New police helicopter images

[bell222]

just wondered if anyone had any images of the new south wales 135 and also the new garda 135 thanks in advance :ok:

[Brilliant Stuff]

They are still building the south wales machine, I saw it on Saturday on low skids with the nightsun hanging on the front though the interior was mostly finished it seemed. Shame they have a trimble/freeflight GPS installed.

[bell222]

Thanks for that, i thought that G-WONN was going to be online by feb 1st ?

[bell222]

does anyone know what the greater manchester police will be doing with their old 902 once the new one is ready, will they keep it and sell the bn 4000 defender or sell the 902 and keep the plane ? :ok: thanks!!!!!!

[serf]

How are they transporting it to Australia?

[bell222]

sorry i do not follow more details please :ok:

[imabell]

new south wales is a state of australia, :ok::E

[If all else fails]

muffled laughter

[HeliCraig]

Yep, took me a little while to get that one too! :D

Mind you, I had to read it twice - and check G-INFO - as I had my police forces mixed up. I thought Dyfed Powys were swapping their A109 when I initially read it. My mistake!!

[bell222]

just wiped the egg off my face :hmm:

[bell222]

seriously now children does anyone have any info re the GMP ASU thanks :ok::ok:

[FloaterNorthWest]

bell222,

Old 902 being sold/traded in and Defender has a long and secure future.

FNW

[bell222]

Thanks for your input FNW i assume pas will be taking it for hems or police
use, any ideas as to what it will become :ok:

[serf]

Sharpen up guys! :D

[maxdrypower]

Yep the GUMPS defender will be kicking around for a while yet , it serves a different purpose than the heli , although it can accomplish both roles. Only a force not a million miles from there operates an islander only , and not for much longer

[cptjim]

Not sure what will be happening with G-GMPS but have some pics of the new 902 from Staverton....

http://egbj.fotopic.net/p47731214.html
http://egbj.fotopic.net/p47731116.html
http://www.aeroboek.nl/900/00122.HTM

New Explorer to be assigned G-GMPX

[bell222]

when is g-chez going to be replaced and what machine will take its place :ok:

[maxdrypower]

I am led to believe it will be 2010 and replaced with a 135 but Im out of the loop now so not 100%

[malaprop]

Although it can accomplish both roles


Maxdrypower, I don't think so. :ugh:

[maxdrypower]

Really and how is that ??? A role equipped defender cannot carry out the same role as a role equipped heli ? is that what you are banging your head against the wall for ??? G - Chez seems to do a bloody good job of it

[malaprop]

Different beasts, different capabilities, specialisms and running costs. They can each do a certain amount of the other's work and when used wisely can complement each other, but to say they can do the same job is just plain wrong.

[maxdrypower]

No it isnt , GMP quite often use the defender if the heli is down as other islander forces use helis when theirs are down . It is not the role for which the defender is operated by them for but it is certainly capable .So apart from Nightsun and capability to land , what is the 902 can do that the defender cannot ?????

[timex]

Hover..........move around bad weather, "safely" operate lower?

[malaprop]

Long range work, surveillance, general purpose photos - fixed wing by far the best.

Detailed, intricate searches, fast response close range work, filming some scrote as he jigs around the back alleys discarding evidence - rotary every time.

A whole range of work in between for which each has an advantage or disadvantage.

If fixed wing can do just as well at everything, why are there 3 fixed wing [not counting the ones we know don't exist] versus 10 times as many rotary? Fixed wing can do about 75% of what a helicopter can do at less than half the cost, but it's that remaining 25% most police operators feel is indispensible and therefore worth the extra. Some forces have elected to go down the fixed wing route on grounds of cost, and have avoided awkward questions about the above ratios; all credit to North East for sacking the Teesside Islander and getting a second rotary, because for their requirements that's what's most effective.

