Helicopter Forums » Introduce Yourself

• MD500EPilot

  

  • 10 posts
   

  December 31, 2010 5:51:18 PM PST

  Hi All,

  I just wanted to introduce myself and let you know a little about myself. I really like this site and hope that I can be of some help to anyone looking into Law Enforcement flying or flying in general.

  My name is Mike Traficano and I live and work in Mesa, Arizona USA. I have been flying for the Mesa Police Department since 2001 and received all my training through the Police Department from our in-house CFI's. I have been in Law Enforcement since 1984. I did 3.5 years in the Marine Corps as an MP prior to being hired by Mesa PD in 1988. I had no aviation experience prior to entering our Air Unit as an Observer.  I am lucky enough to fly a MD500E for my job and I really enjoy it. I believe it is the best helicopter for Law Enforcement, bar none. I earned my CFI in November of last year and now I help train the incoming Officers and do NVG and Unit re-currency training. It has been an awesome opportunity that I hope to turn into a retirement job sometime down the road.

  If anyone has any questions about Law Enforcement flying I will be happy to try to answer them for you. You can find me on FaceBook as well at Michael J. Traficano. I hope to network with many of you and would love to meet you if you ever find yourself in Mesa, Arizona. Thanks, Mike T.

• Larry

  

  • 2 posts
   

  January 2, 2011 11:37:57 PM PST

  Hi Mike, MD500 must be the most fun ride (over 254 pounds). I was lucky a few months ago to catch a ride in a Global Express to Tucson and drove to Mesa for a cheap flight home. They said it was the hottest day on record.... 114F if I recall. Does 500 have AC?
• MD500EPilot

  

  • 10 posts
   

  January 3, 2011 4:19:59 PM PST

  Larry,
  We had a MD500 with A/C but we removed it after it proved to be not up to keeping the cockpit cool on the summer days we have here in Arizona. We would prefer to just fly with the doors off and have the added visibility than to sit in our own sweat inside a 95 deg cockpit. I am sure that if the temps were 80 or below it would work fine but we found it to be not worth the expense or the added weight on the airframe. Mike
• starr

  

  • 1 posts
   

  February 1, 2011 3:38:28 PM PST

  I'm attending ASU across the street from IWA and training at CHD and just finished a tour of Vegas Metro Aviation Unit over the holidays and would love to tour Mesa PD aviation facility since I'm local and hope to one day work in one of Az's aviation law enforcement units.
• chrnxn

  

  • 12 posts
   

  March 15, 2011 6:53:32 AM PDT

  welcome to rotorspace ,,,
  wish i would have had my head out of my tail and started flying long ago ??? :) :)
  and went down the road you took out of the service :) :) i ever get down that way i would love to stop by for coffee
• flyboy

  

  • 3 posts
   

  November 17, 2011 10:02:49 PM PST

  hello there MD500Pilot. I've thought about trying to fly for law enforcement, but right now I think I will be happy flying charter flights. The only thing that turns me away from wanting to fly law enforcement is that you have to be on the force for at least two years. How true is that? I've been an Air Force Cop for 12 years now. Actually, I will be starting my training in January and during that time I will actually think about in which direction I want my career to go.