For reasons of safety, the Maryland State Police Aviation Command has instituted guidelines that define when we can and cannot fly. These guidelines are known as weather minimums (commonly called "minimums"). Minimums consist of the ceiling (how far off the ground the clouds are) and visibility (how far we can see). Our minimum requirements for flight are:

While these minimums may seem a bit conservative or cautious, let us put them in perspective. Our cruising speed in the Dauphin is approximately 180 miles per hour. That means we travel at one mile every 20 seconds. Couple that speed with a radio tower that is 500' above ground level on a foggy night and you can see how flying becomes dangerous.

The weather minimums also take into consideration the likelihood that we will be to complete the mission when we accept it from the requester. If the patient is held on the ground awaiting the arrival of a helicopter which ultimately does not reach the scene due to weather, valuable time is unnecessarily lost. Our weather minimums have been set at a level where we reasonably believe we will be able to complete the mission safely.

It is important to remember that it is almost impossible to correctly judge the ceiling and visibility with the naked eye. What may look like terrible conditions may, in fact, meet our minimums. For that reason, we urge you to

We use a number of systems including weather radar and automated weather advisory systems to determine if it is safe to fly. Please do not hesitate to call us if you think we can be of assistance.

One other important note about weather: We have instituted our weather minimums for the safety of our crews, the ground providers and our patients. If we are unable to fly, please think twice before requesting another helicopter service. "Helicopter Shopping" can put both the helicopter crew and your patient in jeopardy.

If you have any questions about weather minimums, please do not hesitate to contact our Training Section