RAF Woodvale Broken Into
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RAF Woodvale Broken Into
For those that rolled their eyes when the West Midlands police helicopter was attacked at Birmingham Airport.
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Merseyside | Police pursue helicopter vandals
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Merseyside | Police pursue helicopter vandals
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Security Breach at RAF Woodvale - Helicopter Attacked
Liverpool Echo.co.uk - News - Liverpool Local News - Police helicopter attacked at RAF Woodvale
This is mentioned on Rotorheads forum as well. Seems a 4x4 drove on to the back of the airfield and exited 'through' the main barrier. Luckily(Joke!) they were after the rozzers, not the UAS's.
This is mentioned on Rotorheads forum as well. Seems a 4x4 drove on to the back of the airfield and exited 'through' the main barrier. Luckily(Joke!) they were after the rozzers, not the UAS's.
I'm reminded of the time (was anyone else there?) at Woodvale , when a crowd of us was watching Top of the Pops one early evening, when a couple of chaps in overalls knocked on the TV room door, entered, apologised for the inconvenience, but explained that the TV had to go back to the shop for a minor fix, to be returned in the next couple of days. We all watched with mild annoyance, which was soon forgotten when the senior officer present used it as an excuse to open the bar half an hour earlier.
It was some weeks later when someone noted that the TV had been missing a long time for just a minor repair, when it was discovered to have been half hitched!!
Such was the security of Woodvale in the early 70's.
Looks like things haven't changed, 'cept I see from Google Earth that Victor, Valiant and Vulcan blocks have gone.
(ooh, afterthought.... the happy memories of those peanut blocks with all sorts of shennanigans with ladies from IMMarsh (sp) and other colleges around the area coming to our weekly thrashes in the Mess.
The pleasures of UAS's, are they still the same?
It was some weeks later when someone noted that the TV had been missing a long time for just a minor repair, when it was discovered to have been half hitched!!
Such was the security of Woodvale in the early 70's.
Looks like things haven't changed, 'cept I see from Google Earth that Victor, Valiant and Vulcan blocks have gone.
(ooh, afterthought.... the happy memories of those peanut blocks with all sorts of shennanigans with ladies from IMMarsh (sp) and other colleges around the area coming to our weekly thrashes in the Mess.
The pleasures of UAS's, are they still the same?
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
mally35
MightyGem
Mighty Gem. Just out of interest where were the crew at the time of the attack?
Mixing it with the attackers.
Don't know what your agenda was with that remark, but go crawl back into your little hole!
So how do you protect a plod chopper?
Having recently had our local plod chopper move into our local RAF airfield, for some extra protection, how are they going to protect it now, given the efforts that the neerdowells appear to be willing go to, to disable them?
The SAS proved how easy it was to destroy aircraft on the ground in North Africa, 65+ years ago, all the time that the attacker has the element of surprise. The boys & girls manning the plastic drainpipe lifting barrier won't stop much with their SA80 peashooters if the attacking 4x4 is protected with some well placed sandbags and armoured panels.
Maybe the Normans had the right idea and the helicopter will need a moat round it, or it will have to 'nest' on top of a tall building?
The SAS proved how easy it was to destroy aircraft on the ground in North Africa, 65+ years ago, all the time that the attacker has the element of surprise. The boys & girls manning the plastic drainpipe lifting barrier won't stop much with their SA80 peashooters if the attacking 4x4 is protected with some well placed sandbags and armoured panels.
Maybe the Normans had the right idea and the helicopter will need a moat round it, or it will have to 'nest' on top of a tall building?
Last edited by Mechta; 14th Oct 2009 at 02:09. Reason: typo
Indeed mechta, if the oiks in question are just going after the helicopter, the L85's dont enter the equation. What the guys on the gate need is a big stick! (Or perhaps a dog...)
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I actually support the Protection dog idea. Perhaps we could use a couple that have just come back from the Stan?
Or are protection dogs classed as an offensive weapon?
There is something psycological about an angry german shepard with bared teeth bounding towards you that focusses the mind.
IF the tossers shoot the dog, I would say you have ample rights to use the rifle on them. It could be you next.
