Aviation Unit
The only full-time law enforcement aviation unit in north Mississippi—operating continuously since 1978.
Our Mission
The DCSO Aviation Unit serves as a force multiplier for ground operations, providing aerial support to the Patrol Division, surrounding agencies, and federal partners across a 4,200 square mile region of north Mississippi. It is the only full-time law enforcement aviation unit in the northern region of the state and has operated continuously since 1978.
Key Responsibilities
- Aerial support for vehicle pursuits and felony stops
- Search operations for missing persons, fleeing suspects, and at-risk individuals
- Regional mutual aid to surrounding counties, municipalities, and state and federal agencies
- Surveillance and overwatch support for narcotics, SWAT, and warrant service operations
- Disaster response, damage assessment, and aerial reconnaissance during severe weather events
- Aircraft maintenance, airworthiness compliance, and hangar operations
Day in the Life
A typical shift mixes on-call readiness with planned work — scheduled patrol flights, training hops, and aircraft maintenance checks. Crews pre-flight the aircraft, keep an ear on radio traffic, and launch on demand for pursuits, searches, and mutual aid calls. Between flights, deputies stay on top of maintenance logs, training currency, and coordination with patrol units and outside agencies. Weather, mechanical status, and fuel and duty-day limits set the pace of each day.
Training & Development
- FAA Commercial Rotorcraft Pilot certification
- Night Vision Goggle (NVG) operations
- Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) training
- Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) / thermal imaging operator training
Why Aviation?
It's the only full-time law enforcement aviation unit in north Mississippi—a small footprint with regional impact. Crews fly the MH-6C and OH-6A, light observation airframes with deep military lineage, and the unit has run continuously since 1978, a rarity for a county-level program. It's a high-skill, high-trust environment where aviators directly affect outcomes on calls ground units can't reach as fast.
Interested in Aviation?
Aviation Unit assignments are filled from within the Sheriff's Office. The path begins with a Deputy Sheriff position and the certifications and flight hours that follow.
View Deputy Sheriff Careers