Kent Police Helicopter
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: 1000ft above you, giving you the bird!
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Add to that the comms and camera capabilities and it makes a fairly compelling reason to look into it - the amount of 500ft days overcast / day/night is not huge in the scheme of hours flown - and a single turb with a decent driver in the right seat is going to be able to find a clear area in just about most cases other than maybe the four biggish cities.
How many machines are rented to ASU's on an effective ACMI basis??
Are there many on a min utilisation per annum but pay-as-you-go?
n
How many machines are rented to ASU's on an effective ACMI basis??
Are there many on a min utilisation per annum but pay-as-you-go?
n
Dennis,
I have no doubt that what you describe was fine then, but today our machines carry fairly heavy gyro stabilised TV cameras capable of daylight, lowlight and FLIR imaging. Digital microwave up ( & sometimes down ) link. Nightsun Illumination, GPS moving map nav systems, Public address systems and up to 4 & 5 onboard TV monitors. TCAS and advanced communications systems.
Now you might say that that is "overkill" but today when they are not trying to shut us down that is what our masters expect us to provide.- A full and comprehensive command and control facilitator.
I doubt if the enstrom, even in its latest form would even get off the ground with all that kit on board. Yes it can be cut down upon, but the resource will simply not be as effective. Remember too that a great deal of Police air ops today are at night and in adverse weather conditions.Police air ops need to be 24/7 to be really effective.
Someone asked about "Ownership "
With only a couple of exceptions the vast majority of UK Police aircraft are directly owned by the forces operating them. Pilots are directly employed and some forces even conduct their own maintenance operations. Very few machines are leased because of Govt grant aid to assist with purchase.
Tigerfish
I have no doubt that what you describe was fine then, but today our machines carry fairly heavy gyro stabilised TV cameras capable of daylight, lowlight and FLIR imaging. Digital microwave up ( & sometimes down ) link. Nightsun Illumination, GPS moving map nav systems, Public address systems and up to 4 & 5 onboard TV monitors. TCAS and advanced communications systems.
Now you might say that that is "overkill" but today when they are not trying to shut us down that is what our masters expect us to provide.- A full and comprehensive command and control facilitator.
I doubt if the enstrom, even in its latest form would even get off the ground with all that kit on board. Yes it can be cut down upon, but the resource will simply not be as effective. Remember too that a great deal of Police air ops today are at night and in adverse weather conditions.Police air ops need to be 24/7 to be really effective.
Someone asked about "Ownership "
With only a couple of exceptions the vast majority of UK Police aircraft are directly owned by the forces operating them. Pilots are directly employed and some forces even conduct their own maintenance operations. Very few machines are leased because of Govt grant aid to assist with purchase.
Tigerfish
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: upyours
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I just wonder where the rational is when one police force is cutting air ops and providing a diluted service, not best value for money IMHO, and another is dipping into its pocket to pay for air support from another county, another diluted service for Kent and Essex, and again not best value for money. These two solutions to the same problem seem to be polls apart, but neither achieve a good or cost effective solution.
The logic seems to be that in the end the UK could have one helicopter based in UK centre of mass and cover the whole area for next to nothing. Quite a saving and what an entry for the CV for the senior officer that puts it in place.
The logic seems to be that in the end the UK could have one helicopter based in UK centre of mass and cover the whole area for next to nothing. Quite a saving and what an entry for the CV for the senior officer that puts it in place.
Last edited by Fly_For_Fun; 12th Apr 2008 at 18:17.
