How the Mesa Police Department uses helicopters to battle crime and provide public support will be the topic of a presentation at the Sun Lakes Aero Club’s April 17 gathering at the Sun Lakes Country Club’s Navajo Room. The event is open to the public. (Photo by Gary Vacin)
Gary Vacin
How the Mesa Police Department uses aircraft in law enforcement will be the topic of a presentation to the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering on Monday, April 17, at the Sun Lakes Country Club Navajo Room. The event begins with camaraderie at 6:30 p.m., followed by the presentation at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public.
Bob Buquo, Mesa Police Department Air Support Unit chief pilot, will describe how the department’s aviation unit grew from a single, fixed-wing aircraft in 1986 to its current inventory of three turbine helicopters plus two fixed-wing aircraft: a Cessna 172 Skyhawk and a Cessna P210 Centurion. The Centurion’s primary roles are to provide aerial surveillance, conduct large-area searches, and various transport services. The 172 Skyhawk is utilized for primary training, currency, and patrol functions when needed.
Mesa police helicopters average nearly eight flight hours per day, seven days per week, and answer an average of 18 calls each day. Each year the helicopter proves to be an invaluable law enforcement tool, and its average response time to a scene is 54 seconds. The unit has assisted in recovering over $20 million in stolen property and in locating over 600 missing persons (most of whom have been lost children).
Today the Air Support Unit is based at Mesa’s Falcon Field Airport. It consists of eight full-time helicopter pilots, seven part-time tactical flight officers (all Mesa police officers), two mechanics, and one civilian air support unit administrator.
A native of Scottsdale, Buquo joined the Mesa Police Department in July, 2002, and served as a patrol officer until 2013. He joined the Air Support Unit in 2015. Two years later, he was selected to be a helicopter pilot for the unit, receiving his helicopter flight training at Quantum Helicopter located at Chandler Municipal Airport. He was selected to be the certified flight instructor for the unit in 2020 and remains a police officer for the unit.
This will be the Sun Lakes Aero Club’s final gathering for the 2022-23 season. The club will resume activity with monthly events beginning in November of 2023 in a new location, the Cottonwood Country Club’s lecture hall. For additional information, contact Cannon Hill at 509-539-7857 or Gary Vacin at 480-298-7017.