Police Helo Used For Donut Run
 

Got sent this on email. Thought you might get a kick out of it.

Police Investigating Emergency Doughnut Run

Friday, October 05, 2001

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. ? Albuquerque police have taken doughnut runs to new heights, swooping down in a police helicopter for a late night snack.


'I don't know how they decided that was a good idea,' the department's spokesman, Lt. Bob Huntsman, said in a copyright story in Friday's Albuquerque Journal.

The Albuquerque Police Department has two helicopters for routine night patrols, and Huntsman said it costs about $80 an hour to keep one of the Kiowa copters flying. The pilot ? who is not a police officer ? is under contract to the department.

'We're going to look into it,' Huntsman said. 'If they violated policy or procedure, they're going to get disciplined for it. We've worked too hard to make this a professional unit to let lack of common sense tear us down.'

Rio Rancho resident Keith Turner, who works near a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop on Albuquerque's west side, said he was taking a break with other people between 12:30 and 1 a.m. Thursday when a police helicopter swooped down, circled and landed in a nearby dirt field.

'I was like, 'No, they'd better not go and get doughnuts,'' Turner said.

One of those aboard got out and went inside while the helicopter idled, he said. The passenger returned to the helicopter 10 to 15 minutes later carrying a box of Krispy Kremes, he said.

'I was angry, and I'm still kind of angry,' Turner said. 'You've got no business flying in to get doughnuts.'

The chopper gave what Turner presumed was a goodbye toot on its police siren as it took off, he said.

Huntsman confirmed the incident, but said he had not had a chance to speak to those aboard. He said it appeared the duo were near the end of their shift and probably were flying back to the hangar on the west side.

'As far as we know, they did bring doughnuts back,' he said. :D :D :D

Reminds me of those bratty stops in Germany whilst on exercise…They were the days... I thought the toot on the siren was a nice touch……. :cool:

Surely a navigational exercise with brief touchdown to check accuracy of dead reckoning?

It seems as if there isnt any more fun in flying any more, if you get your ass kicked for just doing somthing a little different these days.
If the wires don't get you then some public minded citizen will. :cool:

[ 06 October 2001: Message edited by: MaxNg ]

[ 06 October 2001: Message edited by: MaxNg ]

Can't see the problem with a food stop, cops on the road do it all the time and I have never heard of anyone complaining then. An airbourne police unit is much like any other mobile police resource.

Lets get things back into perspective shall we. :)

Seem to recall a similar incident in Canada. Apparently 2 Lynx took a small detour from an NVG Cat 3 task to go and pick up some pre ordered Pizza's from the Training area boundry. Wouldn't have caused too much of a fuss except that the first Pizza delivery truck they stopped was actually the Garrison QM!! (And very tasty they were!!!) :p

Overheard in a Glasgow baker's shop....


Customer (in a broad Glaswegian accent): 'Is that a doughnut, or a meringue?'

Shop assistant: 'No, you're right, it's a doughnut.'

:)

[ 07 October 2001: Message edited by: Flying Lawyer ]

WHAT ?! NO COFFEE ?!

Oh man, if I had taken the time to set down ...

:D

There's always a misery sitting around the corner ready to whinge about something. Bet the complainant gets really good response next time he phones for emergency services ;)

http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/36.gif

If one tenth of the flying I did on a Police unit was as useful as that "do"-nut run I'd have been very happy. Sadly it was not. I would regard this incident as a spectacularly successful use of public money compared to what I had to do on a daily basis.

ps. theyre actually called "doughnuts".

That pilot was just slapped with a three-day suspension without pay (no word re: the observer). Obviously some reporter desperate to create a scandal found the perfect molehill to make a mountain out of.

WRT the question of "donut" or "doughnut", neither of the two ever turned up on any test of commonly mis-spelt legal terms in my academy class!

I'm off to e-mail Tim Hortons to develop a helipad on their roof. That way we can certify it and make it legal. ;)
mmmmmm.....French Vanilla cappucino, 2 sugars and a fruit explosion muffin - ta!

Heard a bit of urban legend (must be legend) about VICPOL (air492) for those in the know. A stop for MacDonalds at Tullamarine Airport in the dim dark past, well after midnight.

A crew's gotta eat.... but the landing fee apparently raised some eyebrows later on. ;)

Anyone here remember the case of the 72 Sqn Wessex that delivered freshly-cooked pizzas from my wife's "Dial a Pizza" to the troops at Bessbrook? You should have seen the smile on "Buzzards" face!
Unfortunately, RAF Screws would not carry the story as "RAF" Aldergrove didn't exist in the early nineties.
And before any 'bean counter' asks - we were going there anyway.

Once purchased a motorbike and couldn't be bothered to go fetch it and ride it home.

By doing a deal with the senior pilot, who had some furniture to pick up, we hatched a 'navex' and collected the lot by Sea King.

After the 'Kinloss councillor' fracas over the nimrod DF run last chrimbo, I guess all such misuse of HM's playthings is now frowned upon.

Great shame, as it cost nothing and was good for morale. Mine anyway :D