Police Helicopter crew member takes down burglary suspect during chase - Polidicks

[quote]The HPD helicopter landed nearby and a crew member with a helmet then ran up to and tackled the man. "We've already talked about this while we're flying," pilot Jeff Serpas said. "You've got to realize we are circling this for a while." Before the helicopter lands, he and tactical flight officer Steven Borgstedte have discussed their plan. With the suspect on the run, they tried to maneuver the helicopter to cut off the suspect. Serpas told KPRC 2 the helicopter was "maybe two to three feet off the ground." When the suspect showed no signs of stopping, even after being hit by a patrol car, the flight team decided to land. "I directed the officer to put the helicopter down, that we were going to go get the suspect," Borgstedte said. [/quote] [url]http://www.click2houston.com/news/hpd-helicopter-crew-member-takes-down-chase-suspect[/url] Video from a news helicopter on the scene in the source. Some action movie shit, man. You don't see that everyday.

That's Houston for you lol. Some cowboy shit

Now if the pilot failed to grab him, and then carjacked some random car to chase him down, that'd be some GTA shit

I love that the crew member went to fistcuffs after the suspect tried to pull him down.

Everyone should watch the video, it also includes the manliest handshake in the world. [img]http://i.imgur.com/bA0ucdM.png[/img]

Yippee ki-yay, motherfucker

Man he must have been scared out of his mind, it doesnt take much thought to realize that there is nowhere to hide in an open field, especially from a helicopter. He was probably just running and not thinking about anything else

The copilot was ballsy as hell, no downplaying that, but that is one good goddamn helicopter pilot. You see that sort of flying in movies and stuff all the time, but unless you've played a sim like DCS, you don't really know how hard it is to keep such a machine so under control at such altitudes.

[QUOTE=archangel125;50613831]The copilot was ballsy as hell, no downplaying that, but that is one good goddamn helicopter pilot. You see that sort of flying in movies and stuff all the time, but unless you've played a sim like DCS, you don't really know how hard it is to keep such a machine so under control at such altitudes.[/QUOTE] Given the flight hours basically every police helo pilot has, I'd wager any PD chopper pilot could do the same. Hell, most experienced GA hobbyists could do it.

Maybe! Plus it was an MD500 variant, and those things tend to be pretty stable in flight due to the five rotors.

As someone who has had some experience flying real helicopters I can say that hovering is one of the most difficult things to do. However once you are practiced enough to be a licensed helicopter pilot it is not difficult for you anymore, because you have done it enough times to not have to think about it, you just sort of do it.

[QUOTE=mecaguy03;50614222]As someone who has had some experience flying real helicopters I can say that hovering is one of the most difficult things to do. However once you are practiced enough to be a licensed helicopter pilot it is not difficult for you anymore, because you have done it enough times to not have to think about it, you just sort of do it.[/QUOTE] I haven't flown the real thing, but I know the principle, at least. Ground effect generates lift but also turbulence and you've got to keep adjusting the collective to hold her steady. It's like trying to balance on top of a hemisphere of ice.

[QUOTE=Amplar;50613158]Now if the pilot failed to grab him, and then carjacked some random car to chase him down, that'd be some GTA shit[/QUOTE] As it stands it's some Battlefield Hardline shit.

That's for sure some badass movie shit going down there. Bravo. For anyone that would like some perspective on just how hilariously difficult it is to pilot a helicopter, especially hovering, I recommend watching SmaterEveryDay's video on the subject. [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXR1olg_I0w[/media]

Like its harder than flying a fixed wing aircraft, but even difficult things become easy when you have practiced it enough. It really makes all the difference, I remember the first time I was in a helicopter and had a shot at hovering, the instructor said I did a better job than people farther ahead of me in instruction, which I chalk up to just practicing in sims like DCS for fun. Sims can get you one half of it but you need real experience for the other half.

[QUOTE=mecaguy03;50615421]Like its harder than flying a fixed wing aircraft, but even difficult things become easy when you have practiced it enough. It really makes all the difference, I remember the first time I was in a helicopter and had a shot at hovering, the instructor said I did a better job than people farther ahead of me in instruction, which I chalk up to just practicing in sims like DCS for fun. Sims can get you one half of it but you need real experience for the other half.[/QUOTE] I was fixed wing aircraft, but I always found Sims to be considerably more difficult than real life on account of not being able to "feel" the aircraft. I wouldn't say that the plane felt like an extension of my body, but I could feel the resistance on the controls, the the stresses of the aircraft while yawing, rolling, and pitching. That's especially true for landings. Your instruments are crucial during the approach, telling you if you're going too fast, if your altitude is okay, etc, but at a certain point just before touchdown, you stop looking at the instruments and feel your way to the ground. That is way harder in a simulator imo.

Yea I had that experience too, the accelerations you feel when sitting inside something that is actually flying give a new dimension to reading the aircraft. Feeling yourself moving and reacting to it is a much more reflexive thing than seeing a movement and then reacting to it, which allows you think less about flying. You are absolutely right, you just cant feel the air in a sim and thats why real flight experience is hard to replace.

To some of us kerbal space program players its piss easy tho

[QUOTE=Blizzerd;50615542]To some of us kerbal space program players its piss easy tho[/QUOTE] I can tell you as a fellow KSP player that not even the most unstable, top-heavy rocket or lander can compare.

Here's a better clip of the Helicopter chase: [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0okMo9itiw[/media] I can't imagine what the suspect was thinking. He probably thought he could make a run for it. I think the last thing I'd expect would be for a helicopter to try and cut me off.

Found a picture of the cop [img]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQuHIyFZP2AkVlqONg_K16JQLwpouzOggOe5OVmz-xrHi6A4NQByDRXGX4D[/img]

Are officers actually supposed to ram people with their vehicle like that when they're trying to escape? Granted it was kind of a side-swipe, but still?

[QUOTE=archangel125;50616041]I can tell you as a fellow KSP player that not even the most unstable, top-heavy rocket or lander can compare.[/QUOTE] Helicopters are mostly flown through feeling inertia and responding, in KSP you miss that sense. You are basically doing it with a blindfold on.

Jesus, the guy did a stupid thing and went for his gun so he threw the whole holster off.

Just reading the title I had this mental image of this badass PD heli officer skydiving out of the helicopter and body slamming/tackling the suspect.