Originally Posted by
black.beard
Proved?
I politely suggest that perhaps some of us have different definitions of the word "Prove". All I can see is opinions, based upon inaccuracies and assumptions.
Unless you expect an official statement from NPAS admitting they completely messed this up, what else do you expect?
However, as an ex police chief pilot, also a fixed wing CPL holder, at least I do have a certain amount of knowledge of the job and I keep in contact with some ex colleagues who remain in the role.
The police spent a very large amount of public money on these aircraft and new accommodation for them, including a long lease agreement for the hangar at Doncaster airport, despite professional advice that they were far from ideal for the role. They spent a lot more public money gaining for an icing clearance for them, which it appears they didn’t initially understand would be needed. They were advertised as more capable in this respect than existing helicopters, which was false at the time. They use relatively ancient piston engines when many of the larger airfields open at night no longer supply the AVGAS they need, limiting where they can be flown and radius of operation. Also, these are high wing aircraft with relatively small windows which means that when turning on scene (which they must continually do, of course, being unable to hover) the job is more difficult to keep in the line of sight. The restricted payload of the type means that only one observer can be carried, rather than the two previously carried on helicopters and initially planned for, which only incredibly only became apparent to the hierarchy after the deal was done.
None of those points are just my opinion.
Now they are to be disposed of, after very few years of productive service. If they were fit for purpose, they would be kept for many more years.