The Pasadena Police Department’s Air Operations Section opened its Benedict Heliport in Altadena to the South Los Angeles charter school students on June 3 for a day of behind-the-scenes career exposure, according to a department press release.
The students toured the four-acre facility, viewed specialized equipment, and spoke with the helicopter mechanics, police officers, and pilots who staff one of the oldest airborne law enforcement programs in the country.
The Air Operations Section has been flying since 1969, when the department launched its helicopter program to supplement ground patrols. Today, the unit responds to approximately 9,000 calls per year with an average response time of 72 seconds, according to the department’s website. Air crews are the first officers on scene roughly 35 percent of the time.
Officer Aracely Preciado gave students an up-close look at one of the department’s helicopters during the visit. Preciado joined the Pasadena Police Department in 2021 as a lateral transfer from Claremont, where she had been named Officer of the Year in 2018.
The visit covered career paths in aircraft maintenance, flight operations, and law enforcement, according to the press release. Students engaged directly with the professionals who keep the section flying.
The heliport itself sits on four acres northwest of Pasadena, between the Rose Bowl and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The section operates multiple helicopters and also provides regional aerial support to neighboring cities through the Foothill Air Support Team.
The department is currently adding two new Bell 505 helicopters to its fleet, joining the Bell 206Bs already in service.
PPD’s Air Operations Section offers tours and presentations to the public upon request, according to its website. The Air Operations main line can be reached at (626) 744-4625.
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