CEDAR CITY – Upper Limit Aviation was honored at the City Council meeting in Cedar City Wednesday night with an award of a plaque from the Cedar City Police Department for the company’s service in searching and locating missing persons.
Upper Limit Aviation is a plane and helicopter flight school with locations in Cedar City, Salt Lake City and West Memphis, Arkansas.
Aviation degrees are available at Southern Utah University through a partnership with Upper Limit Aviation. While lectures take place on the SUU campus, flight training is given at the Cedar City Airport by Upper Limit Aviation instructors.
Mike Mower, Upper Limit Aviation’s chief pilot and director of operations, received the award from Cedar City Police Sgt. Sheldon Barney.
Mower was recognized for his assistance in several situations when a missing person needed to be located.
“In the big picture I was really a small part,” Mower said, “it was the rest of the team that did everything.”
In one instance, Upper Limit Aviation was able to put eyes in the sky when the Cedar City Police Department was searching for a fleeing suicidal juvenile.
The location of the juvenile was unknown, although the police department did have a vehicle description. With the help of several helicopters and a bird’s eye view, the juvenile was located.
Only days later, a woman was stranded in the snow near Kanarra Mountain.
“Search and Rescue called Mike, and Mike had a bird in the air in 30 minutes,” Barney said. “He went out there and basically saved this ladies life, took her off the mountain and helped search and rescue out.”
Mower said that he feels that they have the ability to assist where they are needed.
“The commitment we made when we moved down and started this location was to integrate into the community,” Mower said, “We see this as part of our civic duty to be down here, we have the assets and the training.”
Upper Limit Aviation currently has 15 aircrafts and 30 pilots in Iron County.
“They’re essentially on call for the city,” Mower said “It’s probably the only county in the country that has 15 full time aircrafts and 30 pilots waiting for a call.”
To see what his team has done almost moved him to tears, he said.
“There’s no reason we shouldn’t be doing it, and that’s the stance we have taken. If the call’s made we will go,” Mower said.
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