Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) yesterday said it would evaluate its “policies and procedures” as part of an investigation into the use of one of its helicopters at an oil pipeline protest in Minnesota on Monday. Video <a href="https://twitter.com/efrostee/status/1401952522319843329">posted to Twitter</a> clearly showed the helicopter, a CBP AStar, maneuvering to “dust” protestors at altitudes witnesses said were as low as 20 feet agl.

 


The Northern Lights Task Force, a conglomeration of local and county law enforcement agencies tasked with providing security for construction of the Enbridge #3 pipeline in the area, said they had requested the helicopter to broadcast messages to the protestors encouraging them to disperse. “A helicopter from U.S. Customs and Border Protection was brought in today to issue a dispersal order to a large group of people in the area of Two Inlets Pump Station by Park Rapids," the task force said in a statement.

 


"The idea was to provide the order in a manner that everyone would be able to hear. Unforeseen to local law enforcement and due to the extremely dry conditions, dust kicked up in the area. As soon as helicopter staff saw what was happening, they immediately left the area to ensure no further issues would be caused. This was not an intentional act to cause discomfort or intended as a dispersal mechanism.”

 


However, witnesses said the helicopter made multiple passes, with its rotor wash kicking up substantial dust and debris each time, and that any messages broadcast from the helicopter were inaudible. The task force said Monday’s protest resulted in the issue of 68 citations and another 179 persons taken into custody.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said it would investigate the use of one of its helicopters at a Minnesota protest. 

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News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

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