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 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.
2019 - The first two of four Bell 407GXi were delivered.
2020 - The third Bell 407GXi were delivered. (N709WG) The WG registration letters are the initials of the former Sheriff William Gore.
2023 - The last Bell 407GXi joined the fleet, and the first of two Bell/Subaru 412EPX arrived. N972PC a Bell 407GX was sold to make way for the new GXi.
Aircraft 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) ASTREA 1 N319MW 2019 54814 ASTREA 3 N313DP 2019 54880 None N709WG 2020 54885 ASTREA 2 N670PC 2023 56345 Firefighting/Rescue Bell 205A-1++ (3) ASTREA 10 N449RC 1973 30121 ASTREA 14 N549RL 1975 30215 ASTREA 12 N107BZ 1968 30013 Bell 412EPX (1) ASTREA 11 N989RL 2023 39110The 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 Goldin, J. (2003). San Diego move aerial support teams into one home. Air Beat Magazine. Retrieved April 9, 2004 from https://web.archive.org/web/20040618125310/http://alea.org/public/airbeat/back_issues/jan_feb_2003/sdso.htm . Gross, G. (March 24, 2004). Joint-use plan for helicopters still sought. San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved April 14, 2004 from http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/fires/20040327-9999-news_7m27helo.html . Moreland, J. (August 3, 2000). Sheriff has new helicopter, robot for rescues, crime-fighting. North County Times. Retrieved April 9, 2004 from http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2000/08/04/export14261.txt . Moreland, J. (August 15, 2002). Sheriff dedicates new emergency center. North County Times. Retrieved April 14, 2004 from http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2002/08/16/export16249.txt .
External links San Diego County Sheriff's Office Official Website Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) ALEA Unit Photographs - San Diego County Sheriff's Office - photographs of ASTREA County of San Diego Official Website