And to top it all off, it appears that even the NPIA disagree with the specialist classification of the Observer role made by the Winsor report.
NPIA: Fitness Standards for Specialist Roles
On the 18 January 2012 the Chief's Constables Council agreed to support new job related fitness tests for specialist posts which were developed by the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales Fitness Working Group. They include fitness standards for 13 specialist posts...
..including Air Support !
Final report, dated 22 Jan 2012, here;
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...RY_rtYfFMeXANg
In Appendix 3
Specialist Policing Roles/Duties Definitions, we find
Air Support(AS)
p.s. Don't mention that the Winsor report itself currently refers to Air Support as a specialist role!