Helicopter News

Ross Perot Jr donates helicopter to Dallas police right in front of city hall

Just gonna land this helicopter in front of City Hall.

Interested in helping Dallas fight crime, Ross Perot Jr donated a helicopter to the Dallas Police Department, and did it like he was Bruce Wayne: By flying that helicopter into the center of Dallas and landing it in the plaza in front of Dallas City Hall.

A DPD release states that Perot Jr has a "vested interest" in helping the city of Dallas by providing crime-fighting tools — in this case a Bell 407 helicopter, a model favored for corporate transport, air ambulance, law enforcement, news, and films.

The donation/ceremony/visitation from the sky took place at 8 am on December 1, where Perot Jr and his wife Sarah Fullinwider Perot were met by Mayor Eric Johnson and Dallas Chief of Police Eddie Garcia.

A tweet by the Dallas Police Department described it as a "Remarkable landing entrance by Ross Perot Jr. piloting a Bell 407 Helicopter and landing it in front of the city's icon City Hall." (Former Dallas City Council member Philip Kingston described it otherwise.)

A presentation included speakers Dallas Deputy Police Chief Michael Igo and Bell Helicopter executive VP Robert Hastings, and a presentation of the tail rotor blade was made to Perot Jr by Helicopter Unit personnel.

Ross Jr is into flying helicopters: In 1982, he flew in a helicopter to more than 26 countries around the world, and when Russia wouldn't let him land on their soil to refuel, he famously landed the helicopter on a container ship in the middle of the ocean.

The release says that the police department is looking forward to using this new tool for crime fighting, as well as helping other city departments such as fire, code enforcement, and emergency management.

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Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

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Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

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