Has JP been sponsoring Police Aviation News?!...
http://www.policeaviationnews.com/Ac...2012PANews.pdf
EDITORIAL
Regularly within these pages are stories that illustrate some of the yawning differences that can be seen in the industry—of differing values and cultures.
In the UK one man stepped forwards to volunteer his time and resources to help out one local fire department with a helicopter he owns. He is a man with the financial resources to comfortable undertake the limited degree of aid he was offering and on the face of it he was able to display the ability and significant flight hours as well. On a well known professional pilots Internet forum he was vilified for making the offer and many of them, mainly those who did not know him, made negative assumptions about his capabilities as a pilot. Similar negative attitudes can be seen in relation to many modern offers to volunteer in the Kingdom and that includes the fliers of Sky Watch CAP – it is perhaps fortunate that the lifeboats service [RNLI] was set up in more understanding Victorian times or perhaps half the nation would have drowned in the meantime.
Contrast that with the page 18 story from the USA where such public service is common and volunteering for the public good is accepted as the only possible option for many hard pressed local US communities.
Strangely the story from Montana was quoted in the thread that so vilified one Englishman’s offer to provide public service without cost – but to no avail his offer continued to be viewed with suspicion and denigrated just as that of most volunteers.
I do not know which community of fliers has right on its side but I do know which I respect most!
A Happy and prosperous New Year to you all!
Bryn Elliott
Sorry, Bryn but I must respectfully disagree. Speculation as to the chap's motivation aside, we're missing two crucial elements here: selection and training. Having so many 'holes in the cheese' lined up before a rotor blade even turns is worrying and must surely ring some alarm bells.
Cheers,
135