NO FUNDS NO SAFETY
Funding is essential to ensure a high level of safety.
More than adequate Funding ensures that staff are remunerated correctly, which in turn attracts professionals to the fold. (not a problem here because the police pilots earn 55-65 K as cops, not crew)
Funding ensures proper hours flown during training, endorsements and check rides.
Funding ensures aircraft are properly maintained and up graded.
(WA needs turbine aircraft to provide any effective service)
Funding was the one commodity that I suggest that was severely restricted before this sorry and tragic mess.
I happen to know a pilot who has since left the wa air support operation and upon perusing his log book, 1.2 hours in a period of 1 year was spent by the Police on recurrent training. (no FUNDS) Everything else was paid for by the pilot.. (nothing unusual here, however this only encourages pilots to seek out cheap training)
It is a well known fact that the WA Police have had major funding problems and as the coroner is reported to have found, management were totally preoccupied with budget......
No Funding NO SAFETY.
Comments from Assistant Commissioners about maturity and openess are very empty, of absolutely no value at all and display how far removed from professional aviators the Police management is.
Especially when Management are now apparently paying 750 K compensation to each victims families in a quiet deal....
If that funding was spent on training and turbine aircraft in the first place instead of scrimping on budget, I doubt we would be making comment here.