Air 1 Helicopter- Flight Operations Unit
Superintendent Brian Miln
Operational Support Branch
When something extraordinary happens, one will often remember the exact place they were upon hearing the news or experiencing the event.
This was the case for me in 2010 while working in General Patrol when we attended to a domestic situation on McNaughton Avenue in Fort Rouge. Standing on the front street, I saw AIR1 above for the very first time, searching for the suspect who had fled on foot. I knew at that moment something special was happening.
My hunch was confirmed in dramatic fashion only a few months later, when AIR1 tracked a suspect in a carjacking, who had also taken a hostage in the vehicle, from the west end of the city all the way to Portage La Prairie. The aircrew was able to follow the vehicle for almost 100 kilometers and guide ground units to the suspect, who had now abandoned the vehicle and was hiding partially submerged in a rural pond in total darkness. The suspect was taken into custody and was eventually sentenced to 13 years in prison. It is reasonable to assume if it wasn’t for AIR1 (like in many cases before the launch of the helicopter program) the suspect in this heinous crime may have never been tracked, identified and held accountable.
I was sold.
Since that time, AIR1 and our Flight Operations Unit (FOU) have continued to meet and exceed expectations, proving its worth in similar events 1000s of times over while demonstrating its tremendous value to the citizens of Winnipeg and surrounding areas. The unit provides an incalculable advantage that only a rapid response and an aerial view can provide in supporting and fulfilling the WPS’ core mission with the capture of suspects, locating people in distress, coordinating resources and enhancing safety for all.
Furthermore, it does all of this in a very responsible way – fiscally speaking. In 2021, the FOU represented a mere 0.71% of the overall WPS budget. This translates to tremendous value, considering the unique and unmatched abilities it delivers. One would be hard pressed to name another policing tool that provides this kind of return on investment. The unit statistics also support this opinion and speak for themselves. I invite you to see our recently published 2021 FOU Annual Report.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our team of professionals in the FOU who pilot our aircraft and the Tactical Flight Officers who guide and coordinate calls for service while at 1500 feet above the ground. Without their tireless efforts and dedication, none of the noted benefits would be realized.
Below, you will find a well-written article from FOU Supervisor Patrol Sergeant Kelly Takatch, who, along with Chief Pilot Malcolm Murray, have led the unit to its many successes, in turn supporting, enhancing and meeting the needs of our citizens.
Patrol Sergeant Kelly Takatch
Unit Coordinator/Tactical Flight Officer
Flight Operations Unit (FOU)
The City of Winnipeg sprawls out to cover an area of 180 square miles. Geographically, the dimensions of Winnipeg expand approximately 16 miles east to west and 12 miles north to south. The Red and Assiniboine Rivers shape the city’s landscape and divide the city into 3 large areas creating a need for a series of street and railway bridges. These dividers and irregular-shaped communities, combined with continuous road construction all year round, make vehicle navigation through the city a daunting task most times. As first responders, encountering these obstacles while responding to emergencies can potentially delay response times and the ultimate outcome of high-risk occurrences.
As an aerial platform, the Winnipeg Police Service Helicopter (AIR1) does not encounter any geographical or manmade barriers when responding to high-risk events. When assigned to an event, AIR1 is the first police unit to arrive on the scene approximately 75 % of the time. AIR1 can also travel from one side of the city to another in a matter of 2-3 minutes. The state-of-the-art onboard equipment allows aircrews to get “eyes” on an active high-risk event almost instantaneously from distances as far as 10-15 kilometres away. Aircrews can provide real-time information as it unfolds to ground units as they are responding. This allows for effective and safer tactical decisions made prior to ground units getting on the scene.
As the Coordinator of the Flight Operations Unit and an active Tactical Flight Officer, I have the opportunity every morning to review all operations of AIR1 from the night before. On a relatively busy shift, AIR1 can attend anywhere between 12-20 high-risk occurrences, usually resulting in 4-5 persons of interest either located or arrested. Recently on Canada Day, AIR1 aircrews responded to 12 occurrences ranging from Weapons, Shots, Assault with a Weapon, Stabbing, Commercial Break and Enter and Pursuit occurrences. The aircrew from AIR1 was responsible for quickly locating 12 individuals resulting in multiple criminal charges. Had AIR1 not been assigned to these events, the number of investigative hours required to locate these individuals after the fact would have been significant. The video evidence collected by the onboard equipment also provides the courts with the continuity required (from the time of the offence to the ultimate arrest) to successfully prosecute the offenders. In fact, the Flight Operations Unit receives requests daily from Manitoba Prosecutions to provide video evidence in preparations for court proceedings.
Similar to any ground unit, AIR1 will proactively patrol all areas of the city during periods when not actively assigned to an occurrence. Aircrews have detected several residential working fires prior to Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service being notified. In one instance, the aircrew of AIR1 notified the WFPS of a residential home engulfed in flames and directed police ground units to safely remove 6 occupants prior to WFPS arrival. During a proactive patrol, the flight crew of AIR1 witnessed a high-powered assault rifle transaction between two groups. By coordinating ground units, several accused persons from Calgary, Alberta, were arrested. It was later learned that this assault rifle was likely going to be used in Winnipeg for gang retaliatory purposes.
