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Law enforcement aviation is complex in many ways, which creates a steep learning curve for commanding officers with no previous aviation experience. Mike Reyno Photo

Not a normal job

By Jack Schonely

Published on: February 7, 2017
Estimated reading time 11 minutes, 48 seconds.

Supervising a law enforcement aviation unit presents some unique challenges. Here’s what supervisors should know and expect.

I spent the last 18 years of my 31-year law enforcement career as a tactical flight officer (TFO) and then pilot at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Air Support Division. During those 18 years, I had nine different commanding officers (COs). Because of the size of the unit, the commanding officer happened to be a captain. Two of the nine were commercial-rated rotorcraft pilots who had worked at Air Support as lieutenants, one was a fixed-wing pilot, and the remaining six had no aviation experience.

Law enforcement aviation is complex in many ways, which creates a steep learning curve for commanding officers with no previous aviation experience. Mike Reyno Photo
Law enforcement aviation is complex in many ways, which creates a steep learning curve for commanding officers with no previous aviation experience. Mike Reyno Photo

In these nine COs I have seen a wide variety of leadership styles, and successes and failures in command. Fortunately, most were successes, but why do so many experienced law enforcement supervisors struggle in commanding an aviation unit? The answer is simple, and at the same time complicated, and it is a topic of conversation in units around the world.

A Steep Learning Curve

It is important to note that every law enforcement aviation unit is different in size, policies, procedures, and practices. Many smaller units have a sergeant or lieutenant in charge of the unit. The size of the unit or the rank of the person in charge really does not matter for this topic of discussion, since in all cases the responsibilities of an aviation unit’s commanding officer are the same.

An aviation unit is a unique operation within a police department. It is a very specialized unit with a very large budget. Some would say that SWAT, K-9, or bomb squad units also fit into this category. I would agree — up to a point. A SWAT supervisor who was never a SWAT operator is going to have a very steep learning curve to effectively lead that team, but aviation units are even more challenging, for several reasons.

Many new commanding officers have little or no working knowledge of aviation in general, much less law enforcement aviation, which is very complex in many ways. They enter the new position enthusiastically, only to quickly learn that they know virtually nothing about what they need to know.

For example, they may be very acquainted with the rules of the police department, but now they find out that the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) control a great deal of what they can and cannot do as they manage the unit. The Federal Aviation Administration does not care what a chief or a sheriff might think when it comes to training, equipment, policies, and procedures. Most new COs adjust to this over time, but some never do, and that becomes a problem for mission, safety, and morale.

Supervisors of law enforcement aviation units must accept the philosophy that
Supervisors of law enforcement aviation units must accept the philosophy that “there is no rank inside the cockpit.” Skip Robinson Photo

An excellent example of this occurred with a newer CO listening in on a discussion about whether or not to cancel a training day with SWAT. The sergeant of the cadre brought together the pilots, the safety officer, and the chief pilot to have an open discussion and risk analysis of the training situation for that day. After each individual had given their opinion, it was determined that the training day be canceled for many good reasons and for overall safety of everyone involved.

The CO then spoke up and said, “That’s great that you all had this discussion, but on a real mission that won’t happen. You just do the mission.” Now that statement is ridiculous, incorrect, and unsafe. We were all stunned at what we had just heard, for obvious reasons. That was a cop talking, not an aviation unit manager.

The sergeant had to later explain to the captain that in fact we would have that discussion before a real mission as well. It wasn’t the captain’s fault: he had no aviation training, had never heard of aviation risk analysis, had no knowledge of the FARs, and didn’t know our procedures. This is not an unusual example at all. Law enforcement aviators from around the world have told me similar stories.

Some Words of Advice

It is not easy coming from a command where you are very familiar with the rules, supervising young inexperienced officers, and having little or no say in budgeting for the unit. Suddenly you are in a world with rules from outside the department, supervising experienced professionals, and signing contracts for the purchase of multi-million dollar aircraft. Many are not prepared for that and struggle with the transition.

