A group of bikers thought it would be a good idea to go and show off their biking skills on the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Bridge Sunday evening.

Riding dirt bikes and ATV vehicles, they rode across the bridge pulling stunts and harassing drivers. CHP ground units engaged only to follow the bikers because they knew they had an “eye in the sky” and did not want to create an even more dangerous situation with a chase.

CHP utilizing Air Bear aircraft were able to keep tracking the bikers as they dispersed and returned to their homes or hang-out spots and detain them. The bikers thought they had eluded police and never realized they were being followed.

Speeders soon find in court that video proof makes it very difficult to talk your way out of a ticket.

View the full story: http://abc7news.com/traffic/chp-uses-airplane-to-catch-some-rogue-bikers-on-bay-bridge/1809473

The California Highway Patrol has eyes for speeders where most people wouldn’t think to look. That direction is up.

“Often times, people don’t even know we are up here,” CHP Flight Officer Troy Marks said. “We cover 13 counties north and south of Sacramento.”

The plane’s supplied by Air Bear Aero are equipped with an onboard camera and GPS system that allows officers to record, check and verify the speed of vehicles multiple times. Cruising at about 4000 feet, CHP’s sophisticated plane can see it all. It’s also equipped with a night vision camera that can zoom into a vehicle from four miles away.

Speeders soon find in court that video proof makes it very difficult to talk your way out of a ticket.

View the full story: http://www.abc10.com/news/do-police-actually-catch-speeders-from-the-sky/414105871

In their recent pursuit of covering and surveying the Oroville dam incident the California Highway Patrol has been utilizing Air Bear supplied mission ready aircraft to give them a bird’s eye view of the entire situation. It gives the CHP a clear and defined picture of the situation at large and the ability to continually support and assess the situation 24 hours a day. Air-21 and Air-31 provided constant aerial intelligence over the Lake Oroville Dam breach.

Air Bear’s implementation of the Airvan in a mission ready platform is showcased by its support of this incident. The ability to respond with a multi-mission, multi-role platform is critical to CHP’s operations.

View More: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5iAHBOHGk8E&feature=youtu.be
View More: https://www.facebook.com/CHPAirOps/posts/1283675958375265
Read More: https://www.facebook.com/CHPAirOps/posts/1281767528566108:0
Read More: https://www.facebook.com/CHPAirOps/posts/1280653572010837

Recently, the Valley Division of the California Highway Patrol has taken to the skies, using a new plane, which has given them a bird’s eye view.

Officers said it is a new generation of police plane: The GippsAero CHP unit Air-21.

“This is high tech. We’ve got all the latest equipment, camera equipment, camera system,” CHP Flight Officer Troy Marks said.

Marks said that military-grade camera system allows him to zoom down so he can see the make, model, color and even license plate of any vehicle on the road, from as high as 3,000 feet.

Read the full story: http://fox40.com/2016/02/10/chps-valley-division-puts-eyes-in-the-sky/#ooid=didHZ0MDE6KE0unu3nhIXWlp70zJX-3P

Take a ride in CHP Valley Division Air Operations’ GippsAero GA8 Airvan — the only aircraft of its kind currently being used in California.

View Slide Show: http://www.comstocksmag.com/snap/zeroing

The California Highway Patrol uses aircraft for a multitude of missions. CHP – Golden Gate Division Air Operations uses the GippsAero GA-8 AirVan 8 “Air 37” to transport personnel, patrol, conduct search operations, provide backup for officers on the ground, assist in pursuit management, coordinate traffic management, transport blood and organs, detect fires, provide aerial photography, mapping and surveillance.

Read the full story: https://www.facebook.com/CHPGoldenGate/videos/1178853608805624/