Long before the opening whistle, the scale of the assignment was visible from the air. More than 65,000 spectators have packed Seattle Stadium for each of the city’s early FIFA World Cup matches. Beyond its gates, tens of thousands more filled streets, transit stations, viewing areas, restaurants, and fan celebrations throughout the city’s downtown.
Above them, helicopters from the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) Air Support Unit and Spokane Regional Air Support Unit (SRASU) orbited the city, providing live imagery, monitoring transportation corridors, and giving commanders an unobstructed view of an operation spread across miles of dense urban terrain.
For the flight crews, the task extended far beyond watching a soccer game. “We’re covering the stadium and all of the transit routes in and out of the city, but we also then have to respond to all of the patrol calls throughout the entire King County region and remain ready to support our tactical teams,” KCSO Sgt. Eric Gagnon told Vertical Plus.
The mission represented nearly two years of preparation, six matches between June 15th and July 6th, and a partnership between two air units positioned on opposite sides of Washington state. It also provided a clear demonstration of what airborne law enforcement can contribute when a global event places extraordinary demands on public safety agencies.
The World Arrives in Seattle
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the largest in the tournament’s history, bringing 48 national teams and 104 matches to 16 host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Global interest had been intense well before the tournament began. During one ticket-sales phase, FIFA received five million ticket requests from attendees in more than 200 countries and territories within 24 hours. By the time play began, cities across North America were preparing not simply for sporting activities, but for international gatherings on an enormous scale.
Seattle was selected to host four group-stage matches, followed by a Round of 32 and a Round of 16 contest. Its first games alone drew crowds exceeding 65,000 before the tournament had even reached its elimination rounds. The influx extended far beyond the stadium. Fan celebrations and viewing areas brought together visitors wearing the colors of nations from around the world, while the movement of people through highways, rail lines, ferry terminals, and pedestrian corridors created a complex public safety environment.
KCSO recognized early that its aviation resources would be stretched. “We started planning almost two years ago, when we learned that FIFA was going to be coming to town,” Gagnon said. “We realized pretty quickly that we were not going to be able to tackle the workload alone.” The solution was not to build a new working relationship, but to expand an existing one.
An Airborne Partnership
KCSO had previously worked with SRASU on deployments across Washington, giving personnel from both agencies familiarity with one another’s procedures, equipment, and capabilities. “It’s almost apples to apples,” Gagnon said. “We’re both sheriff’s offices, we’re both flying very similar equipment, and we have relationships between the individual crew members, so it was a very easy transition.”
When KCSO asked for assistance, Spokane was ready to respond. “Spokane County was very excited to come help out,” SRASU Chief Tactical Flight Officer Chad Ruff told Vertical Plus. “King County has been great for us. They recently flew over and helped with some training, and it was just another way for us to improve that relationship.”
Bringing an aircraft and crew from eastern Washington into the busy Seattle operating environment still required extensive preparation. Radio channels had to be programmed, downlink compatibility confirmed, and procedures coordinated before the first match.
“The pre-planning was thorough, and we were very well prepared when we came over here with the background information that was already provided to us,” Ruff said. “King County has been absolutely phenomenal to work with. They’re just very squared-away.”
That preparation became evident once the competition began. Both aircraft could communicate with personnel on the ground, respond to requests from the EOC (emergency operations center), and transmit live video without delays caused by incompatible systems or unfamiliar procedures. “They can talk, they can see, they can provide the downlink,” Gagnon said. “All of that planning, as frustrating as it can be sometimes, really paid off.”
The cooperation also allowed SRASU to support the World Cup without leaving its home jurisdiction unprotected. “We didn’t lose any coverage,” Ruff said. “All three of our helicopters are up and running right now.” For Ruff, the willingness to assist another jurisdiction reflects the culture of the Spokane division. “In almost 10 years with this unit, I’ve never heard my agency say no when another agency has requested us, if the task falls within our mission set,” he said.
Complementary Aircraft, Common Mission
KCSO’s aviation program is marking approximately 35 years of service and operates a five-helicopter Bell fleet. Its two Bell 407s, one analog and one newer 407GXi, are equipped for patrol with FLIR 380HDc electro-optical/infrared cameras, Trakka searchlights, SHOTOVER digital mapping, and Technisonic communications equipment. The unit also operates a Bell TH-67, predominantly used for pilot training.
Two refurbished UH-1H Hueys provide the heavier side of KCSO’s capabilities. Equipped with external rescue hoists, they primarily perform rescues but can also carry tactical personnel, assist SWAT operations, and conduct initial attack on fires using Bambi buckets.
KCSO’s aviation program is staffed by four full-time pilot/tactical flight officers, one part-time pilot/TFO, seven hoist operators, seven rescue specialists, and seven rescue paramedics, all coordinated by a unit supervisor. The unit maintains day and night shifts, with crews often flying two or three patrol missions while also conducting rescue or tactical training. That steady tempo produced notable results in 2025, when its helicopters logged 1,157 flight hours across 457 incidents, contributing to 66 captures, 19 rescues and two recoveries.
Although Gagnon has spent 16 of his 18 years with KCSO connected to air support, his aviation role has remained an ancillary assignment throughout his career. He now shares supervisory responsibility while overseeing much of the program’s rescue training. “The majority of our work is patrol support for all of the police agencies in the Puget Sound area,” he said. “We have the resource, so we want to share it.”
SRASU has followed a different path. Established in the mid-2000s, it remains a part-time regional asset comprising personnel from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Valley Police Department, Spokane Police Department, Liberty Lake Police Department, Spokane Valley Fire Department, and Spokane County Fire District 4. At the end of 2025, SRASU included nine volunteer pilots, 10 TFOs, 11 small uncrewed aircraft system pilots, five helicopter rescue medics, and three part-time mechanics.
