FROM THE DESK OF THE EDITOR


I RESPECT BIG-HEADED COPS! Not long ago, my 76-year-old moth-


er-in-law, who’s affectionately called “Grammy,” was driving through her com- munity in Florida, when she witnessed an assault. After the assailants beat the vic- tim unconscious, they threw the victim into a car like a sack of potatoes and sped off. As most AARP card carrying mem- bers with nothing to lose would do, she sped up and tailed the car while simulta- neously calling 911 to report the incident. A few seconds after hanging up with


the dispatcher, she was pulled over by a motorcycle cop for speeding. She polite- ly explained to the officer that she was tailing a perp who had just beaten the crap out of a citizen, and that she had just gotten off the phone with police dispatch. Meanwhile, the perp was getting further away! Despite her reasonable explana- tion, he still wrote “Vigilante Grammy” a ticket.


Upon hearing this, I was furious and


fired off an email to city officials that hit every inbox from the Mayor to the Chief of Police. Within hours, I received a call from the Shift Captain. I was surprised when I asked for the officer’s name; only to find out he was an acquaintance from the city aviation unit. He was a helicop- ter pilot flying the Schweizer 330 and I actually new him very well. He hap- pened to be on the road that day while the helicopter received maintenance. I called him directly and jokingly


ragged on him about roughing up grand- ma and teased him about my surprise that he did not cuff or pepper spray her. He told me that he would “take care of it.” This guy was a stereotypical cop: big, loud, and outwardly very confident. He was also a smart guy with a great sense of humor.


Over the last year as Editor In Chief,


I have flown with several law enforce- ment helicopter units and have spent time with them on the ground and in the air. The more time I spend with them, the more I respect them and appreciate why the “big personalities” are a requirement of the job. We give them high tech gear, weapons, authority to take a life, and send them into mingle with the dregs of socie- ty, who would just as soon rob you as look at you --- grandmas excluded. These circles are obviously no place for the Mr. Rogers type personality. Whether in the air or on the ground,


cops are serious people doing serious work. I recently spent two days flying with the Fairfax County (Virginia) Police Aviation Unit, who fly multi-mission Bell 429’s in support of local law enforcement and EMS. In this issue, we highlight them in print / digital and video, and show how professional, versatile, and high tech our Airborne Law Enforcement community has become over the last half century. Ps. I left a few clues as to which unit


the pilot came from who took down Grammy. If you figure it out, perhaps you can give them a little ribbing at the next conference . . . cops love a good rib- bing!


Fly Safe!


Lyn Burks, Editor In Chief


PUBLISHER Brig Bearden


brig@rotorcraftpro.com


EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lyn Burks


lyn.burks@rotorcraftpro.com


CREATIVE DIRECTOR / PHOTOGRAPHER Dana Maxfield


dana@rotorcraftpro.com


MANAGER, ONLINE ACCOUNTS Lynnette Burks


lynnette@rotorcraftpro.com COPY EDITOR


Rick Weatherford rick@rotorcraftpro.com


CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Pam Fulmer


pam@rotorcraftpro.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS


Steve Goldsworthy Caterina Hessler Matt Johnson Randy Mains


Rotorcraft Pro®


Brad McNally Randy Rowles Scott Skola


is published twelve times a year and


mailed out on or around the 5th of the month being covered by Oak Mountain Media, LLC, P.O. Box 1505, Pelham, Alabama 35124. Rotorcraft Pro®


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and illustrations provided by advertisers) of advertisements published and does not accept responsibility for any claims made against the publisher. It is the advertiser’s or agency’s responsibility to obtain appropriate releases on any item or individuals pictured in an advertisement. Reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission from the publisher.


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CORPORATE OFFICERS Brig Bearden / COO Lyn Burks / CEO


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2 June 2013


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