York Regional Police participated in a trial Air Support program to evaluate the effectiveness of a full-time dedicated police helicopter. As the trial program in 1995 and again in 1999 proved the worth of a helicopter as a patrol unit, Air2 was delivered in June 2000.
Air2 originally consisted of a donated Enstrom 480 helicopter equipped with a Spectrolab SX-5 searchlight as well as an Inframetrics thermal imaging camera. While this aircraft was short on power and speed, it served as an effective platform for the aircrew to hone their skills associated with Air Support. At the time of its inception, the Air Support Unit was based out of Hare Field, a small grass strip north of Newmarket, with few amenities other than the dedication of the crew.
As the program evolved so did the aircraft. In October 2002 York Regional Police traded in the Enstrom for a new Eurocopter EC120B. The new aircraft added increased speed as well as payload thereby allowing Air2 to accomplish more missions in a timelier fashion than its predecessor. Also added to the new aircraft was a more powerful SX-16 Nightsun and a Wescam thermal imaging camera, giving the Flight Officer better tools to effectively support units on the ground.
In July 2003, Air2 moved to its current home at Buttonville Airport, essentially reducing response time to the most densely-populated areas of York Region.
