Flight Design’s CTLE 'Sheriff One' Enters Duty In CA
A law enforcement model of the Flight Design CTLE was recently
shown to the public. “Sheriff One” is the call sign
used by the new Flight Design CTLE operated by the Tulare County
California Sheriff's Department.
Captain David Williams (pictured) led the county’s
acquisition effort for the Flight Design Light-Sport Aircraft to be
used for law enforcement work. Though he is now retired from active
duty, Williams was given Reserve Sergeant status so that he can
continue to play an active role in maintaining public safety in the
area. "[CTLE] will do about 95 percent of what a helicopter can
do," short of landing and taking off at a single point, Williams
told those attending the unveiling. He added that the CTLE cameras
can remain focused on a single object (such as a car, a parking lot
or a house) while the plane circles. A spotlight with a mile-long
range and a video screen lets the tactical flight officer in the
right seat view what the camera sees.
Tulare County Sheriff Bill Wittman said one of the planned uses
of the plane will be to search for suspected criminals taking apart
farm machinery to steal copper wiring to sell it, as well as
thieves taking crops, livestock and heavy equipment. Wittman was
pleased to show the plane to about 40 interested persons who
attended the ceremony.
Between fuel, insurance, maintenance and renting hangar space at
the Visalia airport, Sheriff One will cost about $34 for every
flight hour used — not counting the salaries of the deputies
flying it — only 10% of the cost compared to $300-$400 an
hour for a helicopter, Williams said. The Sheriff
Department’s new Light-Sport Aircraft costs about $60,000
more than a standard Flight Design CTLS because of the high
technology camera, controller and display screen additions,
including a glass-panel cockpit. The CTLE also has digital
recording equipment to store camera images.
“I am now flying one or two sorties per week training
Tulsa County deputies in the duties of a tactical flight officer
(TFO),” said Roger Crow of Echo Flight Resources, LLC, a
special mission representative for the CTLE model from Flight
Design. “The TFO is the mission commander during these
flight. The duties of the TFO include being in charge of ground
communications, directing the pilot to specific target areas and
camera operations.
“In November, 2011,” Crow continued, “we flew
a surveillance mission over the County Courthouse in downtown Tulsa
in response to the national movement of Occupy Wall Street. We were
operating below the tops of the 50-story buildings, orbiting within
a city block area of the Courthouse.” Because of the CTLE
flight characteristics in a law enforcement configuration (low
& slow), Crow’s CTLE, which has been christened
“Talking Bird” has twice been momentarily misidentified
as a helicopter by Tulsa Departure Control at the Tulsa
International Airport.
“The CTLE has opened new opportunities for Flight Design
USA as public-use aircraft can accomplish commercial duties
different from other LSA users,” said John Gilmore, National
Sales Manager for Flight Design USA. Light-Sport Aircraft may be
used for flight instruction or rental for hire but otherwise are
not used for fee-generating activities.
The new model will be shown at the Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation
Expo 2012. Interested law enforcement officials can contact special
mission representative Roger Crow of Echo Flight Resources, LLC to
arrange a stop to/from Texas to the Florida event.