Volunteers give Redlands police an eye in the sky

This Cessna 172 is usually the first responder to police emergencies in Redlands, Calif.

A Cessna 172 purchased with forfeited drug money is usually the first responder to police emergencies in Redlands, Calif., 80 miles east of Los Angeles. The 1967, 180-hp aircraft is staffed entirely by nearly 30 volunteers, although a police tactical flight officer is assigned to manage its operation and communicate with officers on the ground.

The aircraft flies five days a week, eight hours a day. Volunteers usually work two to four shifts per month, and each shift is four or five hours. Since it was purchased in 2007, it has flown 1,450 hours. Among many success stories, it has found an Alzheimer patient and kept a lost child from falling into a swimming pool.

It is usually operated by two pilots with a police tactical flight officer sitting in the back. The officer has access to a computer that can receive LoJack signals from stolen property and to cameras with a variety of capabilities. Several cameras have been tested for use with the aircraft. To accommodate the equipment the right rear seat was removed.

This 42-year-old aircraft, purchased for $60,000, is making a huge contribution to keeping local residents safe, and so are the volunteers.

For Dr. Carl Rossi it is an excuse to go flying. His Cessna Columbia aircraft helps him reach a practice in central California that would take nearly three hours to reach by car. Rossi says there is lots of low-level flying at 1,000 feet involving turns about a point, although these are more interesting points. Volunteers for the Redlands Police Air Support Unit must have 300 hours total time, a current medical, a private pilot certificate, and pass a background check. There are 10 pilots already on the waiting list volunteering their support. —By Alton K. Marsh