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New York City Police Department Aviation Unit

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The New York City Police Department Aviation Unit is a division of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) focused on airborne law enforcement and public safety. Operating under command of the NYPD Special Operations Bureau, the unit frequently works alongside partner agencies like the NYPD Harbor Unit and United States Coast Guard (USCG) to service New York City and its surrounding waters. The unit is headquartered at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, and boasts emergency response times within 8–10 minutes to most parts of the city.[3][4]

New York City Police Department Aviation Unit

NYPD air unit, radio callsign "Finest"
Agency overview
FormedDecember 1918; 105 years ago (1918-12)
TypeLaw Enforcement
JurisdictionNew York City
HeadquartersFloyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn
Employees67 (2024)
Agency executive
Parent departmentNYPD Special Operations Bureau
Parent agencyNew York City Police Department
NYPD Air Operations Heliport
Summary
Airport typePrivate
Owner/OperatorCity of New York
Elevation AMSL6 ft / 2 m
Coordinates40°35′25″N 73°52′54″W / 40.59028°N 73.88167°W / 40.59028; -73.88167
Map
Map
Helipads
Number Length Surface
ft m
H1 70 21 Concrete
Data via FAA Airport Data and Information Portal[2] as of November 2021

In March 2021, Airbus Helicopters responded to a request for proposal (RFP) from the unit to replace its Bell 412EP search and rescue helicopters with two new H175 models.[5]

History

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Background

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Initial development of aviation as an urban policing tool was rooted in national security concerns stemming from the United States' entry into World War I. Early 20th century fears of foreign sabotage in the US were compounded by domestic political violence related to Anarchist and Labor movements, plus the 1916 federalization and mobilization[6] of the National Guard had left many states (and their municipalities) feeling unprepared to handle internal emergencies without organized security forces of their own.[7]

In New York City, this perceived vulnerability was addressed by the 1916 formation of the Home Defense League under Police Commissioner Arthur H. Woods.[8] That unit was reorganized in 1918 as the Reserve Police Force under Special Deputy Commissioner Rodman Wanamaker, and split into both a reserve component and a training corps.[9] While the Reserve was a general-purpose body, SDC Wanamaker—an early aviation investor and friend of Glenn Curtiss—envisioned a volunteer aviation squadron within its ranks.[10] External events, like the Black Tom explosion and specifically the Morgan Munitions Depot explosion, reinforced the need for such a capability. In the latter, private pilots at nearby Roosevelt Field were asked by New York City officials to survey the disaster in real-time. Their efforts provided valuable reconnaissance for firefighters on the ground and cemented the NYPD leadership's resolve to launch a professional air wing of its own.[11]

One month later, the Armistice of November 1918 ended the war and brought home thousands of American service members—many of them newly trained airmen who would soon participate in the booming US aviation industry. While the end of hostilities alleviated some national security concerns, Police leadership still realized that peacetime regulation would be needed as airplanes became mainstream technology. As Colonel Jefferson De Mont Thompson—soon to become New York's first chief of aerial police—put it, "If traffic rules and regulations are necessary to keep order where streets and courses are plainly marked, it is doubly important that there be those aloft invested with authority to preserve safety."[11] In addition to regulatory enforcement, he laid out several potential missions for the fledgling unit including maritime search and rescue, riot control, and firefighting direction.

Formation

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Curtiss JN-series biplanes of the NYPD Reserve departing for a patrol mission (circa 1919)
 
Drawing of NYPD Salmson biplane piloted by Granville A. Pollock, originally published in The Illustrated London News, February 28, 1920.

In December 1918 The New York Times announced the world's first Aerial Police Reserve,[12][13] citing consultant and aviation journalist Henry Woodhouse:

A police department is very much in the position of a legislative body. If it is led by progressive men, it looks ahead into the future and adopts progressive measures to meet the conditions. If it is not progressive it waits until the need for measures is emphasized by harmful effects and then it tries to patch up the harm done. Considering the step taken by the New York City Police Department there is no gainsaying the fact that it belongs in the first category.

