The Phoenix Police Department Air Support Unit has evolved over more than 50 years into one of the most capable municipal aviation programs in the United States. What began in 1973 with a small helicopter and airplane has grown into a modern multi-mission unit supporting patrol operations across a rapidly expanding metropolitan area and surrounding desert terrain. Today the fleet includes Airbus H125 patrol helicopters, an Agusta A109E rescue aircraft, and Pilatus PC-12 fixed-wing platforms for surveillance and transport. Flying roughly 13 hours a day, the unit provides aerial overwatch for officers, tracks suspects, supports rescues with Phoenix Fire, and delivers real-time intelligence to ground units across the city.
“It takes an entire team to accomplish what we do. From supervisors to pilots to mechanics … every one of them plays a vital role in enabling us to provide the services we do.”
— Chief pilot Dan Latham
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Quick Facts
- Phoenix PD began airborne policing in 1973 with Hughes 300C helicopters, launching what would become one of the longest-running municipal air units in the U.S.
- The unit flies about 13 hours per day, responding to thousands of calls annually and supporting patrol operations across the city.
- Phoenix PD pilots work with the Phoenix Fire Department Technical Rescue Team, forming hybrid flight crews for aerial rescue missions.
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