New York City Police Department Aviation Unit

New York City Police Department Aviation Unit

NYPD air unit, radio callsign "Finest"
Agency overview
FormedDecember 1918; 105 years ago (1918-12)
TypeLaw Enforcement
JurisdictionNew York City
HeadquartersFloyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn
Employees61 (2023)
Agency executive
Parent departmentNYPD Special Operations Bureau
Parent agencyNew York City Police Department
NYPD Air Operations Heliport
Summary
Airport typePrivate
Owner/OperatorCity of New York
Elevation AMSL6 ft / 2 m
Coordinates40°35′25″N 73°52′54″W / 40.59028°N 73.88167°W / 40.59028; -73.88167
Map
Map
Helipads
Number Length Surface
ft m
H1 70 21 Concrete
Data via FAA Airport Data and Information Portal[2] as of November 2021

The New York City Police Department Aviation Unit is a division of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) focused on airborne law enforcement and public safety. Operating under command of the NYPD Special Operations Bureau, the unit frequently works alongside partner agencies like the NYPD Harbor Unit and United States Coast Guard (USCG) to service New York City and its surrounding waters. The unit is headquartered at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, and boasts emergency response times within 8–10 minutes to most parts of the city.[3][4]

In March 2021, Airbus Helicopters responded to a request for proposal (RFP) from the unit to replace its Bell 412EP search and rescue helicopters with two new H175 models.[5]

  1. ^ "NYPD Special Operations Acting Chief". nyc.gov. December 2, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  2. ^ "Airport Data and Information Portal". adip.faa.gov. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  3. ^ Moore, Tina (October 25, 2016). "Meet the elite NYPD squads who patrol NYC's sky and harbors". New York Post. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  4. ^ "Exclusive: Inside the NYPD's Aviation Unit". WABC-TV. February 28, 2017. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "Airbus Helicopters, Inc. submits bid to support the NYPD's next-generation fleet with the H175". Airbus Helicopters. March 31, 2021. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021.