BE YOND THE FRAT: LEARN TO SAY NO Two veteran LAPD pilots recall a decision to turn down a mission — and explain why it was the right choice. BY JACK H. SCHONELY & MARK BOLANOS 76 VERTICAL 911 magazine Editor’s Note: Jack Schonely recently retired after a 31-year career with the Los Angeles Police Department, including 18 years with its Air Support Division (ASD) as a tactical flight officer, pilot, and flight instructor. This is the second article in a two-part series in which he and the ASD’s former safety officer, Mark Bolanos, recall some expe- riences that caused Schonely to rethink his personal approach to risk management. JACK SCHONELY: A very smart safety officer once told me that it is important to slow down and consider completing a risk analysis before jumping into a mission, even one that you assume is “routine.” That former safety officer happens to be co-writing this article. This was very sound advice and as I evolved as a pilot it was clear to me that many do not follow that advice. Countless times over the years I witnessed various personnel at my unit taking calls from “command staff” who made a wide variety of requests of Air Support. The usual response was, “Yes sir, we will make that hap- pen.” That is the cop reaction, not one of an aviator. What I learned over time from lots of discussions with Mark was that the prudent answer should be, “Tentative yes, I will call you back shortly with an answer.” That allows a quick risk analysis to be done to see whether the mission should be attempted at all and, if so, how it will be completed safely. Sounds like common sense, right? Well it is, but law enforcement aviation sometimes falls back into the “cop mode” and forgets Safely deploying divers from a helicopter demands specialized equipment and procedures. The New York City Police Department Air & Sea Rescue Unit has expertise in diver deployments honed over years of practice. Sheldon Cohen Photo