I was wandering the airport yesterday sampling the various coffee's from the three different FBO coffee machines when I noticed what was obviously a Secret Service detail and motorcade setting up at one of the local FBO's. I talked to one of the agent who told me McCain was inbound in about 15 minutes. A quick Schmoooooze of the campaign people and next thing I know Im standing at the bottom of the stairs as McCain steps off his plane. Pretty cool.
His parting words were, " I sure hope you guys fly better than I do."
Cool!
Cool. Yeah, I saw that he was in Fresno today (or was it yesterday). I mentioned it to one of the ANG guys here at combat arms school.
Very cool...
A question related to security - would the Secret Service normally allow armed LEO's (or similar) near POTUS like that? Assumed benevolence or not, seems at least a little risky.
Quote from: Eclipse on June 24, 2008, 08:32:54 PM
Very cool...
A question related to security - would the Secret Service normally allow armed LEO's (or similar) near POTUS like that? Assumed benevolence or not, seems at least a little risky.
Answer sent by PM.
Internet just died. Will have to reply later. Don't think POTUS security should be discussed openly here.
understood...
(http://wilk4.com/humor/img/doh-1.jpg)
PM sent
FlyingPig, with any luck that picture will be a real family heirloom one day.
Quote from: SoCalCAPOfficer on June 24, 2008, 11:08:11 PM
FlyingPig, with any luck that picture will be a real family heirloom one day.
.........the oldest presidential candidate in US history to loose the PRES Election?? >:D >:D JK!
Quote from: mikeylikey on June 24, 2008, 11:54:18 PM
Quote from: SoCalCAPOfficer on June 24, 2008, 11:08:11 PM
FlyingPig, with any luck that picture will be a real family heirloom one day.
.........the oldest presidential candidate in US history to loose the PRES Election?? >:D >:D JK!
LOOSE? Ha ha ha!
Anyway... which one are you? Did you tell him you were CAP too? I wonder what his feelings about us are now.
do you fly with your sidearm? If so, why? Are you going to shoot at a bad guy from the helicopter? just wondering ???
Not personally knowing you, which one are you?
I'm guessing either the 2nd to the 4th persons from the right. That's only cause I can't read their name patches.
Quote from: Stonewall on June 24, 2008, 08:51:00 PM
Internet just died. Will have to reply later. Don't think POTUS security should be discussed openly here.
But he's not POTUS. ;)
Quote from: 2d Lt Rudin on June 25, 2008, 03:30:45 AM
do you fly with your sidearm? If so, why? Are you going to shoot at a bad guy from the helicopter? just wondering ???
I have worked for a California police department and watched as our chopper landed and the observer exited and made an arrest at gunpoint.
Besides, you never know when you need to persuade the pilot to buy lunch . . . . .
Had that incident just up the road near Turlock where the air unit was first on scene and ended up landing so that the crew could try to stop some idiot from beating a child to death.
The observer ended up shooting the guy. Unfortunately, the kid died from the beating.
This happened about 10 days ago if you want to look it up.
Quote from: CASH172 on June 25, 2008, 03:59:47 AM
Quote from: Stonewall on June 24, 2008, 08:51:00 PM
Internet just died. Will have to reply later. Don't think POTUS security should be discussed openly here.
But he's not POTUS. ;)
Nominees get the same protective detail that POTUS gets.
Quote from: Ned on June 25, 2008, 04:38:20 AM
Quote from: 2d Lt Rudin on June 25, 2008, 03:30:45 AM
do you fly with your sidearm? If so, why? Are you going to shoot at a bad guy from the helicopter? just wondering ???
I have worked for a California police department and watched as our chopper landed and the observer exited and made an arrest at gunpoint.
Besides, you never know when you need to persuade the pilot to buy lunch . . . . .
I may just poop myself if someone called the cops and they landed a helicopter in my front lawn and arrested me. May be worth it if i could ride to the station in the back seat of the chopper though... >:D
We fly armed because we are cops #1. Second, we often land to assist ground units, or to handle calls in remote areas. We also carry our rifles in the helicopter also. We qualify with our weapons from the helicopter every 6 months. From the hover for the pistol and from the hover up to 60 knots with our rifles.
I am the bald guy second from the right. And......No. I didn't mention CAP.
Wait...you qualify by firing from the helo?
Ok, that is way cool!
