Colonel
Holland routinely pushed the
envelope of safety due to his
attitude of superiority. He had
performed daring stunts, pushing
the aircraft limits. After one
such event the aircraft suffered
structural damage due to the Lt.
Colonel performing a low-level
pass for a photo op, then making
a high pitch climb of 60 degrees.
Lt. Colonel Holland was a rogue
pilot. A rogue believes the rules
do not apply to them because
of their superiority in control of
the aircraft. Lt. Colonel Holland’s
ultimate goal was to perform
a barrel roll a B-52. Lt. Colonel
Holland completed his last
act of defiance in preparing to
fly an airshow. He was to take
off, bank, make a pass, do a
touch and go then demonstrate
a midair refueling. When Lt.
Colonel Holland prepared his
approach for the touch and go,
the refueling craft was still on
the runway. Holland requested
a fly by and was given permission
from the tower. Lt. Colonel
Holland banked hard placing the
aircraft at 90 degrees at 250 feet
of altitude. The aircraft, (a flying
house) stalled, the wing struck
a power line and crashed killing
all on board. Every level of flight
wing command knew of Lt. Colonel
Hollands antics and discipline
was never imposed.
The second book, Darker Shade
of Blue, by Tony Kern, describes
many instances of rogue pilot
behavior. This book identifies
many rogue pilots and crashes
that took their lives.
Now you may be asking yourself,
what does flying an aircraft
have to do with emergency vehicle
operation. In reading these
two books (Thank you Mr. Graham)
I found what I believe to be
the key to ending law enforcement
at fault car crashes. Over
the last 15 years I have become
obsessed searching for anything
that will end the needless car
crashes in law enforcement. We
60 The Blues - February ‘24