New Met Aircraft

[old heliman]

TC, shooting from an a/c would actually require re-thinking from ICAO and the UK Government rather than CAA as it is contrary to the Chicago Convention to fire weapons from a civil a/c and as the UK is a signatory to that it would be illegal under that International Treaty. Don't ask how the Bundespolizei do it....if they do of course, not to mention the land of the free {except for those in detention camps of course :>) }

Before you ask TC.....soon.

[Thomas coupling]

That's what I said OH: ICAO (CAA as agents) and government (Home Office).

That soon eh?

[hangnail]

Sweaty

Originally Posted by aeromys

Just playing Devil's Advocate, if there existed an HO reccommendation that Police Air Ops heli's adopt a high conspicuous paint scheme, and a UEO chose to ignore that, and there was an air prox or even worse, a collision, who do we sue?

The UEO (who he?) must be sweating a bit then 'cos all the pictures I've seen of police aircraft flying over London in the past 20 years shows them in white livery - what's the current implication of that then, bearing in mind that the HO colour scheme has been about for quite a few years now?

And can I ask who's this 'we' as referred to in 'who do we sue?' Can I assume that you work on the London police unit then and are a bit uncomfortable with what's going on down there?

HN

[jayteeto]

Interesting about the sniping comments. In my past life we tried a bit of that, along with machine guns in the door. I learned one valuable lesson, air to ground gunnery is about as accurate as Dick Cheney's duck hunting.....

[PANews]

Just a few potentially constructive comments....

..... on the colours of the Met aircraft.

Their first AS355N [originally G-METD] G-SEPA picked up a conspicuity scheme a handfull of years ago but the other two never did follow suit and are unlikely to now the three BK117C2/145s are ordered to replace them.

...... on the hard-points

Specifying hard-points does not necessarily mean they will be fitted. The Bell 222 was delivered with a winch in 1980 but never actually used. Not specifying hard points would be VERY expensive [maybe impossible] if it was decided to use them later.

and finally on the German question

I think that it may be that the German Police aircraft [all or most] at classified as State Aircraft and therefore outside civil regulations. And no, I do not see how that is squared with apparently civil registrations!

[jayteeto]

The winch is already fitted to one of the airframes.

[FloaterNorthWest]

I believe I am correct in saying that they have bought one winch to share between the airframes.

FNW

[Thomas coupling]

One APC (white van) and two gun ships....I believe

[handysnaks]

and finally on the German question

I think that it may be that the German Police aircraft [all or most] at classified as State Aircraft and therefore outside civil regulations. And no, I do not see how that is squared with apparently civil registrations!

and ours are too!.....apparently