Pasadena Police (Foothill Air Support) MD500E helicopter delivered in 2009. Photo- Pasadena Police.

Pilot's in the Pasadena Air Support Unit are Pasadena Police Officers, with each partner city providing one "highly motivated" officer to fill the rol of tactical flight officer.  

In the past the unit has operated the following aircraft;

2- Belll OH58 military surplus helicopters.

2- Enstrom F28 helicopters.

1- Enstrom 480 helicopter.

1- Bell 206 helicopter.

In 2009 the department accepted delivery of a new MD500E helicopter with the quieter 4 bladed tail rotor.  The MD500E was selected to replace the department's aging fleet of helicopters.  

In addition to the Foothill Air Support Unit the department dedicates one helicopter and crew to L.A. IMPACT - the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force.  L.A. IMPACT is a narcotics task force formed in 1990 which brought three other regional drug and narcotic task forces under one unit, along with stated and federal agencies.  

The unit flies out of it's own heliport near the 210 Freeway in Altadena California.

Orange County Sheriff Helicopter on the ASTREA ramp, Gillespie Field Ca. on a cross country training flight.

The unit began operations in 1985 with two MD500E helicopters but eventually transitioned to the MD600N (no tail rotor) helicopters in 1998.  The MD600N was a faster and much quieter helicopter than the 500E.  The Orange County Sheriff's Department was the first police agency in the country to place the MD600N into service as a police patrol helicopter.  In 2005 the unit began their transition to the helicopters they operate today, two American Eurocopter AS 350B2 (Astar) helicopters.  

The Aviation Support Unit is currently staffed with one Sergeant and eight Deputy Sheriff II's. All of which are are very experienced law enforcement officers with a wide range of aviation and law enforcement experience. The average Unit member is 46 years old and has 22 years of law enforcement experience. Each pilot holds a FAA Airline Transport Pilot or a Commercial Pilot's Certificate with a rotorcraft-helicopter rating and has an average flight time in excess of 7,000 hours.

Ontario Police Department's Newest AS 350B2 helicopter. Photo- American Eurocopter.

The unit is made up of one Sergeant/Pilot, three Police Officer Pilots, three Flight Officers, one relief Flight Officer, and two helicopter mechanics. 

Since it's inception in 1989 the unit has assisted in the arrest of over 12,000 suspects and recovered over $11 Million in stolen property.  

In 2011 the Ontario Police Air Support Unit added a third AS 350B2 helicopter to it's fleet.  

The following statement is from a March 2011 press release from American Eurocopter.

“The AS350 B2 is the perfect aircraft for our operation,” said Eric Weidner, Sergeant and Officer in Charge of the Ontario Police Department’s Air Support Unit. “With its payload and performance capabilities, the AS350 B2 has allowed us to continue to evolve as a department and expand the type of missions we perform.”  “We spend a lot of time in the air so the AS350 B2’s comfortable platform, both in terms of cabin spaciousness and flexibility, coupled with its low noise signature, are important features,” continued Weidner. “This reduces crew fatigue, allows for safer operations, and makes us environmentally friendly.”

Montebello Police Air Support- R-44 helicopter. Photo- Montebello PD.

Eventually the Air Support Unit began providing patrol services to the cities of Baldwin Park, Irwindale and Montebello.  The cities of West Covina, Azusa and the Baldwin Park School District Police would be added over time.  Currently this Unit operates three Robinson R-44 helicopters that are equipped with Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR), searchlight, public address system, LoJack vehicle recovery system, and computerized moving map.

Merced County Sheriff UH-1H Huey helicopter. Photo- Merced Sun-Star.

1- Cessna 206 airplane

1- Cessna 172 airplane

1- Robinson R-44 Raven II helicopter

1- UH-1H Huey helicopter

The department acquired he Huey helicopter in 2009 through a donation from the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal-EMA) under the California Public Safety Procurement Program.  The Huey helicopter has a value of about $922,000.  

The department's Robinson R-44 helicopter is outfitted with the latest in police aviation technology, including a heat sensing camera and is primarily used for patrol an searches.  The department aquired the R-44 helicopter in 2008.

The Huey helicopter is used for moving personnel and equipment.  Many of it's missions involve the SWAT team or marijuana eradication.  

The Merced County Sheriff keeps the unit's aircraft flying through various grants and federal funding, with little to no cost to the Merced County taxpayer.  

LAPD Helicopter on patrol, Photo- courtesy of Glenn Grossman.

The Los Angeles Police Department Air support Division started with one helicopter a Hiller 12J in 1956, then added a second helicopter in 1963.

The LAPD Air Support Division claims to be the largest "Municipal" police air unit in the world.  

To read more about the LAPD Air Support unit visit my other page on them here.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Aero Bureau also maintains a highly technical rescue unit known as "Air 5." Acording to the departments website;  

"The Air 5 rescue program provides some of the most advanced technical rescue capabilities available in the nation. With a flight crew of two deputy pilots a sergeant crew chief and two Emergency Service Detail deputy paramedics, the team is deployed on search and rescue and over-water operations, and can rapidly deploy Tactical Response Forces during major incidents." 

 To read more about the Los Angeles Sheriff's Aero Bureau see my other page on them here.

Long Beach Police EC130 Helicopter at Rialto Airport. Photo Courtesy of Alan Radecki, Wikimedia.

In 2008 Kern Co. Sheriff's took delivery of a Bell Huey II helicopter from Bell Helicopters.  According to a Bell Helicopter press release Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood was quoted as saying; 

"This Huey II helicopter will increase our capability to transport law enforcement personnel (SWAT), conduct search and rescue operations and aid in environmental disaster operations across the wide spectrum of terrain found in the county."

Based at Meadows Field, in the county seat of Bakersfield Ca., the Kern Co. Sheriff's Air Support Unit supports the men and woman on patrol throughout Kern Co. 7- days a week. 

Kern Co. Sheriff MD500E patrol helicopter. photo courtesy Alan Radecki Wikimedia.

Huntington Beach Police Helicopter- MD 520N