The take off is quick and powerful.

Pittman angles the aircraft into a steep climb and turns north towards the planned patrol area over the Gulf of Maine.

On any given day the Coast Guard aircrews flying Falcon jets from the air station on Cape Cod can find themselves on long patrols covering thousands of square miles of ocean from Maine to New Jersey. One day their mission may be protecting the security of U.S. coastal waters by checking the large numbers of merchant vessels transiting to and from ports such as New York or Boston. Another day the aircrews could be called upon to fly a search and rescue mission to pinpoint the location of a mayday call of a mariner in distress to vector a Coast Guard cutter, or drop lifesaving equipment such as a de-watering pump or life raft.

One of Coast Guard's missions is to protect the commercially important fishing grounds and marine ecosystem within the nation's 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

The Falcon crews routinely fly missions called living marine resources patrols.

The HU-25 Falcon can fly at cruising speeds up to 541 miles per hour and a ceiling limit of 41,000 feet. In no time it seems the 200-mile trip to the northern end of the Gulf of Maine near the Canadian border quickly comes to an end, and Pittman radios to the crew that he is about to descend to about 1,000 feet. At the lower elevation the small whitecaps cresting on the swells look like tiny cotton swabs.

Sitting in the rear of the aircraft is Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert Murray. As the system sensor operator, Murray is responsible for the search radar, camera equipment and he maintains all radio communications with the command center and Coast Guard cutters in the area.

"It's a fun job for us back here," said Murray as he tracks their course on a computer screen and scans the radar for any contacts.

There are also two observer seats next to oversize windows. Sitting in the right seat is Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Harvey whose job is to identify ships and log the information such as vessel identification into a laptop. Across from Harvey is the crew chief, Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin Balys. When not acting as an observer Balys is the drop master during a search and rescue mission.

"I'm the one who pushes the gear out the bottom," he said.

Also aboard are two second-year cadets from the Coast Guard Academy, Carl Magnuson and Mike Henmebery, both interested in becoming pilots when they graduate.

Pittman banks the Falcon away from the border and heads to one of the closed fishing areas.

GULF OF MAINE (Dec. 8, 2007)Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Harvey scans the waters for commercial fishing boats while on a low-level patrol near the U.S. and Canadian border. Harvey is an observer aboard a HU-25 Falcon jet based at Air Station Cape Cod, Mass., and he is looking for any commercial fishing vessels that may be fishing illegally in a closed area. The Coast Guard routinely flies patrols over the lucrative fishing grounds of the Gulf of Maine and Georges Banks as part of its commercial fisheries enforcement duties. The over flights are to make sure commercial fishermen follow the established rules and regulations for fisheries management in the region. USCG photo by PA1 Matthew Belson

There are three areas the Coast Guard aircrews from Cape Cod routinely patrol. Closed Area I is about 80 nautical miles south-southeast from Cape Cod and is about 2000 square nautical miles. Closed Area II is about 170 nautical miles east of the Cape and is about 3200 square nautical miles. A third restricted area called the Nantucket Light Ship Closed Area is about 80 nautical miles south of the Cape and roughly 1800 square nautical miles.

Besides steep fines and criminal charges, the captain of a fishing vessel caught violating fisheries regulations runs the risk of having his illegal catch confiscated and the possible seizure of his boat and fishing gear.

"The idea is for us to be out here as a deterrent [to prevent any illegal activity]," said Zorman.

Zorman and Pittman said commercial fishermen routinely fish right along the boundary of a closed fishing area. If a boat is observed to be over the line Zorman said they would radio to the Captain to check his position and told to leave the area.

Zorman said commercial fishing has risks and rewards and the temptation for some captains to enter into a closed area can be irresistible. However, some commercial fishing boats do have special access privileges to fish within a closed area.

While on a patrol, Murray is the eyes and ears of the mission. Once a vessel is identified, Murray can access information such as permits from a database to learn if a boat is allowed to fish in a certain location.

Scanning the radar screen he keeps track of the fleet.

"Sir, I have a contact," Murray said, then gives Pittman a heading.

Pittman drops down to about 100 feet to better identify the vessel that turns out to be a trawler.

Harvey reads the vessels identification number then types the information, including the location, into a laptop.

Several more fishing boats are located and their positions verified.

Soon they pass over the Boston shipping channel, and fly over massive petroleum tankers heading towards port.

With the patrol completed Pittman applies power to the engines and heads back to the Cape.

While cruising along the beaches along the Cape Cod National Seashore surfers decked out in wetsuits give a wave as the Falcon passes overhead.

At Monomoy Island Zorman radios the control tower to say they are on approach for landing.

Pittman turns the plane west towards home, flying into a setting sun.