— Henry Woodhouse

On March 28, 1919, an initial cadre of 26 aerial police officers were sworn in from a pool of over 125 applicants.[14] Colonel Jefferson De Mont Thompson was appointed Chief,[15] and Granville A. Pollock its commanding officer.[11] The unit's first official flight took place on April 30, 1919, from Sheepshead Bay Race Track destined for Philadelphia, PA.[16]

Early visions of the unit's mission and tactics invoked a highly militarized tone; its first airplanes were armed with machine guns and tracer ammunition. Newspapers also imagined dogfights against "sky pirates"[17] or the hunting-down of "river pirates" in the city's waterways,[13] and even published headlines like "Armed With Machine Guns, They Open the Season's Campaign on Air Traffic Violators."[18]

By May 1919, the reserve numbered 150 airmen and 7 Department-owned airplanes, each equipped with wireless telephones and telegraphs.[11] In October of that year, the department announced recruitment for a new women's aviation corps.[19] Laura Bromwell was the first graduate of this program, becoming the world's first aerial policewoman at 21 years of age.[20]

The NYPD Annual Report for 1920 counted the unit's assets as two seaplanes, two landplanes, and three "flying stations" located on the Hudson River, at Fort Hamilton, and a site which eventually became Leif Ericson Park in Brooklyn.[21]

Re-establishment

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On July 12, 1939, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia re-established the Aviation Unit at Floyd Bennett Field under the command of Arthur W. Wallander. Coinciding with both the 1939 World's Fair and the reopening of LaGuardia Airport that summer, the department recruited a staff of 6 pilots and 6 mechanics to operate its two new Stinson Reliants.[22] Early missions of the newly reformed unit included aerial photography, highway traffic reporting, and regulatory enforcement.[23]

Unit Citation Award

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The Aviation Unit was awarded a 2023 Unit Citation. The Unit Citation is awarded to a specific unit or precinct for outstanding accomplishments.[24]

Rise in spending

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Spending on helicopter usage spiked dramatically under Mayor Eric Adams.[25]

Capabilities

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Law enforcement

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Most of the unit's annual flight hours are accumulated through daily patrol duties,[26] which often include general surveillance or support of NYPD street officers conducting manhunts and suspect pursuits. These missions are typically crewed by one Pilot-in-command and one Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) employing imaging and detection equipment like Wescam infrared cameras and Spectrolab searchlights.[26][3] The unit's helicopters are also equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology providing real-time street grid and position data overlaid on multi-function displays (MFDs). Live video can be streamed to ground units and headquarters via a microwave data link.[4]

Search and rescue

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With the 1998 closure of CGAS Brooklyn and consolidation of Coast Guard air assets at CGAS Atlantic City,[27] NYPD Aviation became the sole maritime search and rescue provider in the NYC metropolitan area. Tasked with responding to emergencies within 60 miles of the city,[28] the unit's SAR helicopters are certified for instrument flight rules (IFR) and equipped with hoists, auto-hover functionality, and capacity for six rescue litters. As of 2013, NYPD Aviation was also the only law enforcement agency in the US to maintain 24/7 SCUBA diving capability.[26]

Counter-terrorism

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In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the unit's focus increasingly shifted toward its counterterrorism mission. In 2003 it took delivery of a $9.8 million (equivalent to $16,231,693 in 2023) unmarked Bell 412EP, extensively outfitted with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) equipment, designated N23FH in honor of the 23 New York City police officers killed on September 11.[29] In addition to advanced imaging and communication systems, the aircraft reportedly featured the ability to detect tracking beacons used by officers on the ground. After a decade of NYPD service, the helicopter was retired from the unit and replaced in January 2017 with a Cessna 208B Caravan. The new airplane was obtained with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) "Preparedness Grant" funding, and was delivered with airborne radiological detection capability. This unspecified equipment enables the airborne detection of dirty bombs from altitudes up to 200 feet (61 m) by, for example, overflying ships approaching New York Harbor.[30]

Fleet

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The unit's fleet primarily consists of light-duty helicopters tasked with patrol duties and midsize utility helicopters for search and rescue and medevac missions.