From the moment AIR1 launches for the first flight of the shift, the demand for air support is constant. Typically, the first broadcast the aircrew hears from the Communications Centre or ground units is, “Is Air1 available”. WPS ground units, including General Patrol, Tactical Support Team and Canine Units, have come to depend on the support which is provided by AIR1. Aerial Support tasks on a nightly basis include taking control of and coordinating vehicle pursuits, foot pursuits, high-risk weapon occurrences, serious assaults and locating missing and vulnerable people. In late June, I was assigned to locate a female who wanted to harm herself. We quickly located this female on a bridge threatening to jump. Ground resources, including WPS River Patrol, were updated and coordinated in a timely manner. When this individual ended up jumping in the water, the River Patrol unit was in place to make the rescue and take her to the riverbank, where paramedics were waiting. As this occurred at night, The Night Sun on the helicopter was used to assist in the rescue.
The locating of fleeing vehicles and the management of ground resources during vehicle pursuits is one of the most frequent and high-risk scenarios to which AIR1 is assigned to. These types of events potentially present some of the most dangerous situations for members of the public as well as officers on the ground. Once AIR1 is engaged, the aircrew immediately assumes control of the pursuit by strategically coordinating ground units. Taking the pressure off of a fleeing suspect by removing visible police presence almost always has a “calming effect” on the manner of driving. This immediately reduces the risk to members of the public and officers. With AIR1 maintaining continuity of the suspect vehicle, a plan can be put in place to safely terminate the pursuit and apprehend offenders.
I am often asked what is the “best” call I’ve ever been involved in while working in AIR1. I’m not sure what constitutes the best call, but the one occurrence which resonates the most with me was a commercial break and enter, which occurred last summer during daylight hours. An elderly male in his early 80s attempted to stop two suspects from breaking into his residence. In the process of protecting his property, the male lost his life at the hands of two suspects. Upon being requested to assist in this active call and receiving details from the Duty Inspector, my first immediate thoughts were of my own late father, who would have been the same age as this victim. Approximately 2 hours after the offence occurred, we assisted in locating one of the suspects and the vehicle used. Manslaughter charges were brought forward against the accused person.
The use of aerial support has a “force multiplying” effect on ground resources in that when using AIR1 for searching large areas such as parks, fields or neighbourhoods, fewer ground units are required, and less time is needed to search. This, in turn, redirects or clears the ground units faster in order to be re-assigned to other calls for service.
Misconceptions Associated with AIR1
AIR1 Helicopter is “Out of date Technology”
The fact is, AIR1 utilizes state-of-the-art technology. In 2021, the WPS Helicopter, Airbus H-120, underwent a comprehensive airframe inspection which included a complete teardown, re-build and new paint. This scheduled maintenance is regulated by Transport Canada and the manufacturer’s specifications. During this inspection, a modernization of flight instrumentation was completed, including navigational and GPS systems.
All police equipment onboard AIR1 is the current technology, including the Infrared Camera, Augmented Reality System, Night Sun and all police communications. During the rebuild, WPS also installed an upgraded downlink system which can provide digital high-definition live video to various users, including the Duty Inspector, Incident Commander, Special Events Group, the RCMP and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.
Drones can replace AIR1
The WPS has been using drones for several years for a wide range of tasks and missions. The WPS helicopter and WPS drones are two very different tools with very different mission sets. Drones have been proven to be very effective in clearing structures, crime scene illumination, search warrant execution overwatch and situational awareness and Traffic Collision/Forensic Identification scene documentation.
Currently, drones operated for WPS missions must adhere to Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) rules meaning the drone pilot must have constant visual contact with the drone.
What sets helicopter aerial support apart is the extremely fast response times to high-risk events, having the ability and flight range to cover large geographical areas, providing significant real-time information, the effective coordination of ground units, and the locating of dangerous criminals and vulnerable persons.
Extreme temperatures experienced in Winnipeg have little or no effect on the single flight time or the range of AIR1. While utilizing a two-member flight crew, single flight times can range between 3.0-3.5 hours per flight. This includes ambient air temperature extremes between -35 degrees Celsius in the winter and +35 degrees Celsius in the summer. This allows aircrews to remain assigned to active high-risk occurrences and thus maintain continuity and oversight throughout an entire event if required.
The idea that the helicopter provides safety is a big myth
The truth is simply that AIR1 has been proven to be an effective tool to enhance the safety of citizens and first responders. AIR1 is responsible for assisting in the apprehension of criminals, locating vulnerable persons and saving lives. The aircrew of AIR1 routinely coordinates and provides real-time information and live video to ground crews which leads to criminals being safely arrested and enhancing the safety of first responders.
According to an independent report 2019 prepared by MNP, the following was one of the conclusions. “It’s (AIR1) unique capabilities and proven ability to support operational and investigative Service units makes it a good use of WPS resources”
So far, in 2022 to date (July 20, 2022), AIR1 has flown 502 hours and has attended 1292 incidents. A total of 348 persons of interest have been located, including 202 persons charged with criminal offences.
The AIR1 team is a committed group of professionals who have a passion for providing superior aerial support service to WPS members on the ground by locating persons of interest and coordinating criminal apprehensions. AIR1 has become an essential tool in locating missing or vulnerable persons and ultimately saving lives.
For additional information, see MNP 2019 Flight Operations Unit Review. Report of Findings and Conclusions.