Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Rotorheads
Reload this Page >

NPAS News 2018

Rotorheads A haven for helicopter professionals to discuss the things that affect them

NPAS News 2018

Old 10th Jan 2018, 19:49
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Warrington, UK
Posts: 3,832
Received 71 Likes on 27 Posts
NPAS News 2018

Regarding Police pilots being allowed to fly past 60? Not popular with NPAS management apparently. It seems that they will decide if they can. Age discrimination actions in the future, perhaps?

It also seems that they are in denial about the findings of the HMIC report. Especially so that most of the points raised had been raised on an internal forum.
MightyGem is offline  
Old 18th Feb 2018, 16:38
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Devon
Age: 69
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Welsh seem happy with NPAS

Dyfed Powys looking forward to more cover from NPAS.
Police air support service questioned by Panel ? Llanelli Online
Cabby is offline  
Old 18th Feb 2018, 19:13
  #3 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Warrington, UK
Posts: 3,832
Received 71 Likes on 27 Posts
“This year we have paid roughly £250,000 for the air service and for the next financial year we will pay circa £200,000. In addition, the NPAS pays Dyfed Powys Police £50,000 a year for the lease of Pembrey air field as a forward operating base. So the net effect is that it costs the force approximately £150,000 – an efficiency saving compared to the old arrangements,”
Well that's certainly cheaper than the £1.2M they were paying before. Last year though(2016/17), they only paid £165,545 for 127 hours. Don'y know if that includes the rebate.
MightyGem is offline  
Old 21st Feb 2018, 05:28
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It's only a couple of months since Dyfed-Powys were saying that they had an average response time of nearly an hour and only got an aircraft 30% of the time. Now they appear to have been told not to worry as the fixed wing aircraft will cover urban areas, so they'll get the helicopters more often. I hope that works out well for them.
MaxR is offline  
Old 21st Feb 2018, 15:26
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 3,680
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
And where will the nearest FW launch from. Add to that response time and diversion fuel and refuelling airports....Mmmmm what a clever solution we have folks.
Thomas coupling is offline  
Old 2nd Mar 2018, 17:01
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 741
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
A pertinent comment in that report :

"... we should see the helicopter in Dyfed Powys
perhaps more frequently."

Nice to see they also have their fingers on the pulse, in considering
whether exisitng Air Bases might be used for Drone operations.

Coconutty
Coconutty is offline  
Old 3rd Mar 2018, 20:49
  #7 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Warrington, UK
Posts: 3,832
Received 71 Likes on 27 Posts
Well, the 2017/18 FY is nearly at an end, and NPAS have still to publish the 2016/17 Annual Report.

A complete rewrite after the HMIC report perhaps?
MightyGem is offline  
Old 4th Mar 2018, 11:49
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: upyours
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The fixed wing promised to take up operations after the closure of NPAS Wattisham has still yet to arrive on its first operational task after a year of no meaningful air support for Suffolk and Norfolk. The PCC, Tim Passmore, has admitted to the press that "We get a pretty rubbish service from NPAS" and sites this as the reason for "supplementing" the helicopter/fixed wing with drones.

Good luck Dyfed Powys.

Last edited by Fly_For_Fun; 5th Mar 2018 at 10:24.
Fly_For_Fun is offline  
Old 5th Mar 2018, 15:58
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence." - Robert J. Hanlon
MaxR is offline  
Old 8th Mar 2018, 13:37
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Waltham Abbey, Essex, UK
Age: 77
Posts: 1,174
Received 8 Likes on 4 Posts
Warm feeling?

This was not released to me... but it appeared on Air Med & Rescue last week... targeted on the new female editor perhaps? There is now a related press release on the NPAS website [in the wrong date order] but this is quite different...

The very PC line taken….?

To raise awareness of aviation opportunities among females and celebrate the accomplishments of women of aviation, the National Police Air Service (NPAS) are supporting Women of Aviation Worldwide Week (WOAW) (5 to 11 March) and International Women’s Day (8 March). According to latest figures, around five to six per cent of women are involved in aviation worldwide.
NPAS are running a series of online activities to celebrate WOAW and IWD such as Twitter question and answer sessions which involves a female member of staff being available to answer the public’s questions about what it’s like being a woman working in police aviation. Also several video clips of female members of staff answering questions about their role are being posted to encourage women to become part of the aviation industry.
Chief Superintendent Tyron Joyce, Chief Operating Officer for the National Police Air Service, said:
“This week we are celebrating our female members of staff who work in police aviation. I believe it’s important to encourage females who are interested in aviation to pursue careers and change their perception about it being a male only industry. NPAS provide police air support, which is a vital tool, to the 46 police forces of England and Wales from a national network of 15 bases. NPAS has 332 members of staff, 59 of which are female, ranging from pilots, Tactical Flight Officers, specialist personnel and Operations Centre staff. Policing aviation relies on the different skills and personal experience of our staff and I am hopeful the proportion of female personnel will continue to rise in the years ahead.”
PANews is offline  
Old 8th Mar 2018, 15:31
  #11 (permalink)  