Active
Entered service Type Quantity Usage Serial
2014-2015[31][32] Bell 429 GlobalRanger 4 Patrol 57148, 57188, 57220, 57233
Bell 412EP 2 Utility, Rescue, Counter-terrorism 36516, 36563
2014[31] Bell 407 1 Training 53061
Cessna 208 Caravan 1 Surveillance, counter-terrorism
Formerly operated
Type Quantity Entered service Serial Fate (as of 2021)
Curtiss JN-4D Jenny 1919
Salmson 2 1920
Keystone–Loening Commuter 1 1929
Savoia-Marchetti S.56 4 1929
Fleet biplane 1
Stinson SR-10K Reliant 2 1939
Grumman G-21 Goose 1 1948
Grumman G-44 Widgeon 1 1948
Bell 47 1947-1950s
Bell 206A Jet Ranger unknown 330 Destroyed via mid-air collision in July 1983
Bell 206B-3 Jet Ranger unknown 4262 Unknown
Bell 412SP 2 33126 Operated by Babcock Mission Critical Services for Government of Spain
33180 Privately operated in South Africa
Bell 412EP 5 36106 Privately operated in United States
36142 Operated by Houston Police Department
36233 Unknown
2003[33] 36307 Operated by Montenegrin Air Force
36515 Destroyed via forced landing in September 2010[34]
AgustaWestland AW119 Koala 4 14035 For sale as of September 2021
14038 Privately operated in United States
14039 Unknown
14040 Privately operated in United States

Personnel

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As of February 2021, NYPD Aviation had 76 members.[35] Prospective new hires are drawn from the department's force of existing police officers, and new pilots reportedly average 5 years of seniority with the department.[26][36] Upon selection, they undergo training in helicopter flight operations and specialized missions like maritime search and rescue (SAR) and counterterrorism. The unit conducts flight training utilizing both a helicopter simulator[35] and live instruction in its Bell 407.

Maintenance of the unit's aircraft is performed in-house, and its mechanics also double as crew chiefs.[37]

Notable incidents

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  • On the night of August 27, 2004, an NYPD Bell 412EP equipped for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) was used to film a couple having sex on the roof of their home. The helicopter was dispatched to monitor an unpermitted public assembly nearby, but the crew used its Wescam MX-15 thermographic camera to record the unwitting pair for nearly 4 minutes, prompting a civil complaint.[38]
  • In May 2021, a man was arrested in Brooklyn after aiming a green laser pointer at nearby helicopters, one of which was an NYPD Aviation unit. The aircraft's camera recorded the illumination event and was used to support felony endangerment charges.[39]

Accidents

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  • The unit's first helicopter loss occurred on December 21, 1967, when two crewmembers died in a crash near the Brooklyn Bridge.[40]
  • On March 1, 1970, a Bell 206 belonging to the unit lost power and crashed in Glen Oaks, Queens. Both crewmembers were killed on impact.[41]
  • On July 22, 1983, a fatal mid-air collision occurred between one of the unit's Bell 206 helicopters and a commercially operated Cessna 206 seaplane. The accident took place over Red Hook, Brooklyn and resulted in 4 deaths and 2 survivors.[42]
  • On September 22, 2010, one of the unit's Bell 412EP helicopters (registration N412PD[43]) was substantially damaged after a gearbox failure resulted in a forced landing on Jamaica Bay.[34] All 6 occupants escaped serious injury; the probable cause was determined to be fatigue cracking in the output drive gear resulting from manufacturing deficiencies.[44] The aircraft was 18 months old at the time of the accident, and the City later filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against manufacturer Bell Textron.[45]

