RPD Aviation Unit Specifications, Highlights/Successes, and Operating Area

Click on photo to see the view from the sky.

In May of 2009, the Ripon (Ca.) Police Department was the first Law Enforcement agency in the state of California to implement a designated aviation unit utilizing a Powered Parachute (PPC). The Ripon Police Department was one of the first departments in the United States to utilize this low cost aviation asset.

The Ripon Police Department has long been recognized as a technology leader in small and rural policing. The Ripon Police Department was selected to participate in an aviation test and evaluation project, sponsored by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).

The Ripon Aviation Unit has been able to provide important data to the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), National Institute of Justice (NIJ), through the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC). The Small, Rural, Tribal and Border Center (SRTBRC) has been instrumental in the Ripon Aviation Unit's success.

The Powered Parachute (PPC) is extremely economical to operate. When fuel, maintenance, storage, and additional costs are added up, a helicopter is commonly thought to cost approximately $1,500 an hour to operate. The Ripon PPC costs approximately $30 an hour to operate. The aircraft does not need a traditional runway, and there is no need for a traditional aircraft hangar. The aircraft can easily be towed to a desired location, and it can be deployed and flown by one Officer/Pilot. A second Officer can be added onboard to act as a Tactical Flight Officer. The PPC is commonly regarded as one of the safest forms of flight.

The Ripon Aviation Unit has completed a variety of Law Enforcement missions including: Missing person cases/river rescues, suspect captures, crime scene location, aerial crime scene photography, major event security over-flights, gang/graffiti suppression, burglary suppression, auto theft suppression, critical infrastructure over-flights, narcotics investigations, and patrol support missions, just to name a few.

Ripon's Aviation Unit has been utilized by allied Law Enforcement agencies to both apprehend criminals, and to educate the public about emerging Law Enforcement technologies.

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