Sky troopers: KDOT flies with the KHP Air Support Unit

Kansas Highway Patrol Captain Jason Vanderweide took us on a tour of the northeast corner of Kansas.

Normally when people think of the Kansas Highway Patrol, they often think of flashing lights, blue and gold uniforms and patrol vehicles on the highways. But did you know the KHP also has troopers that take to the skies?

They are the KHP Air Support Unit, and they respond to requests for air support from public safety agencies across the state.  Earlier this week, we were given the opportunity to join KHP Captain Jason Vanderweide in a Cessna 206 on a tour of northeast Kansas. We learned a lot about these sky troopers.

One of the planes that the KHP uses in its flights is a Cesnna 206, pictured here just before takeoff. 

According to Vanderweide, the KHP acquired its first airplane in 1961. Currently, there are three bases of operation: Topeka, Wichita and Hays. The unit consists of six aircraft, including the Executive Aircraft, which is a King Air 350.  

“We first used aircraft for traffic enforcement and soon added blood relays,” Vanderweide said. “We still transport blood today. When an outlying medical facility needs blood in an emergency, the most expeditious means of getting it there is to fly it. We routinely pick up boxes of blood in Wichita and fly it to the rural areas of Kansas.”

Vanderweide said that there are a variety of missions that the KHP responds to, and each day brings a unique mission for the pilots.

“There isn’t a typical day for a KHP pilot,” Vanderweide said. “No two days are ever the same. As the KHP provides the only public safety air support to Kansas, we are often called to all areas of the state for a variety of missions. When pilots aren’t on a mission, they are training for advanced pilot ratings, helping the maintenance crew or out working the road - stopping cars or working accidents.”

They also relay information that they see in the air to the troopers on the ground and they can do that through the statewide radio network, or in person for time-sensitive material.

After major weather events, the KHP Air Support Unit assesses road conditions and attempts to identify stranded motorists. These events can include winter storms, floods, tornadoes and even wildfires. Once they spot the signs of a stranded vehicle, they then alert troopers on the ground.

There are other types of missions that the KHP Air Support Unit supports, such as:

• Shootings / LE shootings / Active shooters
• Crime scene photos / Accident photos
• Missing persons / children
• Prison riots  
• Aircraft accidents
• Infrastructure disasters – chemical plant explosion / derailments
• Executive visits
• Transportation of personnel and equipment
• Pursuits
• Manhunts
• Surveillance flights
• Safety programs and public relations

A view of K-10 from about 1,000 feet above the ground.

During our flight earlier this week, we learned that the aircrafts can travel at different altitudes depending on the situation. If the troopers are looking for a missing person or stranded vehicle, they typically fly around 1,000 feet above the ground. If they are doing surveillance work, they typically fly at altitudes of 4,000 feet or higher.

Vanderweide said that he has been flying with the KHP since 2008 and has logged more than 1,900 flight hours. There are other pilots who have anywhere from 4,000 to 9,000 flight hours and they even have other troopers who are training to become pilots.

“All KHP pilots were troopers first,” Vanderweide said. “We select troopers after they have served time working the road, and we bring them into the unit and train them to fly. The training aspect can take years to obtain the advanced rating to fly the Executive Aircraft or helicopter.”

Aside from manned aircraft, the KHP is also in the process of purchasing several Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) that will be used in a variety of missions.

“The UAS will be used in the area of accident reconstruction, Special response team missions and mobile field force,” Vanderweide said. “The Air Support Unit oversees administering the UAS program to ensure KHP is deploying the UAS appropriately and following all pertinent FAA regulations. It will be an integration project involving manned aircraft and unmanned aircraft working together to accomplish the mission in the quickest means available.”

Thanks once again to Vanderweide and the KHP Air Support Unit for taking us up with you!