Avoid imitations
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,561
Received 402 Likes on 210 Posts
Some are hoping that a greater proportion of aircraft get to the job in time, irrespective of who flies them.
ShyTorque is offline  
Old 8th Mar 2018, 20:49
  #12 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Warrington, UK
Posts: 3,832
Received 71 Likes on 27 Posts
“This week we are celebrating our female members of staff who work in police aviation. I believe it’s important to encourage females who are interested in aviation to pursue careers and change their perception about it being a male only industry. NPAS provide police air support, which is a vital tool, to the 46 police forces of England and Wales from a national network of 15 bases. NPAS has 332 members of staff, 59 of which are female, ranging from pilots, Tactical Flight Officers, specialist personnel and Operations Centre staff. Policing aviation relies on the different skills and personal experience of our staff and I am hopeful the proportion of female personnel will continue to rise in the years ahead.”
Typical "we are all inclusive" PR stunt.
MightyGem is offline  
Old 8th Mar 2018, 23:03
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Waltham Abbey, Essex, UK
Age: 77
Posts: 1,174
Received 8 Likes on 4 Posts
For those interested the first woman police pilot was probably Cora Sterling in Seattle in the 1930s. The first woman in a police rotary craft appears to be Gay Absolem in 1970 [Met Police contract] and NPAS got their first female pilot a year ago but she did not want to go public.

There were dozens of others who came in second, third, fourth etc....
PANews is offline  
Old 9th Mar 2018, 09:23
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Banished (twice) to the pointless forest
Posts: 1,558
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Policing aviation relies on the different skills and personal experience of our staff
Policing aviation, is entirely different to Police Aviation.

Perhaps if the government had the balls to concentrate on actually policing aviation, it might save more lives, than worrying about whether or not the pilots have the balls for the job.

In 2018 we really ought to be over this idea of making a fuss about women drivers. If a girl can fly, than why would it matter that she's a girl?
airpolice is offline  
Old 9th Mar 2018, 20:47
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by PANews
332 members of staff, 59 of which are female


It is "of whom" Joyce; "which" refers to animals or objects, "whom" refers to people; see me after class.
MaxR is offline  
Old 9th Mar 2018, 20:58
  #16 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Warrington, UK
Posts: 3,832
Received 71 Likes on 27 Posts
The first woman in a police rotary craft appears to be Gay Absolem in 1970 [Met Police contract] and NPAS got their first female pilot a year ago but she did not want to go public.
We had a lady pilot up at Merseyside around 2010/2011, who came to us from Surrey ASU.

Lots of diversity at NPAS:
People | NPAS
MightyGem is offline  
Old 23rd Mar 2018, 22:58
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Waltham Abbey, Essex, UK
Age: 77
Posts: 1,174
Received 8 Likes on 4 Posts
Well the time has come.... they have published their report for 2016-17....

http://www.npas.police.uk/sites/npas...rt_2016_17.pdf

Like me you may well find that the first few pages are full of the same basic facts jumbled up in a different order.....

Still it sets out the 15 base plan well..... except of course that it isnt a 15 base plan at all...
PANews is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2018, 08:57
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The thing which stood out in the report for me was just how well they've done reaching Priority 1 calls within their target time of 20 minutes after lifting. But surely that's entirely meaningless - within 20 minutes of the incident happening, or even within 20 minutes of the request, might make sense but not within 20 minutes of lifting.
MaxR is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2018, 21:48
  #19 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Warrington, UK
Posts: 3,832
Received 71 Likes on 27 Posts
Well the time has come.... they have published their report for 2016-17....
About time. Thought we were going to get into the new FY before it was published.

So, the NPAS Chair and the Chief Con say that:
activity has remained high throughout the year with a total of 16,369 operational hours.
The report says that:
In 2016/17 NPAS did this 26,856 times through its 350 people delivering 18,000 flying hours.
Under an FOI request last year they told me that the total flying hours were 15432.

Re the Performance figures, you might like to read the HMICFRS report on NPAS to get a true sense:
https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov...ir-support.pdf

See they are still upbeat about the fixed wing. Should be coming into service about...now.

NPAS operate with a Just Culture which allows personnel to report safety concerns and operational impacts.
Hmm...word form the coal face is that crews are afraid of reporting for fear of being sent back to force. Brilliant flight safety presentations to the outside world with all the right keywords, but an SMS running on threats of return to force and disciplinary action. The mantra is, if you don’t ‘have’ to report it, don’t.

Oh, and I notice that they have 4.5 people for training. Will that be the top half, bottom half or just split down the middle. Bit messy though.
MightyGem is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2018, 22:36
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Bristol
Posts: 406
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
A very faint shadow of the service that air support units provided to Forces prior to NPAS.

TF
tigerfish is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.