Eyes in the sky

Image 1. APU2 Arial View via Google Maps

When thinking of the State Police, images of patrol cars and guns may come to mind. People don’t normally think of the Aviation Patrol Units (APU’s), though they play a crucial role. APU 2 (Image 1) in the foggy city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania is where Corporal Van Buren reports for duty for every eight hour shift since 2007. He says, "It sounds corny, but this career is very fulfilling because I'm helping people. It's a lot of hard work, but at the end of the day we're helping people in dire situations." To make it as a pilot in the State Police, he had to first obtain a commercial and instrument rating on his own in order to meet qualifications to apply. Once accepted, he went through two years of "in house" training. After the in house training, pilots must attend two weeks of training from Bell Helicopter in Texas. Currency training then occurs yearly for all pilots.

Corporal Van Buren is a clean shaven, 6'2", muscular, 46 year old male. His dark brown hair has a grey fade on the sides that he shapes into the standard issued short crew cut, a staple of the paramilitary organization. He joined the State Police over ten years ago and Aviation about 8 years ago. He has had many memorable moments since joining aviation, including one that drew the attention of the local news who interviewed him for their broadcast. In his humble words, "My sergeant and I were following a felon that was on foot and got away from ground units. We hovered down and when we reached a safe altitude, I jumped out, tackled the man, and arrested him." Another story that did not make the news involved a woman hostage. He said, "A woman was abducted by her boyfriend and held at knife-point. We landed and I managed to grab her and put her in the back of the helicopter and the boyfriend was arrested." Cpl. Van Buren talks modestly about all his work stories. The vast majority of calls do not require the pilot to exit the helicopter. Typically duty only calls for them to be the eye in the sky and track lost people, fleeing felons, and marijuana plants.

When any visitors, like myself, stop by, they first encounter an old, yet sturdy, motorized gated fence. In order to gain entry, the visitor must depress the intercom button and identify himself. The trooper inside then either grants or refuses entrance.

Image 2. Stock photo of Bell 407GX

The blue hangar, contracted out to the State Police around 1975, can accommodate only one helicopter. Overhead a ceiling fan crackles in harmony with the buzzing fluorescent lights. Facing the man-door entry, stands a 60' long, overhead tracked, motorized door for entry and exit of the Bell 407GX helicopter (image 2). In order to move the black helicopter in and out of the hangar, an old "tug" couples up to the cart tow hitch that the helicopter lands on. The tug was brought back from death for specific use at the hanger. Taken off the lot for unused machines, mechanics cut the roof off so it would not get hit by the helicopter blades. On the shelving along the wall, flight helmets sit among other miscellaneous flight equipment and radios that constantly monitor flight transmissions. A loft full of weight equipment and old, clunky, army green lockers overlooks the rest of the hangar.

A second man door leads to the office area where the pilots fulfill their daily responsibilities and listen to the radio chatter of aircrafts landing and taking off at the small airport. At the beginning of each shift, the pilots check their work email, and the weather, then send the "daily" to headquarters. Cpl. Van Buren said the daily includes the shifts/schedule, hours worked, hours flown, etc. After completing the computer work, the pilots go out to preflight the helicopter. The preflight check ensures the mechanical integrity of the machine, which keeps both the pilot and the passengers safe. The rest of the shift is spent on patrol and responding to any calls that come in. Additionally, Cpl. Van Buren must train a new pilot that he works with.

The kitchen area, that takes up approximately one quarter of the space, catches most of the attention upon entering the room. The tan cabinetry, old speckled tile, and white refrigerator all seem a bit out of place compared to mental expectations of an aviation patrol unit. The white toaster and microwave sit on the counter next to the four pan gas stove. Textured wallpaper compliments the faded blue carpet that covers the remaining three quarters of the room. Within the space rests four large dark brown desks, a coffee table of the same color, and a faded blue couch. Each desk had its own early 2000's style corded landline, a desktop computer, and a family picture to remind the troops what awaits them after the end of each shift. Posters and memos on the wall relay loads of important information ranging from zones each unit covers, to hours flown each day/month, to the most important protocol poster pertaining to my visit: "NO PICTURES UNLESS FOR OFFICIAL USE BY THE COMMON WEALTH." Fortunately, I had a picture from when the older helicopter visited Bloomsburg Airport. (Image 3). Three metal bucket-like trash cans, an old grey cabinet for paperwork, a fire extinguisher, and two exit signs glowing overhead finish off the room.

Image 3. Cpl. Van Buren at the Bloomsburg
 Airport for "fly in" day

The dimly lit hallway leads back to the bathroom and locker room while passing by the sergeants office, which I did not go into. Neither the bathroom nor the locker room had any notable features except the cleanliness and perceived lack of extensive use that would typically occur in a locker room.

Though the Aviation Patrol Units don't receive as much recognition in the eyes of the public, the service from Cpl. Van Buren, and other pilots, greatly helps the ground patrol. The unit performs many functions crucial to making arrests and protecting society as a whole.