A firsthand look inside HAWCS helicopter
Posted Mar 9, 2015 7:02 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
From stolen vehicles to building fires to water rescues, the Calgary Police air support unit has eyes all over the city.
The HAWCS helicopter is coming up on its 20th anniversary this summer.
660News got a first-hand look at the operation when reporter Lucas Meyer took a ride-a-long in the copter:
Going up as the sun goes down around 8 p.m., the chopper quickly goes from the ground in the northeast to above the skyline in moments.
Looking at a police monitor, Constable Darcy Christensen uses infrared technology to see any spot in the downtown with stunning clarity, tracking cars on Macleod Trail or pedestrians, then heads to the city limits, using a spot light to inspect large fields.
The 17-year veteran has spent five with this unit and says it’s a privilege to be part of it.
“We get to be involved in the bigger calls, we get to see some crazy stuff, some memorable stuff, and I’m lucky to be a part of it,” he said.
The chopper can even track how fast a car is going from overhead and can be the first to spot something suspicious on a regular patrol, alerting units on the ground.
Manning the aircraft is Pilot Cam Buschert, with a background in commercial flying; he needed 2500 flying hours, including 300 at night, just to be part of the unit.
Now a year and a half in, he says it’s unlike anything he’s ever done.
“Camaraderie between police officers and ground units that support us is huge. It’s a well-organized unit. Everybody’s friends here,” he said.
The chopper hovers over the scene of the massive construction fire in Victoria Park.
The crew was the first to spot the condo building just next to it catching fire, alerting fire crews to douse it before serious damage could have been done.
Christensen knows this spot well: during the 2013 flood, a call came in of a man swept away by the rising waters.
“And he, actually, was hanging on to a tree. So, we were able to find him, direct the fire department to him, and they were able to get him back to the ground safely,” he said.
There will be no such heroics for the HAWCS team this time around, but the tight-unit is ready whenever and wherever.
