Paragliding trial for Palm Bay
The Palm Bay Police Department in Florida, US, has taken the unusual step of introducing a team of four paragliding police officers in an operation aptly dubbed Search Operations Aerial Response (SOAR).
The Palm Bay Police Department in Florida, US, has taken the unusual step of introducing a team of four paragliding police officers in an operation aptly dubbed Search Operations Aerial Response (SOAR). The Palm Bay Police Department says it will use the aircraft for search and rescue operations involving missing endangered children and adults, damage assessment after disasters, surveillance and reconnaissance, locating stolen and discarded vehicles and other property, identifying hazards within the City and photographing crime scenes. Lt Joe Eakins, who worked to develop the programme with Lt Mark Renkens, said: “We can see a lot from the air, and with this setup it’s an easy and inexpensive way to bring aerial search capabilities to everyday law enforcement.” In a release, the Department stated that powered paragliders are the most portable and inexpensive motorised aircraft ever invented, requiring no airport, hangar or runway, and being small enough to fit in the backseat of a standard size patrol vehicle. The SOAR units will fly at altitudes between 500-1000 ft and at speeds of up to 42 miles per hour, depending on wind direction. With a maximum flight time of two to three hours per launch, the units are expected to cover an average distance of 70 miles. Noting that most conventional aircraft are regulated to fly at altitudes above 1,000 ft, Lt Eakins commented: “The major advantage of this aircraft for law enforcement is in its ability to fly low and slow. At [high altitudes] it becomes difficult to properly survey designated areas to be searched.” Police Chief Bill Berger added: “The problem with helicopters is you can’t go below 1,000 ft. The canopy of trees in our community prevented the helicopter from seeing a woman who had [died] close to her car. The paragliders would have been able to get much lower.” The two aerial units acquired by the Palm Bay Police Department feature Dudek Synthesis reflex wings. Designed and produced in Poland, these reflex gliders are touted as being faster and inherently more stable than traditional classic style gliders. The motors being used are the Paratoys Mz 100, used for foot launch, and the Paratoys Mz 34, used on a quad buggy. The initial start-up equipment is being donated by a local company for the first six to eight months of programme testing, after which the Police Department may use donated funds and funds from forfeited assets seized from criminal suspects to purchase the units at a cost of approximately $25,000. Aside from the other benefits of the equipment, Lt Renkens noted: “It’s a lot more fun to patrol in than a patrol car.”