The Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) offers many specialized duty assignments and enhanced training to provide the highest level of service to our community. One of these specialized teams is the Air Support Unit (ASU). The aircraft, “Air5”, assists patrol deputies and police officers on domestic violence calls, traffic enforcement, drug investigations, warrant arrests, active retail thefts, eluding vehicles, and traffic crash responses, and commonly assists K9 teams who are tracking hidden suspects.

ASU deputies and officers come from multiple local jurisdictions and fly close to 250 hours each year in support of a variety of missions. Pilots and all crew members are law enforcement personnel. Team members are trained in surveillance, aerial photography, and coordination of units on the ground.

While the aircraft primarily supports the Westside Interagency Narcotics (WIN) Team, it also provides patrol support, and assistance for Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. The ASU team receives training and maintains licensing through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). To maintain this licensing, pilots and deputies log additional flight hours, typically in Yamhill County or on the western side of the county.

In matters related to law enforcement activity, the FAA has given many law enforcement agencies in the area, including WCSO, a waiver to disable flight tracking. This decision is based on the flight’s purpose, with safety as the primary goal. A WCSO pilot confirmed that while WCSO does have a transponder on the plane it is not required within Hillsboro Airspace, so people using tracking apps may not see it or it might get turned off mid-flight.

ASU training is not conducted during active incidents, and if the plane is in the air, it is in coordination with law enforcement activities. If circling, Air5 is monitoring a crime in progress. The aircraft typically flies at heights between 3500 and 4500 feet and is always in compliance with FAA position-reporting requirements. While all flight-tracking apps display information differently, air traffic controllers are always aware of Air5’s positioning, and air crews communicate to ensure safety protocols are upheld.

Originally purchased with money forfeited after the completion of drug investigations, the Air5 plane has remained in use by WCSO since that time. The cost to maintain this program is relatively cheap; less than the annual cost of two patrol vehicles. Unlike automobile fuel, aviation fuel prices do not fluctuate dramatically, and have only increased by 28 cents since April 2025.

Air5 has been successfully used in a variety of law enforcement efforts, including recent efforts to track the movement of a stolen vehicle (watch the Facebook video), and safely coordinating ground response to take the individual responsible into custody. WCSO’s goal is to keep individuals safe during these pursuits, reduce crime in our community, and reach a safe resolution.

For further information about ASU, please email PublicAffairs@washingtoncountyor.gov.

[Ed. Note: a lively discussion on our Facebook Group centered on Air5 circling over neighborhoods. So we decided to follow up with WCSO.]