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Aerial Support to Regional Enforcement Agencies

Coordinates: 32°49′7.65″N 116°58′26.23″W / 32.8187917°N 116.9739528°W / 32.8187917; -116.9739528
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32°49′7.65″N 116°58′26.23″W / 32.8187917°N 116.9739528°W / 32.8187917; -116.9739528 Aerial Support to Regional Enforcement Agencies (ASTREA) is the aviation unit of the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. It is based at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, California.

History

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1972 - ASTREA began operations with three Korean War-era Bell 47G helicopters based at Gillespie Field in El Cajon.

1997 - On February 16, Deputy Patrick "Pat" S. Coyle, 42, died after the ASTREA helicopter in which he and pilot Ron Hobson were flying crashed in Sycamore Canyon, northeast of Santee, California. His death marked the first fatality in the then 25-year history of the sheriff's air support unit.

2003 - Cedar Fire and Paradise Fire

2005 - ASTREA receives two refurbished Bell 205A-1++ "Super Huey" firefighting helicopters. These are the first two aircraft purchased for the new regional fire helicopter program the county started after the October 2003 wildfires. Both are single-engine, medium-lift copters equipped with 375 gallon underbelly water tanks. The helicopters arrived at Gillespie Field after a three-day, 2,000-mile flight from Eagle Copters of Calgary, Canada. They are designated Copter 10 and 12.

2008 - A new Bell 407 is acquired and equipped to support law enforcement and command and control missions.

2009 - ASTREA sells two of its Hughes 500Ds. (ASTREA 2 & 4) These will eventually be replaced with MD530Fs.

2010 - The only MD500E owned by ASTREA is converted to an MD530F, which is better suited for high altitude and hot weather operations.

2015 - ASTREA adds a Bell 407GX to the fleet (N972PC). On September 29, ASTREA receives a third Bell 205A-1. Like the first two, Copter 11 was rebuilt by Eagle Copters and flown from Calgary to El Cajon.

Aircraft

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As of November 2023, ASTREA's fleet consists of 8 helicopters:

Role Make/Model (Qty) Unit No. Tail No. MFG Year Serial No. (C/N)
Law Enforcement* Bell 407GXi (4) None N319MW 2019 54814
None N313DP 2019 54880
None N709WG 2020 54885
None N998LQ 2023 56345
Firefighting/Rescue Bell 205A-1++ (3) ASTREA 10 N449RC 1973 30121
ASTREA 11 N549RL 1975 30215
ASTREA 12 N107BZ 1968 30013
Bell 412EPX (1) ASTREA 11 N989RL 2023 39110
  • The 407 models can be equipped with a Bambi Bucket for use in firefighting, while the Bell 205s and 412 have 375 gallon belly tanks already installed.

References

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