Officers Jeff Kelbert and David Tomalis walk out to the black and blue Bell 407GXi helicopter parked on a portable pad at Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport, heading to a call that needs eyes in the sky.
One of two new helicopters assigned to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's aviation unit, it packs high-tech equipment that allows officers to see in the day and nighttime from high in the sky.
Costing $11.8 million together, the two new helicopters join a Bell 407 predecessor in the Sheriff's Office hangar, home to its aviation unit almost since it was formed in 1970. Flown by 12 Sheriff's Office pilots who rotate shifts like patrol officers in the skies, they can launch within minutes of a call after a pre-flight check and time to warm up the engine.
Read the rest of this story at WJCT News partner The Florida Times-Union.