What requirements?

[laminar]

The background:

I am a low time pilot looking to have my commercial licence in the next year. I am also in law enforcement in a city that does not currently have an air unit. I am looking at potentially purchasing a C172 from a friend. What I am also interested in proposing to my employer is the use of this aircraft for police related flights. I have another coworker who has a CPL so there could potentially be two pilots available for this aircraft in the next year. The work related flights would be tracking targets of interest from the air (stolen autos that run from police, drug traffickers, look for missing persons, etc).

Is there anyone on here who could guide me to which sections of the CARs would be applicable to this, which type of insurance would be required, maintenance schedules for the aircraft, etc. I'm assuming the aircraft may need to be commercially registered? Is it something that could be used for my personal use as well as on a contract basis for work?

It wouldn't be a venture to make myself rich, but rather cover some costs, put dirt bags in jail, and make the streets safer for my community and coworkers.

[GreenBastrd]

I think if you can get an STC to mount a pair of 50 cal's under each wing of your 172 you're going to make your proposition that much more appealing.

[all_ramped_up]

Just a quick guess to me it sounds like it'd fall under 702 Ops for Aerial Work.

[CpnCrunch]

Aren't helicopters and/or drones more useful for this kind of work? Assuming your dept can't afford a helicopter, I think drones are the way to go (but obviously have their limitations). There was an interesting article in AOPA last month which I'd recommend reading.

[laminar]

I think if you can get an STC to mount a pair of 50 cal's under each wing of your 172 you're going to make your proposition that much more appealing.

haha I couldn't agree more!

Just a quick guess to me it sounds like it'd fall under 702 Ops for Aerial Work.

Thank you. I will check into this section

Aren't helicopters and/or drones more useful for this kind of work? Assuming your dept can't afford a helicopter, I think drones are the way to go (but obviously have their limitations). There was an interesting article in AOPA last month which I'd recommend reading.

Drone considerations are already underway. They are suitable for deployment in more localized areas (tactical deployments on specific buildings, scene containment, arsons, missing persons, monitor suicidal persons, etc). However, for mobile targets they quickly become useless. There's no way a drone would be able to follow a stolen vehicle when a pursuit gets called off for public safety (this is where an aircraft could take over) or following drug deliveries to another town. A helicopter would obviously be more ideal but I don't have a helicopter licence and don't plan on buying one. Neither would my agency. The idea would be to propose something that would put my agency at a lower "cost out of pocket" to utilize the use of an aircraft (hopefully my aircraft which could help offset costs of ownership), and something that wouldn't involve bringing a civilian pilot from the local flight school into a potentially sensitive investigation.

[Zaibatsu]

All you need is to get is an Air Operator Certificate under Part 702 of the CARS. You will need an Ops Manual written out that contains your certificates and Ops specs, a description of your organization, the procedures you use, the training program, dispatch system, dangerous goods transportation (or dangerous goods recognition program), etc etc. You will also need a Maintenance Control Manual and approved maintenance schedules for your aircraft. You will need an Operations Manager, a Chief Pilot, and a Person Responsible for Maintenance. Your Cessna 172 will have to be registered commercially and be maintained by an approved maintenance organization.

It should all be set up in a year or two after a couple hundred thousand dollars. That’s a lot of speeding tickets.

Otherwise... it’s a chisel charter, and illegal. I don’t think you can use private aircraft for police work like CASARA uses volunteers and only covers direct costs for aircraft for SAR.

[laminar]

In navigating the CARs, I have found section 401.28......what would be the forum's thoughts on subsection 3?

(3) The holder of a private pilot licence may receive reimbursement from the holder’s employer for costs incurred in respect of a flight if the holder
(a) is employed on a full-time basis by the employer for purposes other than flying;
(b) conducts the flight on the employer’s business and the flight is incidental to the execution of the holder’s duties; and
(c) receives a reimbursement that
(i) in the case of an aircraft owned by the holder, is paid at a rate based on distance travelled or number of hours flown and that does not exceed the total of the holder’s direct operating costs and the fees charged against the aircraft in respect of the flight, or
(ii) in the case of a rental aircraft, does not exceed the total of the holder’s rental costs, direct operating costs and the fees charged against the aircraft in respect of the flight.

Would this apply? I'm not paid to be a pilot. Flying would be incidental to my regular duties of apprehending someone committing an offence. I also wouldn't be looking to make profits off of this venture, but rather offset flight costs.

[cncpc]

In navigating the CARs, I have found section 401.28......what would be the forum's thoughts on subsection 3?

(3) The holder of a private pilot licence may receive reimbursement from the holder’s employer for costs incurred in respect of a flight if the holder
(a) is employed on a full-time basis by the employer for purposes other than flying;
(b) conducts the flight on the employer’s business and the flight is incidental to the execution of the holder’s duties; and
(c) receives a reimbursement that
(i) in the case of an aircraft owned by the holder, is paid at a rate based on distance travelled or number of hours flown and that does not exceed the total of the holder’s direct operating costs and the fees charged against the aircraft in respect of the flight, or
(ii) in the case of a rental aircraft, does not exceed the total of the holder’s rental costs, direct operating costs and the fees charged against the aircraft in respect of the flight.

Would this apply? I'm not paid to be a pilot. Flying would be incidental to my regular duties of apprehending someone committing an offence. I also wouldn't be looking to make profits off of this venture, but rather offset flight costs.

I spent several years flying a 172RG for the RCMP doing what you describe. The company I worked for had a charter license and they chartered the aircraft. For quite a few hours.

That's a good bit of the CARS you have above, but there is no profit in it. I used to work for a national forest products company that had locations all over BC and northern Alberta. My work took me there often, I rented an airplane, unless one of the company aircraft was going to the same place, and they reimbursed my rental costs.