This is getting a bit like teaching a pig to dance.................achieves nothing but annoys the pig!!
Paarmo, I am a police Officer and I am Policing, every day, but from a helicoper. I catch burglars.........3 up to now tonigh
. Being a Police Officer I use my experience to add value to whatever role I am posted to.
As regards your facile comments to Fortyodd2. When we arrive over a task, we take on the role of Ground Commander, in effect 'Bronze'. Officers on the ground respect our position (800ft AGL) and experience and do what they are told/asked, we have a better overview than anyone at the scene and regularly Inspectors and above will defer to our judgment and expirtise.
As regards a civilian doing my job, YES!! it can be done easily,
1. Take the Police entrance exam and pass it
2. Get through the two year probationary period
3. Keep applying or Air Operations one day you may get it.
There you go civilian to Air Observer in 5 to 20 years.
Which nicely leads me onto my final point. When a Police Officer attends a basic Air observer course and fails it they are put into another policing role, when you set on a new civilian observer and send them on a course and they fail it you now have a very well paid driver handy person.
If you want to PM me and you are close by I can arrange a visit for you to my unit, perhaps then you will have some of your burning questions answered, we may even let you out again.