Quote from: Eclipse on June 25, 2008, 05:02:18 AM
Wait...you qualify by firing from the helo?
Ok, that is way cool!
Dude, get outta the way.....Me First!!
I think I've posted this photo before....but its back by popular demand.
The nominee after the primary gets Secret Service protection but believe me, its NOTHING like what the president gets. Although it is still impressive.
Way too cool.
Is there any issue with deflection from the wind blast of the rotor blades?
Do you normally fly with only one guy up front? Also, how often do you actually get to unleash your power from the air?
No, we always fly 2 up front. If necessary I can access my rifle from the front seat. In a perfect world, the Flight Officer would get in the back if it needed to be employed because there is more room to move around, and you could shoot out both sides if you needed to.
We have never shot from the air in an actual incident, but we train for it quite often. A few years ago, one of our Deputies as killed in the mountains and the suspect stole his rifle out of his patrol car. During the search, he shot the helicopter, forcing it to land with a hole in the rotor blade. Thats we we decided to adopt a new approach. As far as employing the technique, whenever we do marijuana gardens, man hunts in the hills or things like that, we are set up that way providing over head cover. I did pull my pistol once on a guy running through a field. We dropped down right in front of him in a hover and he reaching in his pocket. I pulled out my pistol and showed it to him. He then gave up.
The rotor wash doesn't affect the rounds any. The technique is very accurate at about 50-75 feet and 50 knots. The pistol isn't much use beyond a hover or moving very slow.
FP: so that is what kept you from flying for us in the DEA Overllight School?
As I am sure you know by now, the smoke from the wild fires caused us to cancel our participation in the school. The airport where we were never got better than 1.5 mi in smoke. Those of us who could, departed IFR and we left several corporate aircraft there because the pilots are not instrument rated. I flew over 225 miles home and never saw the ground until on short final, all due to smoke.
I'm assuming the Flight Officer/Co-Pilot is doing the shooting. I can't imagine putting the friction on the collective hovering and lefty pistol shooting? :o
Quote from: Climbnsink on June 26, 2008, 02:24:51 PM
I'm assuming the Flight Officer/Co-Pilot is doing the shooting. I can't imagine putting the friction on the collective hovering and lefty pistol shooting? :o
Frictioning down the collective isn't the problem. It's when you're firing a rifle and you have to hold the cyclic between your knees. THAT'S when things get interesting!
Quote from: G+10 on June 26, 2008, 05:21:58 PM
Quote from: Climbnsink on June 26, 2008, 02:24:51 PM
I'm assuming the Flight Officer/Co-Pilot is doing the shooting. I can't imagine putting the friction on the collective hovering and lefty pistol shooting? :o
Frictioning down the collective isn't the problem. It's when you're firing a rifle and you have to hold the cyclic between your knees. THAT'S when things get interesting!
What ever happened to the pilot just flying the aircraft?
Our pilot doesn't shoot. I don't know of anyone who teaches that. It is the Flight Officer who does the shooting. We generally do it at low altitude, and if possible, use terrain as cover as much as possible so the pilot needs to be on his game.
Bosshawk. I heard the OverFlight Course got a raw deal with theses fires going on. I couldn't get the time off work.
I will just mention to things quick:
One: Robert, I'm surprised to see that you don't have cpl stripes (or are they just not in view?)
Two: You look like the host from "Tougher in Alaska" ... very awesome.
-- Shooting from a helo has got to be great... but I imagine doing a SWAT insertion via Long rope is fun too :)
No, I don't have any stripes yet. I have 11 years on. To put it in perspective, two guys on the left have about 15-18 years on, the guy with the black vest has 30 years and the Sgt. has about 33 years. I havn't applied either. I am going to throw my hat in the ring next go around.
Why is everybody a Corporal or Sergeant in the flight unit?
We have an odd promotion system when it comes to Deputy IV (Two Striper). We have a certain number alloted for the entire Dept. So you may have a unit where several members are two stripers. And a two striper doesnt necessarily "out rank" someone with no stripes either. Its not a "Corporal" like many Depts have, its more of a "Senior Deputy" position. Its not a supervisor in the way that many departments have Corporals as Supervisors. There are requriements to become a Deputy IV that require certain education, time on and experience. In certain cases, and in the absence of a Sgt. the Deputy IV becomes the acting Sgt. Clear as mud?
The Sgt is the unit supervisor.