The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department ( TPWD ) has updated its fleet of law enforcement aircraft with a new helicopter. The 2023 Airbus H125 aircraft will allow the Texas Game Warden Aviation System to increase their provincial response capacity for natural disasters, search and rescue incidents, air patrols and more.
Texas Game Wardens will be able to better serve the state by responding to natural disasters and assisting game wardens in strengthening their conservation law enforcement capabilities, according to Brandon Rose, general captain of Texas Game Warden.” Adding a second helicopter with updated systems, Texas Game Wardens will be able to better serve the people of Texas,” said the chief captain.
The plane is outfitted with the latest law enforcement systems and emergency response tools, including a rescue raise, thermal imager, show, public address system, satellite communication, night vision and firefighting equipment. The new aircraft, which cost approximately$ 6.5 million, was made possible through legislative appropriation during the 87th Texas legislative session.
A game governor pilot and a military flight officer are the members of Austin’s helicopter crew. In addition to K9 teams and other game wardens, both helicopters in the ship have the ability to transport them on distant search and rescue missions and in the event of natural disasters. The helicopters are also used for a variety of underwater surveillance missions, including showing wardens areas of their region that are difficult to access by road, finding hunters in remote areas, and assisting with poaching patrols.
Since the new plane started operating in May, we have now aided jailers and other agencies in the position in a variety of ways, Rose said, and we have also enjoyed the larger footprint that two helicopters have given us. We’ve assisted in the search for a avoiding criminal in Bastrop County, a fraud situation search in Jim Wells County, flying patrols as part of Operation Lone Star, a search for drowning victims across the state, riverbed violations, water safety patrols, as well as various training exercises and survey flights.
Since 1930, TPWD has been making use of aviation assets. Two Airbus H125 helicopters and five pilots make up the current unit. In 2025, the fleet will include two brand-new Cessna fixed-wing aircraft. Additionally, Texas’s state’s top-ranked game warden unmanned aircraft operators are stationed throughout the state to further advance the protection of its natural and cultural resources.
