LSP - Air Support Unit



	Air Support Unit The mission of the Air Support Unit is to enhance statewide public safety by providing effective aerial support to the Louisiana State Police and other Louisiana law enforcement agencies. It is the intention of the Unit to provide air support to all local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies upon request. The Air Support Unit currently has ten pilots who are available to respond to police emergencies twenty-four hours a day. All Louisiana State Police Pilots are commissioned State Troopers with full arrest powers and extensive road experience. They are required to be dual rated, that is, licensed by the FAA to operate both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. The Air support Unit’s aircraft inventory includes five airplanes and seven helicopters. Missions performed by the Air Support Unit include Protective Services Support, helicopter demonstrations, disaster relief, criminal surveillance, photo flights and reconnaissance, marijuana eradication, manhunts, speed enforcement, SWAT operations, downed aircraft searches, missing person searches and emergency police response. Recent accomplishments of the Air Support Unit include the Night Vision Goggle (NVG) configuration of both Bell 430 Helicopters. These aircraft are equipped with a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera and a Night Sun searchlight. All Louisiana State Police Pilots have attended the Bell Helicopter NVG School and have successfully completed in-house NVG training in the operation of the Bell 430. These strides have dramatically improved safety while increasing mission capability. The Air Support Unit has always been an enthusiastic supporter of educational programs that seek to teach schoolchildren about public safety. Through such programs, the Air Support Unit has done a great deal to promote the public profile of the Louisiana State Police.