public transport/ aerial work and police flying (UK)

[Bertie Thruster]

I would appreciate some help from any ppruners with better current knowledge than me of UK police ops and aerial work.
I've been studying the following document (and the ANO) and I cannot see why UK police air support units with their own directly employed pilots and policemen as passengers must be "public transport" operations. Surely its aerial work? (Like the directly employed electricity inspection operations)
www.caa.co.uk/docs/122/summary_of_public_transport.pdf
(...and if its aerial work then there would be no age 60 single pilot limitation? .........on the other hand there wouldn't be an FTL!)
Also does anyone know if the insurance companies hike up owners’ premiums (in an ageist way!) for post age 60 pilots doing aerial work?
Regards, BT (age 55 )

[handysnaks]

I think para 2.2.3 and para 4.3 are the reasons why its public transport.

[ShyTorque]

It wouldn't have taken much for the CAA to have granted certain exemptions for PAOC holders with regard to this. Again it inevitably brings up discussion of whether or not Police Observers are crew or pax.

Most often, police aircraft are used to "make inspections" of items on the ground, after all. A few collars, which hopefully will be felt shortly afterwards.

[Bertie Thruster]

Handy;Doesnt para 2.2.3 state if the passengers are employees of the air transport undertaking then its not public transport?

[paco]

It's true that the ANO does not distinguish between crew and "passengers", but since the CAA has not formally asked for any exemptions to JAR OPS (as far as I am aware), I would suggest that JAR OPS should take precedence (but don't quote me in court!). Flights with observers only are indeed "private" flights, but if you charge between forces, there needs to be some formal structure. That was the original reason for the PAOC system I believe.

WPD works for other electricity companies, but they are at least in the same group (loosely!) so only about 1% of the flights are public transport. They would be better off without an AOC.
Phil

[handysnaks]

Bertie, I think the relevant part is;
'An AOC holder is almost bound to be an air transport undertaking'
Although I admit we hold a 'P'AOC rather than an AOC! As you well know, most, if not all Police Helicopters in the UK also occasionally carry casualties and often carry other passengers (look at the list of CAA approved passengers in the PAOM).

[What Limits]

Stop wasting bandwidth you lot !

[Spunk]

Good to see that the mother country of OPS3 is as confused as the rest of Europe.:}