The Air Support Unit provides covert, nighttime patrol support, and covert daylight surveillance for illegal activity. The Unit also provides prisoner transport for extraditions. In 2003, the Unit transported 370 prisoners in Department planes.

The Unit maintains two transport, fixed-winged aircraft (a Cessna 210 and a Cessna 310), and one HT-420 patrol/surveillance airplane.

The Unit is comprised of four deputy pilots, four tactical flight deputies, and one sergeant. The three senior pilots have more than 55 years and 20,000 hours of flying experience. Student pilots must obtain a F.A.A. Commercial/Instrument License. All further training is conducted in-house and takes approximately two years before a new pilot is considered mission qualified. Each pilot flies approximately 700 hours a year, half of which is at night in a pitch-black environment. Deputy pilots are the overall mission commanders, flying the plane and making response decisions.

Tactical flight deputies operate surveillance and observation systems and Mobile Data Computer on the HT-420 and relay pertinent information to deputies on the ground via the Department radio. They receive several hours of aircraft systems familiarization training and several hours of practical training using Forward Looking Infra Red and Night Vision systems.

The Unit’s airframe and power-plant mechanic performs aircraft maintenance. The mechanic conducts routine maintenance inspections, including “100 hour” and “50 hour” inspections, and performs all necessary airframe modifications to accommodate specialized equipment.