Good new for all those Ppruners out there that have been waiting with anticipation for the Met's new EC145 airframes to go operational. The wait is nearly over!!!!
I understand that a small number of the Met's eight pilots have recently completed their type rating on the EC145 type whilst at Eurocopter, Germany. The very same pilots are now currently completing a familiarisation course with MacAlpine Helicopters, Oxfordshire with the remaining pilots to complete the necessary training in due course.
The police observers will also be undertaking further training on the updated and more advanced equipment that has been installed within the the EC145 airframe on their arrival to the Lippits.
I believe the first aircraft is due to arrive and to go operational at Lippits Hill within the next few weeks (date to be confirmed) and the second and third helicopters to arrive over the coming year.
The intention is to type rate all the Met pilots on the new aircraft as quickly as possible prior and to the arrival of the remaining two new aircraft so the Met can dispense with the existing 3 X AS355N as not to finance and keep the pilots rated on two types of aircraft at the same time.
As a result of with the arrival of the new helicopters shortly, for the first time in many years the Metropolitan Police Service/Authority have injected a large funding of cash into the ASU in order to take modern police aviation in to the next decade.
New hangar doors have, or are about to be installed to cater for the EC145 and a heli-strip is due, again if not already completed, to be constructed within a "stone's throw" of the current T/O & Ldg area.
Not sure at the present time whether the CAT "A" T/O and Ldg will be continued?
I for one have been looking forward to seeing and hearing the new aircraft operating above London and the southeast. The Met police are taking police aviation forward into unknown areas (policing operations) and breaking new bounderies. Never before as this type of aircraft been seen operating over the United Kingdom on a military, civilian or police capability before and only anticipate that other police services with the financing will follow in due course to aquire this type of aircraft for policing.
I am a fairly new contributer to Pprune, but have been a persistant reader for the last few years. My objective to Pprune is to convey a factual account of correct information and don't believe in pure assumption or lies. Therefore, If anyone believes that any of the above information is incorrect, fellow Ppruners please feel free to correct me to the above in order that all Ppruners have been conveyed the correct information.
