The visit by the University of Chicago Medicine Aeromedical Network (UCAN) helicopter is one of the most popular parts of the Homewood National Night Out festivities each year, drawing long lines of kids and parents waiting to peek inside.
A DEA helicopter makes a stop at National Night Out on Aug. 2. It was the first time two helicopters have landed at the event. (Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)
This year, the National Night Out crowd at Irwin Park on Aug. 2 got double the helicopter visits. For the first time, a second helicopter dropped in for a visit.
Homewood Police Chief Denise McGrath, who made the arrangements for the visits, said the second helicopter was lined up last year but ran out of time and did a flyover rather than landing.
The UCAN arrival, as usual, came shortly after 5 p.m. near the beginning of the annual event designed to foster good relationships between residents and law enforcement officers.
It left after about an hour, and other activities took over, including an extended series of water balloon toss games.
Then, after 7 p.m., another helicopter swooped in for a landing on the lawn in front of the Irwin Center band shell.
Youngsters apparently had not gotten their fill of helicopters and formed another long line to take a closer look.
According to the FBI website, the helicopter is owned by Jacobs Aviation Services of Long Beach, California, and according to a radio scanner website, ScanDiego, it is operated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.