Air Support

The LVMPD Air Support Unit consists of 22 helicopter pilots, 2 tactical flight officers and 4 FAA certified aircraft mechanics. All of our pilots are dual rated as both helicopter and airplane pilots, together they have over 413 years of police experience and more than 73,000 flight hours. All of our pilots and tactical flight officers are police officers and must have been with LVMPD for 5 years before being eligible to join the Air Support Unit.

The mission of the Air Support Unit is multifaceted with a primary duty of aerial support for patrol officers. The Air Support Unit aircraft patrol 7,910 square miles including outlying and residential areas of Clark County. Additional duties include: covert aerial surveillance of suspects, search and rescue, transport flights, Presidential motorcade escorts, and maintenance of the mountain top radio repeater sights.

The Air Support Unit’s fleet consists of one Hughes 500D, three McDonnell Douglas 530Fs, one Bell 407, two Bell HH1H Hueys, and a Cessna Skylane TR182. The Air Support Unit operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and flies 6,000 hours annually.

In 2008 the Air Support Unit responded to over 14,000 calls for service which included being directly involved in the capture and arrest of 782 suspects, the recovery of 392 stolen vehicles, and conducted 147 search and rescue missions.