Dyfed Powys A109
Thomas Coupling, let me correct some errors on your post re the size of Force areas and the need for a 109 to improve response times.
Checking the latest police almanac clearly shows that the Dyfed Powys force area is larger than any area covered by any air support unit in England and Wales.
E.g
Dyfed Powys 2,704,305
North Wales 1,554,858
North East 2,124,132
Devon + Cornwall 2,530,516
Chiltern 2,093,073
South+East Wales 897,463
Central Counties 2,506,891
North Mids 1,183,775
(All figures shown in Acres)
The Dyfed Powys area is over 52% of Wales.
The only bigger force area is Strathclyde in Scotland.
Furthermore the argument put forward re commonality of type holds no water. North Wales, like some others may have used the Sheep approach and copied what others have bought. Surely what is more important is selecting an aircraft that meets the operational needs of the Police Authorities and public that it is to serve. When spending public money the selection process should be robust enough to stand scrutiny that the product is fit for task, not just buy the aircraft that the chief pilot or UEO prefers. Although many units assist each other with mutual aid they are generally all independently funded and run. Commonality of type would currently offer no operational or financial benefit.
I have it on good authority that Dyfed Powys committed to a rigorous selection process comparing all available types against a detailed mission profile that had been approved by the local ACPO. The operational capability, combined with the purchase costs and ongoing running cost were all taken into consideration.
The 109 was found to be by far the most capable compared to the mission profile AND have a cheaper purchase price (including a full NVG compatible cockpit, NOT available on the 135 or 902)
Given the recent history the force had had with their previous 109, the safety and capability of the type would have been the subject of considerable scrutiny by pilots, observers, ACPO and "bean counters" alike, before deciding to buy another. The fact that they have is testament to the advantages in performance and price that it offers.
Last edited by JoBurg; 6th Nov 2003 at 02:07.