Growth and Modernization
As the unit matured, its fleet was transformed from the Hughes / Schweizer 300s to a fleet of larger turbine aircraft. For many years, the unit operated a mixed fleet that included an OH-6 (MD military variant), a Bell 206, and a Bell UH-1 Huey. One of the advantages of the mixed fleet was the diversity in the types of missions that could be performed. However, the downside was that it could complicate staffing needs and training requirements that ensured pilots were well trained and current to fly different types of helicopters.
Today, the unit operates an ultra-modern fleet of three MD 530F helicopters not only to serve the residents of the City of Atlanta, but also to support the residents, visitors, and law enforcement agencies in surrounding counties. The core five counties of metropolitan Atlanta are Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, and Clayton. The move to standardize the fleet was intentional and provided the benefits of simplifying staffing requirements and training while improving safety of operations.
Another bonus of the standardized fleet is that of maintenance. It’s much easier to swap out equipment to put an aircraft into service or to troubleshoot a maintenance issue when all the aircraft are similar. Maintenance is provided by Rotor Resources, a third-party helicopter maintenance facility in Hiram, Georgia.
48 May/June 2024
A unique geographic feature that can draw crime to the Atlanta metro area is its proximity to the major interstates of I-75 and I-20. Also known as “The Elbow,” this crossroads brings millions of transients from all directions into and through the city. Given such a large geographic area, the speed of the well- equipped MD helicopters is critical to mission success. The unit is frequently called upon to collaborate and assist not only the surrounding local law enforcement agencies, but also federal and state agencies such as Georgia State Patrol, DEA, ATF, and even the Secret Service.
Interestingly, APD does have an unmanned operations unit that uses unmanned aerial systems on certain types of calls to support ground officers. This creates a unique opportunity to collaborate with the APD helicopter unit. For example, over the last year there have been periods of civil unrest with protests erupting in parts of the city. Rather than having only helicopters performing surveillance and support ops over protest areas, the units were able to work together by layering the airspace and having the different platforms operational at different altitudes. The UAS aircraft were limited to the lower levels (200 - 400 agl) which allowed them to pinpoint and survey hotspots, while the helicopters were able to patrol at much higher altitudes and focus on the bigger picture. From a command and control standpoint, having these two aerial perspectives improves both safety and operational outcomes.
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