“We’re pretty excited to have it. It’s going to be a real benefit to us in search and rescue operations,” Sgt. Spencer Cannon said. “The advantages are that it has a more powerful engine than what we’ve had, it’s lighter, it can fly better at high elevations, it can slow down to the 30 to 40 miles per hour range. If it needed to, it has the ability to land places that are not a cement runway.”

Cannon said that there have been some occasions in the past when it would have been beneficial for the search and rescue airplane to be able to land in an unusual spot. During a search on Utah Lake, for example, the pilots may have pictures taken from the air and need to deliver them to searchers on the ground. They can now find a spot near the lake to land.

“Before, they had to land at the airport and come to us,” he said.

Another benefit is the slower speed at which the new plane can fly. Cannon said that it’s not inconceivable that during a search for people in the mountains, the pilot finds them and needs to drop a care package containing blankets, water 0r other lifesaving items. With this aircraft, the pilot can now drop the care package down safely, moving at just 40 miles per hour.

“It’s fabric-covered, not metal like most small airplanes, has incredible strength, but is very light. The fuel efficiency is out of this world. It can stay up for longer without coming down to refuel,” Cannon said.

Currently, the sheriff’s office does have two airplanes that they use for search and rescue operations. One will probably be sold, according to Cannon, and the other is about 60 years old. Although it has been well-maintained, there is significant cost involved to keep it that way. “Now we will have one that is brand new and won’t have to have replacements or repairs done as soon or as often as the current one that we have,” he said.

Cannon remembers a situation that occurred about 18 years ago when a hiker on Mount Timpanogos heard someone calling for help, but the hiker couldn’t get to the person.

“We sent our search and rescue team up and the pilot went up in the airplane, found the person and was able to guide Life Flight in. They were able to land near the patient. He had been struck in the head by lightning,” Cannon said. “He would not have lasted much longer. Because the airplane was able to get up there and spot him and guide medical help, his life was saved. If we had had to carry him out by hand, it would have taken six to eight hours.”

The Utah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team averages about 100 calls each year. Of those, usually at least 15 involve an aircraft. When the airplanes are in use, they are often flying several hours a day.

“There have been many, many lives saved with our airplanes that we use for search and rescue,” Cannon said.