Polk sheriff lands approval for new helicopter, retires an aging bird

Paul Nutcher, The Ledger
·4 min read
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The Polk County Sheriff’s Office will receive a new $1.9 million helicopter to replace an aging helicopter that will be retired by the agency, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Most missions for the aviation unit are to assist law enforcement units on the ground, typically helping in searches for fugitives or missing persons.

“Our mission is to observe and report because that is what we do," said Lt. Paul Wright, who oversees several law enforcement units housed at the Bartow Air Base. "We're here to help patrol, Help the units on the ground by being that eye in the sky.”

One of the Polk County Sheriff's Office's Robinson R66 helicopters at the Bartow Air Base. The department received permission from the Polk County Commission in December to retire an old helicopter in favor of a new Robinson R66.
One of the Polk County Sheriff's Office's Robinson R66 helicopters at the Bartow Air Base. The department received permission from the Polk County Commission in December to retire an old helicopter in favor of a new Robinson R66.

When he interacts with the pilots, Wright said, their most rewarding trips are those taken to locate missing people, who are often among Polk County's youngest and oldest residents.

“Probably one of the most fulfilling missions they do is the missing person,” he said. “When they can reunite a missing person back to their family − and they locate them and bring them home safe − I would say that is probably the one they talk about the most,” Wright said.

Sometimes, chasing bad guys from the air also comes with a great deal of satisfaction.

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“There can be a critical incident where there’s bad things happening with bad people and they (pilots) have that sense of protecting the deputies on the ground from those bad things,” Wright said.

“Whether it’s a traffic situation with a person driving erratically or something involving firearms, it’s a way to keep an eye on the deputies and keep them safe and hopefully bring them home safe to their families as well,” he said.

Scott Wilder, communications director for PCSO, explained the reason for the new aircraft. “The Robinson R66 helicopter is replacing a helicopter that we are taking out of service.” The former helicopter, a 2014 MD500E, was sold at auction for $2,448,650.

The Polk County Commission approved the sheriff’s request to purchase the new helicopter during its Dec. 6 meeting.

The new aircraft is expected to arrive about Jan. 28, Wright said. The former MD500E, which can cost up to $4 million for a new one, was phased out in Polk in favor of a highly capable and less expensive model.

While the Robinson R66 is a bit slower and slightly less agile, it still adequately serves the needs of the Sheriff’s Office and saves the taxpayers on price, fuel and maintenance, he said.

The newer Robinson R66 is about half as expensive to fly and maintain as the previous helicopter that will be retired, a 2014 MD500E.
The newer Robinson R66 is about half as expensive to fly and maintain as the previous helicopter that will be retired, a 2014 MD500E.

“What we did is we standardized our fleet and by doing that it's going to make it a little bit more effective and efficient,” Wright said. “Also it’s cheaper to the taxpayers.”

The older helicopter cost $700 to $750 per hour to operate in the air, he said. But the new aircraft will cost $350 to $450 per hour to fly.

The aviation unit has three helicopters and eight pilots, Wilder explained. There is always a pilot on duty 24 hours every day of the year.

“We fly coverage for the whole county and all cities in Polk County — we also support Highlands and Hardee County,” Wilder said.

Wright added that flights to support other counties average about one mission per month but can include multiple trips in a single month or none for a few months. It depends on their needs.

For most flights across the county, the helicopters can reach Davenport from Bartow, for example, in 10 to 15 minutes depending on the wind and other conditions. That’s 35 ground miles.

The reason the Sheriff’s Office has three helicopters is one is usually grounded for maintenance after serving a certain amount of flight time. The other is always ready to respond immediately to calls, and the third is a backup for times when a second aircraft is needed to assist deputies on the ground.

The Sheriff's Office fleet of three helicopters is based at the Bartow airport and is staffed with eight pilots.
The Sheriff's Office fleet of three helicopters is based at the Bartow airport and is staffed with eight pilots.

The Sheriff's Office fiscal year 2022-23 aviation budget is $2,022,856. The unit is run by aviation supervisor Herbert Gillis.

Wright said former military pilots comprise most of the flyers in the unit, but in-house pilots are also working on air missions. They often ask to join and then after training and gaining the respective flight hours for day and night missions earn an air commander position.

The aviation unit’s ongoing maintenance is done by Dixie Jet and Rotor Service at Lakeland Linder International Airport, where the helicopters can also refuel. The choppers also land at other airports countywide.

The Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit is deployed from the agency’s nearly 10,000 square foot hangar at the Bartow Executive Airport, which is rented from the Bartow Airport Authority. In addition to housing helicopters, the offices inside contain the Sheriff Office’s agricultural and environmental crimes and marine units.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk sheriff set to purchase new helicopter and retire an old one