UK Police To Get Six New Helicopters
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UK Police To Get Six New Helicopters
The UK Government is funding the purchase of six new EC-135P2i helicopters.
They will be assigned to Police Units in Suffolk, Cheshire, North Wales, Cleveland, Midlands and Chilterns.
EC aircraft comprise 76% of the UK Police helicopter fleet.
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SASless, It's good to hear that at last there is to be some commonality and hopefully some aircraft same-type backup for the UK police.
So how long before we have a Police Air Wing or Police Air Force?
The UK Government is funding the purchase of six new EC-135P2i helicopters.
They will be assigned to Police Units in Suffolk, Cheshire, North Wales, Cleveland, Midlands and Chilterns.
They will be assigned to Police Units in Suffolk, Cheshire, North Wales, Cleveland, Midlands and Chilterns.
So how long before we have a Police Air Wing or Police Air Force?
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Fit Winches to them and you have a real force multiplier.....
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Oh, SASLess, you can't bring common sense to play here it is the UK, aviation and the Home Office............
The police forces concerned have been working together for some time to get these aircraft. Most of the 6 are replacements - Cleveland is a special case involving the break up of an existing consortium. They were forced to upgrade because the CAA changed the rules so that they all had to have a SPIFR helicopter (or use 2 pilots) for night flying. They were encouraged to do a bulk purchase. EC said they would do a discount, if they were all the same. As usual the Home office will give a major part of the capital cost as a grant.
The Home Office has made a clear statement of policy on countless occasions that there will be national this or regional that for policing. The Chief Constables and individual police authorities just ignore them.......... But this time could just be different possibly.[But you and I will be retired long before it happens]
But really winches! They might then be useful for a host of things. Except that the CAA will insist on OEI OGE hover capability, so you will have to use children or similar on the winch.
It will be interesting to see how the Met fare with their EC145s, winches and fast-roping kit. I would guess they will eventually beat the CAA into submission, but only as a special case that won't apply to other UK police.
The message from history is try and avoid a series of serious accidents when you introduce aviation into your operation. Otherwise you will get the Feds crawling all over you. The rest of Europe seems to do fine with the police operating state aircraft, but not here for now.
The police forces concerned have been working together for some time to get these aircraft. Most of the 6 are replacements - Cleveland is a special case involving the break up of an existing consortium. They were forced to upgrade because the CAA changed the rules so that they all had to have a SPIFR helicopter (or use 2 pilots) for night flying. They were encouraged to do a bulk purchase. EC said they would do a discount, if they were all the same. As usual the Home office will give a major part of the capital cost as a grant.
The Home Office has made a clear statement of policy on countless occasions that there will be national this or regional that for policing. The Chief Constables and individual police authorities just ignore them.......... But this time could just be different possibly.[But you and I will be retired long before it happens]
But really winches! They might then be useful for a host of things. Except that the CAA will insist on OEI OGE hover capability, so you will have to use children or similar on the winch.
It will be interesting to see how the Met fare with their EC145s, winches and fast-roping kit. I would guess they will eventually beat the CAA into submission, but only as a special case that won't apply to other UK police.
The message from history is try and avoid a series of serious accidents when you introduce aviation into your operation. Otherwise you will get the Feds crawling all over you. The rest of Europe seems to do fine with the police operating state aircraft, but not here for now.
Last edited by Helinut; 9th Mar 2009 at 23:18. Reason: Edits & Emoticons
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i believe the cleveland one is for us smoggies as the mackams and geordies didnt wana pay their part of the bill to keep the 2 helicopters up here and decided to run with one from newcastle airport instead of 1 at each local airport (NCL & MME) so our local authority is going to run with one for us to be based at teesside airport.
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Any news if Lothian & Borders are getting one?
We here at Strathclyde seem to like rejecting Lothian's calls for a heli unless "urgent and lifethreatning"
We here at Strathclyde seem to like rejecting Lothian's calls for a heli unless "urgent and lifethreatning"
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Does anybody know who is giving this one a home?
MD 900 Explorer MSN 900-00128
Photos were taken in June last year and judging by the paint scheme it looks to be heading to Blighty!
MD 900 Explorer MSN 900-00128
Photos were taken in June last year and judging by the paint scheme it looks to be heading to Blighty!
As Helinut said, don't read too much into this. It's just 6 Police Forces whose aircraft were due for replacement, getting together to put in a bulk order thereby getting a substantial discount. So, don't go rushing to update your CV's as there are no new jobs being created.
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So, don't go rushing to update your CV's as there are no new jobs being created.
Does the UK Govt also buy the HEMS / AA operators machines, or is watching a bad guy more important than saving a life?
I understand that Police have the night HEMS role: is that to be continued? Are they permitted to do night scene landings on NVG yet?
I understand that Police have the night HEMS role: is that to be continued? Are they permitted to do night scene landings on NVG yet?
Hovering AND talking
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UK HEMS and Air Ambulance services are operated through charities and it is those charities who provide the helicopters. There is very little night HEMS in the UK and only a handful of police helicopters double up as HEMS; I can't think of any police unit that operates night HEMS as standard. And no, they don't use NVG.
Cheers
Whirls
Cheers
Whirls
Thread Starter
Night scene landings on NVG's in the UK?
Best open up another Thread just for that answer and the explanation for why Night EMS in the UK is basically non-existent....and will remain so.
Best open up another Thread just for that answer and the explanation for why Night EMS in the UK is basically non-existent....and will remain so.