[maxdrypower]

There are disadvantages and advantages to both granted what I was saying was that the defender can accomplish the role of the heli when necessary . No it cant hover , so what? move around wx ???? that lost me a bit are we saying fixed wing aircraft can only fly in straight lines? and operate safely lower ?? to what end ? Yes they can go lower and move slightly slower but at 60 kts at 1000ft the job can be accomplished just as well with the modern camera systems, in fact some systems are not good at all much lower .
Yes Helis are better for the police role and most forces who use islanders do so cos they are penny pinching eejits and any ASU worth its salt would elect to have a rotary , that is not the debate . The point is which of the following can not be accomplished by an islander :-
Pursuits
Persons searches
Photographic tasks
Incident management tasks
Surveillance
I could go on
apart from casevacs and the very infrequent "land on to arrest" They can do the job when necessary . Its not really worth a head banging "I dont think so" is it .
In fact in the long long career I have had in asu's both fixed wing and rotary the only difference I have noticed in capabilities is in that of the observers. It is much easier to be an observer in a heli for many different reasons but to the troops on the ground it makes no difference at all. The end result is almost always the same .
But hey at the end of the day every observer and pilot knows Rotary is way more fun and thats what we should all have . and have CSO's observing in them := no wait thats wrong I think :ugh:

[fkelly]

Seconds out, round three...:p

[bell222]

re cptjims post no 16 third picture lynn tilton.............. i would :)

[maxdrypower]

hmmmmmmmmmm

[Droopy]

hmmm indeed... too scary for most of us I fear. So Phil R is chief pilot now? Must be busy fitting in those duties along with the UEO role...

[bell222]

Is the south & east wales 135 G-WONN online yet & does anybody have any images of it thanks :ok:

[BusinessMan]

222, not sure if the SWales 135 is technically 'online' but it's sure been flying around the area for the last few weeks (at least) and I haven't seen/heard the 355 since. It was at Swansea this morn refuelling and if you'd posted 24hrs earlier I'd have grabbed a pic for you - sorry ;)

Cheers, BM

[Thud_and_Blunder]

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa61/Rough_and_Toothless/_DCC2303.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa61/Rough_and_Toothless/_DCC2307.jpg

...and a wee self-portrait...

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa61/Rough_and_Toothless/_DCC2309-1.jpg

[cptjim]

Nice photos!

I notice that the avionics pod is missing from the belly and that the low skids are fitted, is this because Bond are now supplying the aircraft and not McAlpine?

Jim :ok:

[scruggs]

She's a beaut!

S

[widgeon]

What do they do to balance all that fwd mass from the SX16 and Flir pod ?.

[bell222]

why is the camera light blue in colour compared with darker blues on other asu's

thanks :ok:

[aeromys]

Hows the CofG with all that on the front?

[Thud_and_Blunder]

How's the CofG? Better than the Kuwaiti T1 CPDS, which had all that gubbins PLUS a clunky old CRT screen and VHS recorder fwd in the cabin. Not to mention aircon, sand filters and WSPS; even though the last-mentioned is only around 6kg, it's at the extreme front end and not user removable. Oh, did I forget to mention the winch? Just as well it never came out of its box - they didn't have the appropriate skid-step... :ugh:

[Thomas coupling]

Great to see S Wales join the rest of the industry finally - best wishes for your operations.

It does concern me that on the one hand the paint scheme makes an attempt at complying with conspicuity and then falls flat on its face by checkerboarding the tail cone and fin.
Defeating the whole ethos of conspicuity.
I think some forces have forgotten what it's all about.

This is going to be one bitch of an a/c to spot against a busy background.
I hope they'll be flying with both their landing/hover lights on.

[eurocopter beans]

why no conspicuity paint scheme on the garda helis?

[bolkow]

I saw here airborne yesterday evening in the Pontarddulais area of Swansea. First time I have heard an ec135 that close. As it passed over the first time even the kids popped thier heads up, it sounds quite distinct though we all agreed its not exactly a quiet machine, quite a bit of noise from it as far as I could see (I mean hear!)

[Lightning_Boy]

......and that was with the whisper mode turned on :eek:

:ok:

[Northskycop]

A 135 is quieter than most, it's noise footprint is a lot smaller, although it doesn't sound it in the dead of night. Agree with Thomas Coupling, patterned paint schemes equal camoflage. Different coloured cameras usually means a spare pod??