Or are protection dogs classed as an offensive weapon?
There is something psycological about an angry german shepard with bared teeth bounding towards you that focusses the mind.
IF the tossers shoot the dog, I would say you have ample rights to use the rifle on them. It could be you next.
How to put a plod chopper out of action
Having had a think overnight how easily one might disable the plod chopper, here's a low risk approach. Naturally, one has no desire to get shot/injured/do porridge, so its slightly more high tech than would be required.
1. Fake a temporary 'unescorted' pass
2. Drive crash vehicle onto camp & park it up in one of the 'long term car parks'
3. Return to camp with 'getaway' vehicle (could be a bicycle)
4. Wait until its dark
5. Move crash vehicle to within sight of target
6. Position oneself in sight of target
7. Using previously installed remote control (easy with electric power steering and automatic transmission - they do it on Top/Fifth Gear all the time) drive crash vehicle as fast as possible into cockpit of helicopter.
8. Make escape in a slow, orderly fashion on bicycle in resulting confusion.
No heroics needed ramming barriers getting into the camp, no getting shot at, no raising the alarm before the crash vehicle is on final run in, so hopefully no porridge!
How long before we see Police helicopters parked in revetments, or even hardened aircraft shelters?
1. Fake a temporary 'unescorted' pass
2. Drive crash vehicle onto camp & park it up in one of the 'long term car parks'
3. Return to camp with 'getaway' vehicle (could be a bicycle)
4. Wait until its dark
5. Move crash vehicle to within sight of target
6. Position oneself in sight of target
7. Using previously installed remote control (easy with electric power steering and automatic transmission - they do it on Top/Fifth Gear all the time) drive crash vehicle as fast as possible into cockpit of helicopter.
8. Make escape in a slow, orderly fashion on bicycle in resulting confusion.
No heroics needed ramming barriers getting into the camp, no getting shot at, no raising the alarm before the crash vehicle is on final run in, so hopefully no porridge!
How long before we see Police helicopters parked in revetments, or even hardened aircraft shelters?
Last edited by Mechta; 14th Oct 2009 at 16:41. Reason: changed to third person
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Mighty Gem has his hands tied a little in that he can't really tell 'everything' that happened (yet). To all the police and security bashers out there, there is no way on heaven or earth that the aircrew could be criticised. In fact I hope that they get a commendation for their reaction, they did not lose in single second in their robust and determined protection of the aircraft. 
Just remember the security at Greenham Common was vast, the protesters still regularly got in. The security guys at Woodvale do the very best they can with the assets available.
Just remember the security at Greenham Common was vast, the protesters still regularly got in. The security guys at Woodvale do the very best they can with the assets available.
Duncan DS, Am I mental? I hope not, but I do wonder about the people who buy our law enforcers helicopters, put programmes on the TV every night to show how effective they are against the lowlifes, yet:
1 Fail to have the foresight to see that these same lowlifes have an awful lot to gain by destroying these helicopters.
2. Fail to take reasonable precautions to protect them (and this is no slur against those on the ground who currently guard them).
I ask myself who insures these aircraft? With at least three vandalised now, the premiums must be astronomical; Or do the Police self-insure? Either way it is Joe Council Tax-Payer picking up the bill (
no pun intended).
We now appear to have a class of aircraft which is at less risk when in the air than parked up on the ground.
1 Fail to have the foresight to see that these same lowlifes have an awful lot to gain by destroying these helicopters.
2. Fail to take reasonable precautions to protect them (and this is no slur against those on the ground who currently guard them).
I ask myself who insures these aircraft? With at least three vandalised now, the premiums must be astronomical; Or do the Police self-insure? Either way it is Joe Council Tax-Payer picking up the bill (
no pun intended). We now appear to have a class of aircraft which is at less risk when in the air than parked up on the ground.
I still say there must be hundreds of retired Ghurkas in the country who would be only too willing to form a security force to protect these (and ambulance helicopters too - they won't be immune from your average imbecilic vandal with an IQ of 2). And guarding these assets, they should be authorised to carry their Kukris.