RECRUITMENT

Aircraft Section

Aircraft are utilized for transporting Troopers as they perform their daily activities. Those activities may include fish and wildlife patrols and investigations, prisoner transports, criminal investigations or search and rescue operations.

Troopers may operate one of several aircraft, depending upon their duty assignment.

Fixed wing assets include:

PA-18 Piper Super Cubs and Cessna 185’s on wheels, skis, floats, and amphibious float configurations
Cessna 208 Caravans
Beechcraft 350i King Air

Rotary wing assets include:

R-44 and A-Star helicopters

Within our department we have both commissioned (State Trooper) and civilian aircraft pilots; the vast majority are commissioned. In order to qualify for consideration as a State Pilot, you must have a 2nd class medical, a private pilot certificate and at least 100 hours flight time; 25 hours must be in Alaska. The minimum number of hours will depend on the type of aircraft authorized to fly. As an example, 100 hours would be the minimum for the Super Cubs or 172s, 3,000 hours and an ATP certificate would be the minimum to fly as PIC in the King Air. The primary flight crew for the King Air and A-Star Helicopters are civilian pilot positions. There are also a few civilian pilot positions in Fairbanks and Western Alaska locations like Bethel and Kotzebue. There are some commissioned State Troopers who are checked out in every aircraft we have, including the A-Stars and King Air. The commissioned DPS pilots use the department aircraft like patrol vehicles. Our aircraft section is currently the largest of any state police agency in the US, with 43 aircraft:

1 - Beechcraft King Air 350i
2 - Airbus A-Star B3e
2 - Cessna 208 Caravan
3 - Robinson R44
2 - Cessna 172 (180 HP)
1 - Cessna 182 (300 HP)
2 - Cessna 206
6 - Cessna 185
24 - Piper Super Cub

Occasionally there are civilian pilot positions that become available, but they seem to be few and far between. If you have aspirations of becoming a pilot for the State Troopers in Alaska, the best way, by far, is through the application process to become a trooper. If hired, once you have completed probation (one year of employment), and when /if in a location where there is a need for another DPS pilot, you could go through the selection process. Although there is no guarantee of becoming a DPS pilot when hired, the department is continuously in need of more pilots. There is a 5% additional duty pay for all authorized commissioned pilots with a rank of Trooper, Investigator or Sergeant.