References

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  1. ^ "NYPD Special Operations Acting Chief". nyc.gov. December 2, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  2. ^ "Airport Data and Information Portal". adip.faa.gov. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Moore, Tina (October 25, 2016). "Meet the elite NYPD squads who patrol NYC's sky and harbors". New York Post. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Exclusive: Inside the NYPD's Aviation Unit". WABC-TV. February 28, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "Airbus Helicopters, Inc. submits bid to support the NYPD's next-generation fleet with the H175". Airbus Helicopters. March 31, 2021. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021.
  6. ^ Barnes, Alexander (February 26, 2016). "On the border: The National Guard mobilizes for war in 1916". U.S. Army. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  7. ^ Tulenko, Thomas; Chase, Bradley; Dupuy, Trevor; Hayes, Grace (March 1, 1981). US Home Defense Forces Study (PDF). Historical Evaluation and Research Organization. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2024 – via Defense Technical Information Center ADA098482.
  8. ^ "Police Volunteers Ready for Service" (PDF). The New York Times. March 17, 1917. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  9. ^ "Police Reserves on New Footing" (PDF). The New York Times. March 17, 1918. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  10. ^ "Air Police for the City" (PDF). The New York Times. March 16, 1918. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d "First Air Police for New York" (PDF). The New York Times. May 4, 1919. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  12. ^ "Police, in the Air, Will Protect the City" (PDF). The New York Times. December 2, 1918. p. 7. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Work for Airmen Policing the City" (PDF). The New York Times. December 8, 1918. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  14. ^ "News of the Flying Machines". The Brooklyn Citizen. March 29, 1919. p. 3. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  15. ^ Annual Report of the Police Department of the City of New York - 1918. New York City Police Department. October 1, 1919. p. 111. Retrieved November 16, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  16. ^ Annual Report of the Police Department of the City of New York - 1919. New York City Police Department. November 10, 1920. pp. 148–149 – via Internet Archive.
  17. ^ "New York Air Police to Shoot Sky Pirates With Tracer Bullets". The Philadelphia Inquirer. April 3, 1919. p. 1. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  18. ^ "Sky Police Patrol Over City All Day" (PDF). The New York Times. July 23, 1922. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  19. ^ "Women Aviators Wanted" (PDF). The New York Times. October 23, 1919. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  20. ^ "License, Aviator Pilot, Civilian, Laura Bromwell". Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  21. ^ Annual Report of the Police Department of the City of New York - 1920. New York City Police Department. November 1, 1921. pp. 264–265 – via Internet Archive.
  22. ^ "Defunct Police Air Unit to Resume Service With 2 Planes and Staff of 12 This Summer" (PDF). The New York Times. June 3, 1939. p. 12. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  23. ^ "Police to Restore Air Service Today" (PDF). The New York Times. July 12, 1939. p. 18. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  24. ^ "Watch as Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban and NYPD Executives preside over NYPD Medal Day". /www.facebook.com. June 19, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  25. ^ Wahid, Raeedah; Akinnibi, Fola; Nahmias, Laura (June 18, 2024). "Police Helicopter Flights and Spending Soar in New York City". Bloomberg. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  26. ^ a b c d De Boer, James (April 2, 2013). "In the City that Never Sleeps". Vertical Magazine. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  27. ^ "1938 – Coast Guard Air Station Brooklyn Established". United States Coast Guard Aviation History. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  28. ^ "Special Operations - NYPD". www1.nyc.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  29. ^ Zetter, Kim (June 5, 2015). "What an NYPD Spy Copter Reveals About the FBI's Spy Planes". Wired. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  30. ^ Trevithick, Joseph (August 3, 2018). "Wait, The New York Police Department Has A Spy Plane For Hunting Dirty Bombs?". The Drive. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  31. ^ a b Stevens, Kim (August 9, 2014). "Bell Helicopter Delivers First Bell 429 to the New York Police Department". State Aviation Journal. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  32. ^ "Bell Helicopter completes final delivery to NYPD for four Bell 429s". Vertical Magazine. July 17, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  33. ^ Gallucci, Joseph (June 16, 2003). "Correspondence to FAA". Retrieved November 16, 2024 – via Scribd.
  34. ^ a b Baker, Al (September 22, 2010). "Police Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing in Jamaica Bay". The New York Times City Room. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  35. ^ a b "Dreams Take Flight: NYPD Aviation Unit officers keeping city safe from above". News 12 Networks. February 18, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2024 – via YouTube.
  36. ^ "Meet the female helicopter rescue pilot navigating the skies with the NYPD". YouTube. PIX11. February 14, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  37. ^ "Tweet - NYPD Special Ops". Twitter. @NYPDSpecialOps. March 28, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  38. ^ Dwyer, Jim (December 22, 2005). "Police Video Caught a Couple's Intimate Moment on a Manhattan Rooftop". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  39. ^ Tracy, Thomas; Sanderson, Bill; Parascandola, Rocco (May 26, 2021). "SEE IT: Man points laser at NYPD helicopter, temporarily blinds pilot". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  40. ^ "One Dead, One Lost After Police Copter Falls in East River" (PDF). The New York Times. December 22, 1967. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  41. ^ "Two Patrolmen Are killed as Police Helicopter Crashes in Queens" (PDF). The New York Times. March 2, 1970. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  42. ^ Carmody, Deirdre (July 23, 1983). "4 BELIEVED KILLED AS POLICE COPTER AND PLANE CRASH OVER BROOKLYN". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  43. ^ "FAA Registry (N412PD)". Federal Aviation Administration.
  44. ^ "Aviation Accident Final Report (ERA10TA493)" (PDF). NTSB. April 10, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  45. ^ Marzulli, John. "City sues Bell Helicopter for $12.4 million after 2010 splash-land in Jamaica Bay". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
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