Hiawassee, GA – Soon-to-be graduates of the Citizen Law Enforcement Academy (CLEA) were given a firsthand look at a Georgia State Patrol (GSP) helicopter on Tuesday, September 19, at McConnell Baptist Church on Main Street.

Georgia State Patrol helicopter, once owned by best-selling author Patricia Cornwell

The second-to-last session in the 10-week series began with classroom instruction from GSP Corporal Paul Wofford on the history and operations of the state police aviation unit.

Georgia State Patrol Aviation Troopers, TFC Jamon Jones and Corporal Paul Wofford

Developed in 1974, the flight unit currently consists of 13 pilots and 12 aircraft. Each helicopter costs approximately $3.5 million dollars and each pilot flies an average of 250-300 hours per year.

There are six field hangars within the state of Georgia, located in Kennesaw, Albany, Gainesville, Perry, Reidsville, and Augusta.

The Georgia State Patrol aviation unit is dispatched to locate missing persons, aid in manhunts, assist with rescue missions, provide fire suppression, and capture aerial surveillance.

Towns County Sheriff Chris Clinton, Chief Deputy Colonel Terry Conner, and Sole Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw were in attendance.

The final class in the CLEA program will be held at the Towns County Courthouse next week, followed by a tour of the Towns County 911 Dispatch center.

CLEA VII graduation is scheduled to take place at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, at McConnell Baptist Church in Hiawassee.

Alumni are invited to attend.

For information on participating in a future Citizen Law Enforcement Academy course, contact the Towns County Sheriff’s Office at 706.896.4444

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