All flight personnel are selected from within the ranks and are fully commissioned Wichita police officers.  Each helicopter crew consists of a pilot and observer. All crew members are cross-trained as rotorcraft-rated helicopter pilots and tactical aerial observers.  In addition to staffing regular work schedules, flight crews are subject to "stand by" and/or "call back" at all times. The Air Section's operating hours are flexible and readily adaptable to accommodate any assignment. The Air Section responds to any and all calls for service, with helicopter crews screening and prioritizing the calls to insure optimal response effectiveness and efficiency. Besides assisting and supporting its own officers, the  Air Section also routinely answers calls for assistance from various outside law enforcement agencies such as the Kansas Highway Patrol, Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department, and other smaller agencies in and around the greater Wichita metropolitan area. The Unit's helicopters generally operate at an altitude of 700+ feet above ground. This altitude makes the helicopters highly visible and affords flight crews a very effective, yet safe, visual perspective. The Air Section places a premium on the importance of "fly neighborly" and noise abatement procedures and operations. Flight operations, including the use of the searchlight during nighttime operations, will usually be conducted in a general area or at a particular location for a sustained period of time only while responding to a specific call for service or request for assistance. Therefore, if the police helicopter is seen operating in your area, you can rest assured that it is investigating suspicious and/or criminal activity, and thus there exists a bonafide and valid reason for its presence. Meticulous and detailed documentation is recorded and maintained that chronicles every minute that the Unit's helicopters are airborne. On the rare occasion that queries are made by curious or interested citizens, members of the Air Section personally respond to each and every inquiry.

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