The DPS Aircraft Section is located at Lake Hood Airport (LHD/PALH) in Anchorage, Alaska. This facility serves as the primary maintenance and logistics facility for the Department’s entire state-wide flight operation.
The Aircraft Section maintains 44 department- owned fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft used by both Alaska State Troopers and Alaska Wildlife Troopers. To support the Troopers, the section maintains the Department's aircraft by performing routine scheduled maintenance and inspections as well as emergency repairs. We also perform complete aircraft engine and airframe overhauls and rebuilds necessary to keep vintage aircraft in operation.
The Aircraft Section provides annual training and proficiency check rides to all departmental pilots as required by federal regulations.
Distances in Alaska are vast spans of wilderness in the last frontier which separate 82% of our communities from the road system, this creates a challenge totally unique to our state. In many areas the only practical means of accomplishing law enforcement missions is with aircraft. The Division must enforce Fish and Game regulations in the entire 586,000 square miles of Alaska as well as its 36,000 miles of coastline. In most of Alaska, there are no roads. Many commissioned officers in remote locations must be proficient pilots in order to patrol their vast enforcement area. The Aircraft Section provides the Department with aircraft that are safe and dependable to support wildlife enforcement, search and rescue efforts and numerous other law enforcement related missions.
Have you ever thought of becoming an
Alaska State Trooper?