> Hope no one thinks I'm the FBI in a ratty old C172
C172 and C182 both make fine planes for running surveillance. They're inexpensive (to buy and operate), reliable, inconspicuous, and have enough space and useful load to tack on specialized equipment. I used to own a 182 that was originally owned by the Washington State Police. While in WSP service, it was modified to have an automotive-style muffler for "stealth" surveillance.
The California Highway Patrol mostly uses—or used, as of 10-ish years ago—206s. I know this because a member of my flying club was a patrolman who was trying to get enough hours in a C206 to switch to aerial patrols. We went on a couple of mountain flying trips to Colorado together.
According to him, the state much preferred to take cops and turn them into pilots, than to take pilots and turn them into cops. But anyone who wanted to go that route had to pay for their own flight time. (Commercial rating requires 250 hours, and I think they wanted at least a hundred hours "time in type." I don't think they required an ATP rating, but my recollection about that could be incorrect.)
Yeah, I'm largely joking here, as I've seen a C172 in livery of the state police here before, and I don't think it was a new one either. The cops have payments to make too.
206s seems to be the most popular out there. Plenty of room in the back for the surveillance gear and there's a few companies that cater to fitting in all the gear in there (FLIR/TV tracking pod, additional radio gear etc.).
The step up are the B1900s that CBP has which have additional sensor capabilities.
B1900 is a few steps up. They have single engine turboprops (Pilatus PC-12 and Cessna Caravan) and the much more common ex-military King Air (the B1900's smaller ancestor.)
C172 and C182 both make fine planes for running surveillance. They're inexpensive (to buy and operate), reliable, inconspicuous, and have enough space and useful load to tack on specialized equipment. I used to own a 182 that was originally owned by the Washington State Police. While in WSP service, it was modified to have an automotive-style muffler for "stealth" surveillance.