Local & State Headlines

Aviation unit's versatility key

• The GSP aviation unit is a versatile tool for police, a pilot said Thursday.

J.D. Sumner

ALBANY — Pilot Kevin Coalson knows he has a cool job.

Whether he’s helping police locate a missing child or an alzeihmer’s patient from hundreds of feet in the air, or taking SWAT members to a hostage situation, Coalson and the other members of the Georgia State Patrol’s Aviation Unit are law enforcement’s eyes in the sky.

Speaking to the Rotary Club of Albany Thursday, Coalson showed club members a video presentation outlining the various skills and abilities of his unit.

“It’s the greatest job in the state patrol,” Coalson said. “It’s very rewarding.”

A 19-year veteran of the GSP, Coalson is the hangar commander for the helicopter unit based in Albany.

Coalson told the group that advancements in technology, mainly the development and implementation of the Forward Looking Infrared Radar or FLIR units have made air units a valuable tool in locating missing persons or tracking fugitives running from law enforcement.

That technology allows helicopter operators to see subjects even in complete darkness and wooded areas by sensing differences in the surface temperature of the ground and body heat.

In one segment of Coalson’s presentation, a 5-year-old boy had wandered away from home and got lost in a nearby wooded area. While search teams looked all through the area, the FLIR system allowed the GSP pilots to find the boy and direct officers to him.

Coalson said that the units are helping local law enforcement in Albany crack down on crimes like burglaries by hovering high above the city and monitoring a burglary-prone business area for suspicious people.

“I’ve gone up to about 3,000 feet, which is way above our normal operating height, and just sat above the civic center and FLIR’d the businesses in that area looking for someone to hop a fence,” he said.

But while FLIR makes it easy to find and arrest the bad guys, the air units are more than just a means to catch criminals, Coalson said.

Last year, the units found themselves hauling water to a badly scorched area of Georgia timberland during the state’s wildfires. The helicopters were useful in dumping 200 gallons of water per trip, Coalson said.

The units also provide a tactical advantage for SWAT teams by giving them another entry option.

More Headlines>>