Its fleet consists of all Bell products: a 505 Jet Ranger X, a Bell OH-58, and a Bell UH-1H/205A++ Super Huey. The 505, delivered in May 2025, provided a substantial improvement in patrol response and is equipped with an integrated Trakka suite. “Capability-wise, it was a huge upgrade for us,” Ruff said, describing the Trakka system as “absolutely phenomenal.”
SRASU’s operational pace increased following the 505’s arrival. In 2025, its patrol helicopters completed 250 flights totaling 535 hours, responded to 822 calls for service, arrived first on scene 409 times, and contributed to 150 arrests. The unit now schedules at least two flights each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with additional sorties for holidays, callouts, and special events. Some days can include as many as five flights.
Although patrol remains central to its work, SRASU also operates a rescue program using the Huey for hoist and short-haul, personnel transport, SWAT missions, and initial wildfire attack.
Command, Control and Ground Coordination
During the World Cup, the helicopters’ most important contribution was their ability to turn a sprawling ground deployment into a single, visible picture. Live video from the aircraft was transmitted to the EOC via downlink, where representatives from local, regional, and federal organizations could monitor activity and coordinate resources.
“The basics that we’re trying to accomplish are the command-and-control aspect and providing the downlink over whatever the operations center wants to see,” Gagnon said. From above, crews could observe the stadium, adjoining streets, and transportation corridors without becoming trapped in traffic or confined to a single location. They could identify developing congestion, track activity between venues, and direct officers toward incidents using landmarks and live imagery.
The helicopters also retained the flexibility to move from observation to tactical support. “If we were to have an incident, we are able to move tactical assets on target through our Hueys,” Gagnon said, describing the potential deployment of SWAT personnel directly to a crisis location.
At the same time, the patrol ship remained available to answer calls elsewhere in King County. That requirement underscored why assistance from Spokane was so important: the World Cup coverage could not be allowed to consume the region’s entire airborne law enforcement capability. The strategy was designed to remain consistent across all six matches, including the later knockout rounds. “We’re going to keep the same operational plan,” Gagnon said. “The only thing that would alter that would be some type of crisis incident.”
A New Layer in the Airspace
The helicopter overwatch was complemented by another airborne capability: drones.
KCSO established a counter-UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) response specifically for the World Cup, monitoring the temporary flight restriction surrounding the stadium and detecting unauthorized aircraft. “We’re running counter-drone operations in the TFR (temporary flight restriction) around the stadium,” Gagnon said. “That’s been an amazing piece of technology to see work because of the speed and efficiency with which they can identify drones that are not supposed to be flying, make contact with the pilot, and get the UAS back on the ground.”
The technology gave authorities the ability to distinguish legitimate public safety aircraft from unauthorized drones entering protected airspace. Once detected, personnel could locate the operator and resolve the intrusion before it developed into a greater hazard.
SRASU brought its own considerable experience to the partnership. Its sUAS program dates to 2018 and assists patrol, search-and-rescue, crime and collision mapping, SWAT activity, and investigations. FAA-certified operators carry the systems in the field, allowing them to deploy shortly after arriving at an incident. Together, helicopters, drones, and counter-drone technology created layered aerial coverage, with each platform serving a different but complementary role.
Keeping the Mission Airborne
Keeping multiple helicopters available throughout a high-profile assignment also required technical assistance on the ground. Northwest Helicopters maintains KCSO’s fleet, from its Bell 206 and 407s to its two customized Hueys. The company has also maintained SRASU’s UH-1 and OH-58 and overhauled components for both agencies.
Maintenance supervisor Edgardo Santos was on site during the FIFA coverage, where his presence quickly proved valuable. “We told Northwest, ‘We need a mechanic here on site for these days,’ and they said, ‘Absolutely, no problem,’ ” Gagnon said.
When a downlink problem developed, Santos helped troubleshoot and correct it. During an earlier match, maintenance personnel also addressed a communications channel failure and returned the helicopter to service. “As you know, being in aviation, it only takes one small electronic issue, and you’re done for the day,” Gagnon said.
Bell also provided an in-person representative during the competitions. Regional sales manager Kendra Wilson Liechty said the company valued the opportunity to work alongside the agencies operating its aircraft. “Bell is blessed to support many law enforcement agencies and appreciates the important mission that is being accomplished in the Pacific Northwest,” she said. “It is our privilege to work with King and Spokane County to achieve safety during high-profile public gatherings such as the FIFA World Cup.”
One Team Above the Crowd
By the midpoint of Seattle’s six-match schedule, only minor adjustments to scheduling and communications had been required. Debriefs identified opportunities for improvement, but the overall plan remained intact. “I would say that we’re at mission success right now,” Gagnon said. “As an agency, I think we’re doing well. As a unit, I think we’re meeting the objective.”
The accomplishment belonged to more than one aircraft or agency. It reflected cooperation among flight crews, command staffs, ground officers, dispatchers, federal partners, drone operators, and maintenance personnel. “It’s the great thing about an event like this,” Gagnon said. “You get to see all of these different resources, whether they’re from outside of our agency or inside of our agency, and how everyone has aligned around a common goal.”
That collaboration began with leadership willing to send personnel and equipment across the state in support of another jurisdiction. “I have to put a shout-out to the command for both Spokane and King County,” Gagnon said. “That’s a big part of it, giving the green light for the two agencies to collaborate.”
On the streets, the World Cup brought nations, cultures and tens of thousands of supporters together around a shared passion. Up above, two Washington air units demonstrated their own version of unity by ensuring that while the world watched the field, those in attendance were being kept safe.
Very cool article Brent & I enjoyed reading it. Forwarded it to my son who is stationed in Seattle, but now on deployment. Keep up the good work cousin!