Orange County Sheriff's Department helicopter retires after 12 years

COSTA MESA, Calif. (KABC) -- After years of high-speed pursuits, high-flying search-and-rescues and even great white shark spotting, an Orange County Sheriff's Department helicopter known as "Duke 1" went on its final flight on Thursday.

No one knows Duke 1 better than David Tilstra. He was the first to fly it as part of his more than 29-year pilot career with the sheriff's department.

And after 12 years and more than 100,000 miles, Tilstra has also become the last man to fly Duke 1.

The chopper is being decommissioned and replaced with a newer model.

Watch Greg Lee's full report in the video above to watch Tilstra and his co-pilot go on Duke 1's final mission.