[bolkow]

Actually it was in the early evening though the area I live in is quiet. When it first flew over we all jerked our head up before I ran outside. We knew it was a heli but not a helui sound any of us had heard before. It did not sound quieter than the bolkow to me though, but that could be just my perception I suppose.

[jayteeto]

I would love to see G-CHEZ keeping the camera on someone garden hopping in Anfield with an 800' cloudbase and poor visibility. Narrow streets and low cloud is helicopter country. However, horses for courses means that the Islander can do things the helicopter can't, like get there faster and stay up longer. :ok:

[Thomas coupling]

Not when it means taking 10 minutes to taxi out and ask for line up and immediate takeoff!! What is it's maximum speed again???

[J.A.F.O.]

Surely G-WONN should have been the Garda aircraft.

Ah, g-wonn, g-wonn, g-wonn.

[A643]

The reason for the pod being blue in colour is that it is a cover, or at least that is what I have been led to believe.

As for the registration, I think that G-WONN is for "Whiskey Oscar Nine Nine" the internal (SWP) unit identifier on their Command & Control system.

[Lightning_Boy]

The blue Pod is a Leo, the new Star Saphire has turned up this week and is to be fitted to the a/c soon. HD thermal etc..nice piece of kit!

[Roofus]

TC

I haven't been on that unit for some time. But when G-SAEW met it's untimely demise & was replaced by G-SEWP, it was felt by the hierachy that having SEWP the same colour may concern the good people of Wales.
As such an adaption of the blue/ yellow scheme was used to ensure SAEW & SEWP were never mixed up by concerned members of the public.

Cannot comment on it being carried on to the 135. But I think it's :ok:

Glad the South Wales consortium have finally got the machine they deserve!

Safe Flying boys!!

[MightyGem]

I notice that the avionics pod is missing from the belly and that the low skids are fitted, is this because Bond are now supplying the aircraft and not McAlpine?
I think you'll find that McAlpines(or EurocopterUK as it's now known as) supplied the aircraft to Bond.

The pod is a customer option. It has the advantage of moving all the black boxes for the mission equipment out of the aircraft cabin.

[Sulley]

All Bond 135's are low skid -can't have floats on high skid (a/c with pod)

[500 Fan]

The Garda Air Support Unit was mentioned earlier so here are two photos of the first two ships in the fleet.

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn274/Bolkow1/IMG_0912.jpg
Copyright;500 Fan.

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn274/Bolkow1/IMG_0672.jpg
Copyright;500 Fan.

Both photos were taken in September 2007. The AS355N was rumoured to be going to Jamaica at one point but I think it eventually went to the UK. Can anyone confirm this?

272 is the newer EC135T2. 254 is the Britten Norman Defender also in use. It may well have been a first (and a last) but 254, 256 and 272 were all airborne over Dublin City simultaneously at certain times during the visit of The Queen in May last year.

500 Fan.

[Savoia]

Great shots 500! :ok:

Someone mentioned earlier on that 255 had gone to Norway and that he had recently flown her?

Are these Garda aircraft the only Police ships in Eire?

[bolkow]

I can confirm that the air corps ships are the only police ones currently flying. I have sometimes wondered why the likes of Bond have not tendered in the way they have in the UK. Guess if they had been they would be also trying to find work for their redundant ships now also?
I do recall reading that the initial 135 had very poor range, so much so that they often sent the squirrel to the jobs that came up on the west coast, though I believe the younger 135 has all the grunt of a T2+

[Savoia]

Garda Síochána

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-NKsfUr2BdfA/T0SIEAmIwJI/AAAAAAAAIAM/-DGooky04tM/s207/Garda%2520S%25C3%25ADoch%25C3%25A1na%2520ASU%2520Badge.jpg

Anyone with any knowledge on the history and current operations of the Garda Síochána?

I believe this was their first aircraft:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PybC9gpVTCs/T0SDbzyBp2I/AAAAAAAAH_s/_yOJTekYCdM/s500/GardaSierra255d.jpg
AS355N 'Garda Sierra 255'