The Aviation Division of the DEA is a small but vital unit of the agency. It provides "eyes in the sky" day and night. The Aviation Division can move Special Agents and personnel to remote jungle areas or track drug-carrying vehicles driven on the ground. The Aviation Division is also known as the Air Wing.  All of DEA's pilots, numbering approximately 125, are Special Agents. These pilots fly over 100 aircraft from the OH-6 helicopter to jets. While it is a small non-military government "air force," it is a vital tool in the fight against illegal drug trafficking. All Special Agent/Pilots must complete the requirements and training of a Special Agent first. A Special Agent must spend two years in a field division before applying to become a Special Agent/Pilot. Specific aviation experience is required for all applicants.  The accepted candidate goes through a number of training programs that will give them the flying, survival and intelligence gathering skills needed to safely and successfully perform the duties of a Special Agent/Pilot.  DEA's Special Agent/Pilots receive both flight and academic training. Some of the different types of training include water survival, mountain flying, weather systems and aviation physiology. The DEA Air Wing has over 100 fixed-wing planes and helicopters. It is a mismatched group of aircraft due to the variety of sources for the aircraft. Many were transfers from the military, some are seizures from drug dealers under the asset forfeiture program, a few are trades with manufacturers and a few are direct purchases. Today the Air Wing flies over 15 different types of aircraft. 

The Aviation Division’s mission is to provide aviation support to operational and intelligence elements within DEA and the law enforcement community to detect, locate, identify, and assess illicit narcotics-related trafficking activities. Aviation support is critical to DEA’s strategic mission of disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations that have a significant impact on America’s illegal drug availability. To accomplish its mission, the Aviation Division employs a fleet of airplanes and helicopters flown by specially trained Special Agent/Pilots.

History
The aviation program started with a single aircraft in 1971 as part of DEA’s predecessor, the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. By 1973, when DEA was created, the program had grown to 24 aircraft and 41 Special Agent/Pilots overseen by a Chief Pilot. In 1994 it was granted field division status and the Chief Pilot position was converted to a Special Agent-in-Charge. Today, the Aviation Division consists of approximately 135 Special Agent/Pilots and 100 aircraft.

Today’s Aviation Division
The Aviation Division's command and control functions are conducted from the Aviation Operations Center (AOC) located at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas. The AOC serves as the primary location for aircraft maintenance, flight training for new pilots and as headquarters for its operational support personnel. The Aviation Division has Special Agents/Pilots and aircraft strategically located throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. The Aviation Division supports DEA’s enforcement efforts through surveillance, photographic reconnaissance, movement of personnel and cargo and transportation of fugitives and prisoners.. 

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