Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers are in more places than you might think.

While it is true that troopers patrol the roadways of Ohio providing an array of public safety duties for motorists, the Highway Patrol’s Aviation section is often overhead performing related public safety functions. In fact, for 50 years Patrol pilots have conducted law enforcement and public safety duties from the skies above Ohio.

The Patrol has 12 fixed-wing Cessna 172 and 182 airplanes used for air surveillance, all of which are stationed at Don Scott Airport in Columbus. A total of 13 Patrol pilots work directly with Patrol posts throughout the state.

In addition to the airplanes, the Patrol has two American Eurocopter A-Star helicopters to conduct traffic enforcement, and other public safety operations.

The helicopters are equipped with Forward Looking InfraRed Radar (FLIR) and video recorders. On-board spot lights with a 30-million candle power ability can make the darkest night seem as bright as the noonday sun. The helicopters can also be called into service for emergency duties, and frequently help locate missing persons, fugitives, marijuana fields, and stolen vehicles.

Traffic enforcement is an important function performed by Patrol pilots. Traffic is monitored as pilots clock vehicle speeds with a stopwatch to measure the time it takes for a vehicle to travel between marked quarter-mile segments on the roadway. The pilot then coordinates with a trooper on the ground and identifies the color of the vehicle, lane of travel, time of the traffic stop, and vehicle speed. The pilot maintains visual contact to ensure the correct vehicle is stopped by troopers on the ground.

During 1997, Patrol pilots made 30,951 arrests during 7,555 flying hours. Pilots were also responsible for 1,016 motorist assists during last year, and located 917 marijuana plants during flights.

A school bus safety program was initiated by the Aviation section in October 1997. This program targets school bus routes with a high incident of violations while students are getting on and off the bus. Patrol pilots have direct communication with the school bus drivers and officers on the ground so that any violators observed can be stopped.

A significant technological advance for Patrol aviation occurred in January 1994 with acquisition of FLIR for use on aircraft during a variety of law enforcement missions. FLIR incorporates the latest technology to provide highly-detailed thermal imaging which "sees" temperature differences of as little as 1/10th of a degree. The images, which are of very high resolution and quality, are displayed on a cockpit monitor. Although the FLIR is very effective during daylight hours, its capabilities are fully realized at night when it virtually turns darkness into daylight.

The FLIR unit can be used for many different purposes, the most obvious being searches and surveillance. A search for a lost or wanted person in an area which is unsafe for conventional methods is typically the sort of situation for which FLIR is used. The Patrol conducted 102 searches/FLIR missions during 1997.

The Patrol’s FLIR equipped aircraft are available to any Ohio agency, but particularly to sheriff’s offices, police departments, and emergency management agencies.

Problems associated with road rage came to the forefront of public awareness in the past year. In response, the Patrol implemented Operation TRIAD (Targeting Reckless, Intimidating, and Aggressive Drivers).

TRIAD is a unique program that incorporates aircraft enforcement to target motor vehicle violations that are typically difficult to detect and enforce by road troopers. A total of 51 TRIAD details, conducted from the program’s inception in 1997, through May 1998, generated 933 aggressive driving arrests. Included in these arrests were 243 for speed, and 447 for improper lane usage violations.

Patrol pilots also actively participate in Operation Lifesaver, in which aircraft work with troopers and officers from other departments to apprehend railroad grade crossing violators. Since its inception in 1978, Operation Lifesaver has resulted in an 82 percent reduction in railroad crossing crashes.

Whether through airspeed, searches for missing persons or fugitives, Operation TRIAD details, or an assortment of other public safety duties, the Highway Patrol Aviation section is overhead, supporting ground troopers in helping to keep Ohio roadways among the safest to travel in the nation.