So let’s look at some constructive suggestions for new commanding officers about to enter this world of aviation.

You must be willing to learn. A lot of the learning will occur on the job while being around day-to-day operations of your unit, but there are many places to gain knowledge that will help you manage a safe and efficient operation. There are aviation unit manager courses offered by the Airborne Law Enforcement Association, University of Southern California Aviation, and Helicopter Association International. New unit commanders must take advantage of these learning opportunities, or they will struggle with this new position.

Commanding an aviation unit is unlike commanding patrol officers or detectives. Professional education can help new supervisors gain the knowledge they need to manage their units effectively. Skip Robinson Photo
Commanding an aviation unit is unlike commanding patrol officers or detectives. Professional education can help new supervisors gain the knowledge they need to manage their units effectively. Skip Robinson Photo

Commanding an aviation unit is nothing like commanding patrol officers or detectives. I have spoken to many unit commanders after taking one of these courses and the response is always the same: “Wow, I had no idea how much of the ultimate responsibility rests on my shoulders. I have a lot to learn.” These courses change how they look at every decision they make, and that is a good thing.

Personality. Personality has a great deal to do with the success or failure of any leader, but it is amplified when you enter the world of law enforcement aviation. Entering this new command with an open mind, a willingness to listen, a willingness to learn, and being able to deal with the fact that you will never know as much as the pilots and TFOs you are commanding will be a great start. That sounds simple enough and for many it is, but for some personalities it is very difficult.

One of the most common examples of a personality issue is the “change the world” type of command. This type of leader enters this new challenge by wanting to change everything without first having an understanding of how anything even works. Particularly in units that have been around for many years, this style will not work, and it will lead to animosity among the troops. Understanding the history of the unit and all of the things that have been tried long before you arrived as the new CO is vital. You should not feel that you have to do something, anything, to manage the unit. Being patient, listening, and learning is a much better approach.

Depend on your subject matter experts (SMEs). Again, this seems obvious, but for some it is not even on the map. Every aviation unit has experts in a wide variety of fields. Maintenance, training, purchasing, safety, flight operations, and personnel selection are just a few areas where SMEs will exist in every unit. These SMEs must be consulted by a new CO before making any decision. They are a valuable resource, and they are right there at the unit to use.

For instance, changing how tactical flight officers are selected and trained without consulting the senior TFO or the chief TFO would be a disastrous mistake. Yes, that happened, and yes it was a disaster. I will always look back on that and wonder how a person could completely ignore such a valuable asset at their fingertips before making a major change in procedure.

New commanding officers should thoroughly understand the history of their unit before attempting to implement sweeping changes. Skip Robinson Photo
New commanding officers should thoroughly understand the history of their unit before attempting to implement sweeping changes. Skip Robinson Photo

There is no rank inside the cockpit. For those aviation units who have supervisors or even the unit commander flying missions, this is a very important topic. Most supervisors I have flown with over the years had no issue at all with this concept. They accepted the fact that inside the cockpit it was vital for mission safety that any crewmember could speak freely and not worry about rank. Army pilots and crews have dealt with this for decades and for the most part the concept works well. But it’s always vital to emphasize that go/no-go and other critical decisions are made as a crew, considering the totality of the circumstances, and not by the crewmember with the highest rank.

Closing Thoughts

We have to make difficult decisions every day as law enforcement aviators. Those decisions are made based on experience, a great deal of training, knowledge of the FARs, and unit policies and procedures. All of these same things must be learned and considered by a new commanding officer of the unit.

It is not easy, it will take time, but it can be done. We’ve all been there: even Chuck Yeager knew nothing about aviation when he got started. New commanders should understand that they have nothing to feel embarrassed about, and that there are lots of resources available to assist them.

Welcome to aviation — it is not a normal job.

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1 Comment

  1. I really like this article. I hope this helps not only police helicopter units but also helps helicopter pilots and civilian helicopter companies as well.

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