Props and robbers

Huntington Beach Police Sgt. Thomas Arnold had wanted to be a pilot since he was a boy growing up in Surf City. He also wanted to be a police officer. He got to do both.

With more than 20,000 hours flying “the eye in the sky” and 34 years of service, Arnold will officially hang up his uniform and hand in his keys to the department’s helicopter Friday. He has supervised the department’s elite Aero unit for the last seven years.

“It [flying] was always interesting to me,” he said, sitting in the office he will soon turn over to another sergeant. Arnold will stick around for a couple of weeks after his official retirement date to cover for an injured officer and to make sure the transition goes smoothly.

The Aero unit is made up of a group of officers who train for a commercial pilot’s license while they patrol the skies over Huntington Beach. They cruise at speeds of up to 175 mph, seven days a week for 10 hours each day, arriving first on a scene 98% of the time. In February, the Aero unit wrote 24 citations and made more than 30 felony and misdemeanor arrests.

The guys in the unit and the department as a whole are sad to see him go, said Sgt. Doug Tallman, who will take Arnold’s place.

“We’re going to miss Tom,” Capt. Chuck Thomas said. “He has been a terrific employee and has given his heart and soul, not only to this community, but to the Aero bureau.”

Although flying was his passion, Arnold did not spend all his years with the department in the clouds. He began working as an officer in 1972 and didn’t join the Aero unit until 1976.

To find a suitable candidate for the Aero Unit, the department first looks for an officer who has an excellent track record, then teaches him or her how to fly, Arnold said.

“There’s not a big turnover” because of the job difficulty, he said.

When he landed himself in the Aero Unit, he flew until 1991, when he went back to patrol and then to an administrative job. He also worked as a member of the SWAT team and was promoted to sergeant in 1995. During that time was careful to keep flying and not let his Federal Aviation Administration credentials expire. He knew he wanted to come back.

In 1999 he got his chance, becoming the field supervisor and flight instructor in charge of the unit. His new job put him in charge of maintaining the unit’s budget, which represents 1% of the department’s funds, or $350,000 to $400,000, Arnold said.

He was also able to fly ? something he loved to do.

In August 2004, Arnold landed one of the three police helicopters on a cul-de-sac to help a 10-year-old girl who had nearly drowned in a spa. Arnold said the most exciting parts of the job were two-fold: Helping people and catching the bad guy.

“It’s always exciting when you catch the bad guy that thinks he’s going to get away,” he said.

There are a number of residents who have complaints and reservations about the Aero unit. Because the helicopters are used as patrol cars in the sky, they often fly low and disturb residents. Some residents say they feel the department’s money could be better spent and that the helicopters make too much noise. Others support the Aero unit. Arnold gets calls from residents when the helicopter has hovered over their homes. He said usually they are calmed when he pulls up the detailed record and tells them exactly what happened in the neighborhood.

Tallman has the same enthusiasm for the Aero unit. He, too, was born and raised in Huntington Beach and always wanted to learn to fly.

“Flying was a childhood dream,” Tallman said.

He joined the police department as a cadet in 1976 and was hired by the Fountain Valley Police Department in 1979. In 1983, Tallman’s dream came true when he joined the Aero unit and worked alongside Arnold.

“He was very supportive,” Tallman said. “He likes to smile and laugh ? it’s contagious.”hbi.30-helicopter-kt-CPhotoInfoNC1PDGBN20060330iwuw3pknKENT TREPTOW / INDEPENDENT(LA)Sgt. Thomas Arnold will hand in his keys shortly after 34 years fighting crime with the Huntington Beach Police Department’s helicopter unit.