Eagle 1 Police Helicopter
Eagle 1 is the Stratford Police Department’s rescue helicopter obtained through the federal government’s 1033 program at no cost to the citizens. It is a 1968 UH-1 “Huey” that is staffed by trained pilots and crew chiefs from the ranks of the Stratford PD, surrounding Departments and volunteers. The aircraft is based out of Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford. The operating costs for fuel and maintenance are provided through the Neslon-D’Ancona Foundation, a registered 501c(3) non-profit organization that uses private and corporate donations to maintain and operate the helicopter (http://www.eagle-1.org/).
Some of the more common missions provided by the crew include: Surveillance & photographic missions, Counter Drug Missions, Special Operations Drills, Orientations, & Training, Search & Rescue of lost boats and missing persons, Hi-Angle & Cold Water Rescues, Aerial command and control for critical incident management, Community relations/support and Disaster Relief to include a 1-month deployment to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 where our officer worked directly for FEMA during this emergency flying food, water and rescue crews throughout the state.
Contact Information
Aviation Unit Commander, Lead Pilot:
CPT Alan Wilcoxson | (203)-385-4115
CPT Alan Wilcoxson | (203)-385-4115
Helicopter Crew Chiefs:
CPT Frank Eannotti
DET Paul Honafius
OFC Mark Lecardo
OFC Max Bernstein
OFC Jose Dias
OFC Maria McAvoy
OFC David Sheehan
OFC Dustin Murphy
OFC Matt Ackerman