HOUSTON -- Note: The following story is a verbatim transcript of an Investigators story that aired on Monday, Feb. 26, 2007, on KPRC Local 2 at 10 p.m.

Houston's neighborhoods, streets and freeways are no strangers to dangerous chases. We've shown you the outcome to these pursuits. Now, we're going to put you in the middle of the action. KPRC Local 2 reporter Robert Arnold shows us just how the Houston Police department chases down the bad guys from the air.

Everything from cars to trucks to semis have made a run from the law. While they may be able outrun the officers on the ground, they can't outrun this.

Pilot: "Yes, tower this is 71-Fox."

HPD's helicopter. They're called Fox units and have a top air speed of 150 mph.

Pilot: "Alright guys, here we go."

They're the eyes and ears of those on the ground.

"If the ground units do lose sight of the criminal, they're not going to get away from the helicopter," said Sgt. Dennis Garrett, a training officer.

Like this chase that wound its way through fields and over a golf course. Officers on the ground lost track, but the helicopter didn't. It's a task easier said than done. This chase was out in the open, but imagine being 500 feet off the ground and having to pick one car out Houston's congested freeways.

"For instance, they give a white vehicle, white suspect vehicle. Obviously, 90 percent of them are white," Officer Larry Kroesche said.

That's why there's always two officers on board -- one to concentrate on flying, the other to focus on the ground and give directions. We road along with veteran officers David Slade and Larry Kroesche who say following a chase is a matter of anticipating your partner's thoughts.

"Know what he's about to do, what he can do," Slade said.

"We work as a team. I pretty much know his signals, he knows my signals," Kroesche said.

Fox units also help add an element of safety for the officers on the ground.

"They can reduce their speed. They don't have to worry about communicating with the dispatcher via the radio anymore," Garrett said.

Most crucial though is calling a scene where the suspects are out of the car and running through a neighborhood. It's up to the Fox pilot to make sense of the chaos.

"We have to give them distinguishing marks -- by a boat, by a red car, by a house with blue trim," Kroesche said.

It's not just chases. HPD's helicopter units are also called to help with surveillance, spot stolen cars parked in crowded lots or use either a spotlight or infrared camera to pinpoint suspects hiding out in dark areas.

For homeland security reasons, HPD keeps the exact number of pilots and helicopters in its fleet a secret.

Robert will be back tomorrow night where we'll give you a firsthand look at the training officers go through to handle Houston's streets. We're going to put you behind the wheel of a police car and behind the wheel of a bad guy's car. That's tomorrow night at 10 p.m.