Aerial Support to Regional Enforcement Agencies (ASTREA) is the aviation unit of the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.
1972 - ASTREA began operations with three Korean War-era Bell 47G helicopters based at Gillespie Field in El Cajon.
1997 - On February 16, Deputy Patrick "Pat" S. Coyle, 42, died after the ASTREA helicopter in which he and pilot Ron Hobson were flying crashed in Sycamore Canyon, northeast of Santee, California.
These are the first two aircraft purchased for the new regional fire helicopter program the county started after the October 2003 wildfires.
The helicopters arrived at Gillespie Field after a three-day, 2,000-mile flight from Eagle Copters of Calgary, Canada.