CASTLE--It isn't "Airwolf" -- but to Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin it's the next best thing. </p><p>Pazin officially unwrapped the department's new $400,000 green and gold whirlybird on Thursday--a "force multiplier" that he believes will help law enforcement fight drug traffickers and access remote locations quickly. </p><p>Unlike the 1980s action adventure TV series involving an ex-Vietnam War pilot, use of this chopper won't involve Hollywood-style risks or improbable plots.</p><p>The department's new 2005 Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter, housed in a hangar at Castle Airport, has been a long time coming. In the past, sheriff's deputies had to depend on the generosity of the California Highway Patrol and neighboring agencies in Fresno and Stanislaus counties when a helicopter was needed.</p><p>"This is about self-sufficiency," Pazin said. "You can only ask for a cup of sugar so many times before you kind of get bored of them seeing you come up the sidewalk."</p><p>Pazin was joined at the unveiling program Thursday at Castle Airport by representatives from Atwater Police Department, Merced Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff's Department, Madera County Sheriff's Department and other agencies.</p><p>The helicopter, which has been in the department's hands for two weeks, has already been on one mission. Sheriff spokesman Tom MacKenzie said it joined in the department's efforts to search for a 25-year-old mentally disabled woman last weekend. That woman was eventually found alive and in good health, MacKenzie said.</p><p>The helicopter, which has a top speed of 150 mph, comes equipped with an infrared camera that allows officers enhanced vision at night, plus a 20 million-candlepower spotlight that can illuminate a city block. </p><p>Pazin said $200,000 of the funds used to buy the helicopter were assets confiscated from criminal drug trafficking organizations--money that was approved by the Fresno Methamphetamine Task Force's board.</p><p>Small and rural county funds also went toward the chopper. Pazin reiterated that dollars used to buy it didn't come from the county's general fund. The department will also sell one of its three fixed-wing airplanes to offset the cost of the helicopter, MacKenzie said.</p><p>Pazin was joined at the program by Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims and Madera County Sheriff John Anderson. Mims related how her department's helicopter was the first responding unit on the scene when Fresno County Sheriff's Deputy Erik Telen was fatally shot in August 2001. </p><p>Mims said the quick response by the department's helicopter was instrumental in arresting the suspect in Telen's death. "The value of this piece of equipment cannot be overstated," Mims said. "When we get rural areas and areas that are hard to get to, (helicopters) can truly get there quicker and address issues." </p><p>The helicopter was obtained from Silver State Helicopters, a Nevada-based company that recently went out of business, according to Cmdr. Tom Cavallero, one of the department's pilots. The entire process to buy the aircraft took about four months. "Through the liquidation, we were able to get this,"</p><p>Cavallero said.</p><p>Cavallero said the helicopter underwent a pre-purchase safety inspection and will undergo a recommended safety inspection every 50 hours of use. The helicopter's engine has about 500 hours of flight time, which Cavallero said is a relatively low amount.</p><p>"The fact that now we control our own destiny, with our own helicopter asset, I don't know if you can put a price tag on that," Cavallero said. "If a deputy needs help from the air, we have different options to support whatever that effort is."