The Perfect Partnership
Every great team has two players with different strengths. The helicopter is your heavy hitter. The DA62 MPP is your everyday workhorse. Together, they give your agency something neither can deliver alone: persistent, affordable airborne coverage with tactical muscle when it counts.
The Analogy
The Pickup Truck & The Prius
The helicopter is the pickup truck of law enforcement aviation. It can land anywhere, fly low, hover over a scene, rescue people, and go where nothing else can. When you need to get down and dirty, the helicopter is the tool for the job. But like a pickup truck, it's expensive to run every day — $800–$1,200 per flight hour adds up fast.
The DA62 MPP is the Prius — quiet, efficient, and built for the daily commute. At roughly $300 per flight hour and just 7.4 gal/hr of JET-A, it can stay airborne for up to 10 hours, giving your agency proactive eyes in the sky before anything even happens.
You wouldn't use a pickup truck for your daily commute. And you wouldn't use a Prius to haul a boat. Each is built for a different job — and your aviation program should work the same way.
Side by Side
Different Tools, Different Strengths
Neither aircraft does it all. Here's where each one shines.
| Metric | DA62 MPP | Helicopter |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Operating Cost | ~$300/hr | $800–$1,200/hr |
| Fuel Burn (Loiter) | ~7.4 gal/hr JET-A | 30–60 gal/hr |
| Endurance | Up to 10 hours | 2–3 hours |
| Noise at 1,000 ft | ~70 dB (near-silent) | 85–95 dB |
| Hover / Low-Speed Flight | Not available | Full hover capability |
| Landing Versatility | Runway required | Any open area |
| Tactical Insertion / Rescue | Not applicable | Purpose-built |
| Max Cruise Speed | 192 kts | 130–150 kts |
| Loiter Speed | 90 kts | 0 kts (hover) |
| Crew Required | 1 pilot + 1 TFO | 1 pilot + 1 TFO |
Better Together
How the Partnership Works
The MPP handles the daily workload — routine patrol, persistent surveillance, and proactive area coverage. It's quiet, efficient, and practically invisible at altitude. It gives your agency eyes on a situation before you ever need to dispatch ground or air resources.
When the MPP spots something that requires tactical response, the helicopter rolls in fresh — with full fuel, rested crew, and the right tool for the job. Rescue, pursuit, tactical insertion, rooftop operations — that's what the helicopter was built for.
No more burning expensive helicopter hours on routine patrol just to keep eyes in the air. The MPP carries that weight so the helicopter is ready when it truly matters.
Smarter Fleet Strategy
Save Your Helicopter for What Only a Helicopter Can Do
Helicopter hours are precious. Every hour spent on routine patrol is an hour of airframe life, engine time, and budget spent on a mission that doesn't require hover capability. Over a 25-year program lifecycle, those hours add up to millions of dollars in accelerated maintenance and replacement costs.
The MPP frees your helicopter to do what it does best — the heavy lifting. Tactical response, rescue, pursuit, HEMS/medevac, and the missions that genuinely demand a rotary-wing platform. Your helicopter stays fresher, lasts longer, and is always ready when the call comes in.
The MPP's Unique Strength
The Quiet Eye in the Sky
At approximately 70 dB at 1,000 feet AGL, the DA62 MPP is effectively inaudible on the ground — something a helicopter simply cannot replicate. This isn't about one being better than the other; it's about having the right tool for the right mission.
When the mission calls for discreet, persistent observation — surveillance, counter-narcotics, or sensitive investigations — the MPP can watch from afar without tipping anyone off. When the mission calls for visible presence, rapid descent, or tactical action, that's where the helicopter takes over.
Getting Started
Whether You Have a Helicopter or Not
Already have a helicopter? Add the MPP as your daily patrol workhorse. It takes the routine hours off the helicopter's plate, extends your rotary-wing airframe and engine life, and lets you reserve helicopter hours for the missions that truly demand hover capability.
No air unit yet? The DA62 MPP is a realistic entry point. Its lower acquisition cost, dramatically lower operating costs, and simpler maintenance requirements make it feasible for mid-size and smaller agencies to get eyes in the sky for the first time — with the option to add rotary-wing capability down the road as the program grows.
Common Question
What About Pilot Transition?
Helicopter pilots transitioning to fixed-wing operations is a common concern. The DA62 MPP's Garmin G1000 NXi glass cockpit and GFC700 autopilot provide a modern, intuitive interface that reduces transition time. Single-lever engine management (EECU) simplifies powerplant operation.
AirMax Patrol provides pilot transition training tailored to your crew's experience level, covering aircraft systems, mission profiles, and tactical operations specific to fixed-wing law enforcement flying.
Build the Right Fleet for Your Agency
Whether you're adding to an existing helicopter program or launching your first air unit, AirMax Patrol can help you design a fleet strategy that makes sense for your mission and budget.