Currently the OCSO aviation unit is on track to fly 2,600 hours between its five aircraft. It should also be noted that the unit was recently approved to purchase an additional B407 helicopter. The teams who spoke with us indicated that the Bell 407s were a really good fit for their specific mission profile. “The Bell 407 in my personal opinion is a very capable machine, and for our mission and role, you couldn’t ask for much better. It has plenty of speed to cover our large county; it has a duration of two-plus hours over a scene or to support personnel on the ground. And with numerous aircrews and helicopters, we can provide continuous coverage of an incident when required,” Sampsel says.


Given that OCSO is a 24-hour operation, all pilots and TFOs are trained and qualified to fly with night vision goggles. On the training front, mechanics are initially trained by the Bell Training Academy. Pilots receive recurrent and emergency training as well. Over the years, training has been mostly provided by Bell Training Academy as well as third parties. Currently the Helicopter Institute provides pilot initial and recurrent training.


Sampsel points out that every six months, pilots are given emergency procedures training that includes touchdown autorotations in their aircraft. “The training that we receive comes from some of the best instructors in the business and is invaluable for keeping our crews safe. I like to tell people that I may not be the best pilot you will ever fly with, but I’m one of the best trained and receive some of the best training in the industry,” Sampsel says.


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