woods and the helicopter can deter­ mine in 1­2 minutes that the suspect is NOT in those woods, the savings in time and resources and the gain in abil­ ity to divert those resources elsewhere is significant.” He further added, “The psychological aspect of having the air­ borne presence is yet another attribute of the helicopter that deters crime and encourages peaceful surrenders.”


SAFETY In addition to versatility and value,


SAFETY is the one word used to define their culture better than any other. The unit is constantly looking for hazards that exist, and those they have yet to discover. By doing so, they identify areas of risk they need to eliminate. Ironically, flight training only represents 2% of their total operations. The reason for this low percentage is that they incorporate all flying as active training. You might be asking yourself, if the


unit was truly interested in providing value to their citizens, then why did they choose a twin­engine helicopter?


After all, a single­engine helicopter could be used for the job at a lower operating cost. The answer is again that single word – SAFETY. The County Executive involved in this decision was a former Vietnam Vet who had a sense of responsibility about flying a singe­ engine aircraft over a densely populat­ ed area. Several other factors were also con­


sidered when choosing a twin­engine helicopter, specifically the Bell 429. Category A type take offs and landings have always been part of the Fairfax County risk management strategy. While single­engine failure is a threat, their view is that an even larger threat exists with obstacles, wire strikes or loss of control. The Cat A certified aircraft can perform these take offs and land­ ings with a much higher safety margin. The Bell 429 is also capable of 100%


RPM and ready for flight within 70 sec­ onds from the moment the battery switch is turned on, which improves readiness and response times. In addi­ tion, the Bell 429 met criteria that an air­ craft capably carry a patient, crew and


second pilot at the same time. Finally, the ship allowed them to upgrade to IFR and there were no practical light­single options that met this criteria.


CONCLUSION Fairfax County Aviation Unit provides


a tremendous service to their taxpay­ ers. It is one unit dedicated to serving the needs of both law enforcement and EMS. Their goals are met due to their investment in state­of­the­art equip­ ment, training, safety, and versatility of the crew. In a time of budget cuts and restraints, it is refreshing to see a gov­ ernment agency that is using a “safety first – budget second” approach when it comes to protecting the lives of its personnel and its taxpayers.


EDITORS NOTE Since the initial coverage of this story,


Chief Pilot, Paul Schaaf has retired from Fairfax County Aviation Unit and has


taken a new position as Vice President of Operations with Helicopter Association


International. RPMN wishes Paul much success in his new position.


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