AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2024 - 73

Chief Pilot Patrick Garcia, a Huey pilot with the
department, got his start with the California Army
National Guard. " I flew for them for approximately
10 years and then at the same time I was working with
the Orange County Sheriff's Department. I ultimately
left the California National Guard and was assigned to
air support five years ago here. "
" Search and rescues offer a lot of exciting opportunities
to go on different calls, " Garcia said. " Not every
call is the same-you get to help different people in the
county whether it's a stranded hiker, someone who's
dehydrated, or someone who broke an ankle mountain
biking, we get to see all the different kinds of rescues. "
Sgt. Everardo Arrendondo, a patrol pilot in the
AStar, started flying just after high school in fixedwing
aircraft. He flew corporate aviation for a few years
before joining the sheriff's department; two years ago,
he was selected to join the Air Support Bureau.
" I love this helicopter, " Arrendondo said. " It's the
biggest platform for law enforcement aviation. It's got
lots of power, lots of authority, we can get anywhere in
this county in about 10 to 15 minutes. "
" The flying part is great, " Arrendondo said. " We
get to fly low and slow, low and fast, we get to chase
criminals, help our partners on the ground stay safe,
that's probably the best part of what I do. If you're
in law enforcement and you want to be an aviation,
continue to push through whatever you need to get
through to get to the unit. It took me a couple tries. I
was here once as a deputy, and luckily, I was able to
come back as a sergeant, so if it's something you want,
then try to get it. "
AOPA's production crew was invited on a ride-along
in the department's AStar to observe Duke 6's training
exercise in the mountains. The crew's professionalism
and care was obvious from the start as we went through
our passenger briefing. They explained how to open
and close the doors on AStar in flight, how to clip into
the harness anchors, and more. We were also told that
because they were on duty, if they were to get a call for
a pursuit, we would be along for the ride for as long as
it takes. From the moment the skids left the tarmac
it was clear the pilots were mission focused, precision
machines, flying up and forward with little movement
side-to-side. Before heading to the mountains to join
the Huey, we flew toward a densely populated neighborhood
to put on a show for school children waiting
below. Did you know that patrol helicopters have sirens?
I was unaware of this until the moment they pressed the
button that would project the audible siren into the sky.
A large screen on the instrument panel showed a clear
image of the students below hopping up and down and
waving below. After about two orbits, the Huey was
ready for us to join them in the mountains.
The teamwork displayed by both the AStar and
Huey was something to behold. I watched in awe
as the crew of Duke 6 maintained one of the most
unwavering hovers I'd ever seen, while hoisting
their crew to and from the mountainous and rocky
terrain below. Inside our aircraft, the pilots in the
AStar worked in tandem, speaking to each other
about power settings, control inputs, traffic, terrain,
speed, and more. Once finished with their hoisting
exercise, our flight of two headed to the beach to fly
along the coastline, and once again I was in enamored
at the sight of a deputy standing on the skid of the
Huey waving at beachgoers, boaters, and beachfront
mansion residents. It was an incredibly humbling
experience to see these crews in their natural habitat,
doing what they do for their community every day.
At the same time, Duke 7 and its crew were
participating in firefighting water drop operations
using the department's 300-gallon detachable water
tank. The airport fire burned over 23,000 acres and
destroyed more than 150 structures in the Santiago
Peak and Modjeska Peak areas.
The Air Support Unit is continuing to innovate
with plans to replace its Huey helicopters with more
advanced IFR-certified medium-size helicopters to be
used for search and rescue, firefighting water drops,
and patrol operations. The new aircraft will help
expand the capabilities of the unit by allowing the
team to operate in the low ceilings and poor visibility
often associated with coastal Southern California.
niki.britton@aopa.org
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AOPA PILOT / December 2024
73
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2024

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