City Council To Vote On Upgrade That Could Cut Noise

A Bell 206 flying for the Wilmington, NC police force may get a new, quieter tail rotor if the City Council approves an expenditure for the upgrade.

The council was set to consider the $39,140 expense at its regular meeting Tuesday night, according to a report from the Port City Daily newspaper. Wilmington Police Chief Ralph Evangelous said that changing over to a composite tail rotor manufactured by Van Horn Aviation could cut the noise generated by the aircraft as much as 40 percent.

The aircraft is operated by SABLE; the Southeastern North Carolina Airborne Law Enforcement. The Multi-Agency program is operated by the Wilmington NC Police Department, the Pender County Sheriff’s Office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s office, and the Leland NC Police Department.

SABLE acquired its two helicopters through a military surplus program. In a memo to the council, SABLE said that the tail rotor upgrade would "enhance the operational experience and provide additional lift capacity in high/hot conditions and reduce overall aircraft noise in low-level urban flight."

(Image from SABLE Facebook page)

FMI: www.wilmingtonnc.gov/police_department/policing_services