Police Aviation...............safety problem or not ?
I am looking for response / comment on the following set of circumstances.................
This tale relates to a Police aviation unit, operating light helicopters on a 24/7 basis. It is a single pilot operation with the 2 observers trained to support the pilot aswell as the policing of incidents when deployed. Cops coming onto the unit complete a 3 week basic course, covering basic met/ nav and a brief introduction to role equipment. Once appointed to the unit further online training is carried out with the cop being mentored by a training officer for 10 weeks................getting the picture.
2 officers complete the course, this is a pass or fail course, lots to take in during the 3 weeks. 1 student makes reasonable progress with the nav, while the other student struggles with their "finds" and repeatedly fails to call on-route hazards to the pilot, this continues throughout the course.
Come line-check day student No1 acheives a pass, student No2 fails......................
student No1 continues training, while student No2 is returned to normal duties and does not continue training.
The 2 course trainers & the line check pilot concur student no2 fails..................the course notes recorded on student No2 support this, and the line check report conducted on the third week of the course is endorsed..."fail "
There then follows the usual political wrangles, student no1 returns to normal duties to await appointment to the unit, and student No2 is no more...................
However, student no2 makes representations, and is offered a further 4 weeks of training to bring them up to standard, sufficient to pass the line check.
Taking into account this is a single pilot operation, what are the readers thoughts, is it correct that student no2 gets further training ?, is it essential that observers call on route hazards to the pilot, or is that simply "his job".?
Student No2 was totally maxxed out with the nav side of the course, with no more capacity to add on use of role equipment, additional thinking..............is student No2 a liabilty to the safety of the aircraft ?
would love to hear your thoughts please.................