THIS ARTICLE SUMMARIZES A COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE PATROLLING CAPABILITIES AND COST EFFECTIVENESS OF HELICOPTERS AND STOL AIRPLANES IN DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA.
THE STOL AIRCRAFT UTILIZED BY DADE COUNTY WAS A SINGLE-ENGINE SIX-PLACE HELIO SUPER-COURIER. THE COMPARISON AIRCRAFT WAS A BELL 47G-2 HELICOPTER. BOTH THE STOL AND THE HELICOPTER WERE ASSIGNED TO FLY TEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF PATROLS, INCLUDING GENERAL SURVEILLANCE; SPECIAL PATROLS OVER THE WATERFRONT, VACANT LAND, ROOFTOPS, RECREATIONAL AREAS, AND RURAL AREAS; FIRE DETECTION; AND SEARCH FOR STOLEN VEHICLES. THE ADVANTAGES THAT EACH TYPE OF AIRCRAFT DEMONSTRATED DURING USE IN A MAJOR CIVIL DISTURBANCE IN MIAMI ARE DESCRIBED. THE COMPARATIVE EVALUATION SHOWED THAT HELICOPTERS ARE PREFERABLE WHEN MISSIONS ARE NO LONGER THAN TWO HOURS, THE JURISDICTION IS COMPACT, AND THERE IS NEED FOR LOW ALTITUDE OPERATIONS OR HOVERING. THE STOL WAS PREFERABLE TO A SMALL PISTON-ENGINED HELICOPTER WHEN THE PATROL AREA IS LARGE, WHEN MISSIONS ARE LONGER THAN TWO HOURS, OR WHEN THE REQUIRED PAYLOAD IS LARGE. ALTHOUGH DIRECT FLIGHT EXPENSES WERE LOWER FOR THE STOL, THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO BE THE MORE COST EFFECTIVE OF THE TWO.