NPAS News 2019
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,573
Received 419 Likes
on
221 Posts
It might be an idea to give each Lord a high viz vest and camping chair. They could then be dropped off at the perimeter fences at Gatwick and Heathrow airports. It would be one way to earn the £300 per day which they currently receive off the tax payers!!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ards-work.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ards-work.html
Net guns!! don't our antipodean members have form Wazzing around low level in 500s with doors off, could be what the lady was thinking 
Last edited by Senior Pilot; 9th Jan 2019 at 03:16. Reason: Add video
FFF......
In service by January 2020, according to this:
https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/..._july_2018.pdf
https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/..._july_2018.pdf
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,573
Received 419 Likes
on
221 Posts
Their new hangar will be due for a refurb by then!
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In service by January 2020, according to this:
https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/..._july_2018.pdf
https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/..._july_2018.pdf
Net guns!! don't our antipodean members have form Wazzing around low level in 500s with doors off, could be what the lady was thinking
https://youtu.be/bKWvsS-z9PU
https://youtu.be/bKWvsS-z9PU
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: England
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To be fair, you only require a CPL(H) IR and 500 hours P1, which is pretty low for the nature of Police Air Support. Sadly, there’s no real incentive for NPAS to increase their wages, as the likes of SAS, Babcock Onshore etc don’t pay much more and do much less flying. The whole onshore world needs a shake up regarding pay, which will only happen when there’s a huge pilot shortage.
and 500 hours P1
Can't think why they say that a type rating on MD 902 would qualify someone's NPAS don't have any anymore.
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Liverpool based Geordie, so calm down, calm down kidda!!
Age: 60
Posts: 2,051
Likes: 0
Received 17 Likes
on
6 Posts
Babcock have private healthcare insurance (invaluable), loss of licence and many other benefits, including a small annual bonus. That package is worth a few grand.
Npas pay extra for working bank hols, if you work all 8/9 depending on the year and how your roster falls that's worth a few grand too, or taken as days back into your leave pot plus half cash! Npas also have loss of licence. The pension is far better as well.
The pay however, for ALL the onshore players is disgraceful..(as mentioned above)...two choices available..keep lowering the hours and skill levels, until someone has an accident, or raise the pay significantly to attract and more importantly retain the right pilots.
The number of retirements onshore, (and for that matter offshore too) is making big holes in the numbers of pilots available, and also with the fixed wing world booming, and no one in their right mind spending money on a cpl H, the raise in salary is the only thing that will fix the shortage onshore.
B.
The pay however, for ALL the onshore players is disgraceful..(as mentioned above)...two choices available..keep lowering the hours and skill levels, until someone has an accident, or raise the pay significantly to attract and more importantly retain the right pilots.
The number of retirements onshore, (and for that matter offshore too) is making big holes in the numbers of pilots available, and also with the fixed wing world booming, and no one in their right mind spending money on a cpl H, the raise in salary is the only thing that will fix the shortage onshore.
B.
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: London
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Loss of licence - Yes but an inadequate policy for the single pilot
Many other benefits - Many? no but some; although much are worthless and difficult to access
Small annual bonus - not anymore (unless you're management)
However, that aside, they're an awful company to work for, which is why a number of engineers, pilots and support staff appear to be leaving.
On a positive note, there are vacancies....!
It seems that the 2017/18 NPAS Annual Report was published back in December, although there is no sign of it here:
http://npas.police.uk/about-us/npas-annual-reports
However, it does appear here over on PANews:
http://www.policeaviationnews.info/i...l%20Report.pdf
One thing that stands out, or not, is a total lack of the words "fixed wing". Absolutely no mention at all. None whatsoever. Nada. Nil.
As usual they make a big thing of their Performance data quoting achieving response times for Priority 1 tasks(on scene within 20mins of lifting) of 96-98% where the target is 85%. However, things aren't all they seem. In 2017/18 they completed 22,410 actioned calls(where they respond to a request and arrive on scene before the request is cancelled) for service and over 16,000 flying hours(although they told me 14,200 back in October).
In 2016/17, they completed 26,856 actioned calls, so a drop of 4446, or 16%, with 18,000 hours, so the downward spiral continues. A quote from January's PANews says; "Unfortunately the customers believe they are getting a vastly inferior service."
http://www.policeaviationnews.info/i...anuary2019.pdf
A bit of an understatement, I think, considering that all Police Forces paid NPAS exactly the same for 2017/18 as they did for 2016/17.
http://npas.police.uk/about-us/npas-annual-reports
However, it does appear here over on PANews:
http://www.policeaviationnews.info/i...l%20Report.pdf
One thing that stands out, or not, is a total lack of the words "fixed wing". Absolutely no mention at all. None whatsoever. Nada. Nil.
As usual they make a big thing of their Performance data quoting achieving response times for Priority 1 tasks(on scene within 20mins of lifting) of 96-98% where the target is 85%. However, things aren't all they seem. In 2017/18 they completed 22,410 actioned calls(where they respond to a request and arrive on scene before the request is cancelled) for service and over 16,000 flying hours(although they told me 14,200 back in October).
In 2016/17, they completed 26,856 actioned calls, so a drop of 4446, or 16%, with 18,000 hours, so the downward spiral continues. A quote from January's PANews says; "Unfortunately the customers believe they are getting a vastly inferior service."
http://www.policeaviationnews.info/i...anuary2019.pdf
A bit of an understatement, I think, considering that all Police Forces paid NPAS exactly the same for 2017/18 as they did for 2016/17.
It was always going to be thus! You simply cannot reduce both the fleet and the bases by over a third, AND get rid of all the enthusiastic and dedicated crews that formed the basic framework of UK Police Air Support, and ever hope to deliver anything like what existed before!
In theory the concept of a national Police Air wing (If delivered Regionally) was a world beater. But once the bean counters - Characters that considered the cost above all else, but knew nothing about the value of anything, took over, the whole idea was going to hell in a handcart!
I will never forgive them for that. Its not even as if they weren't warned about what was going to happen. Slash & Burn was their only mantra!
TF
In theory the concept of a national Police Air wing (If delivered Regionally) was a world beater. But once the bean counters - Characters that considered the cost above all else, but knew nothing about the value of anything, took over, the whole idea was going to hell in a handcart!
I will never forgive them for that. Its not even as if they weren't warned about what was going to happen. Slash & Burn was their only mantra!
TF
NPAS Boreham have tweeted that they are closing down their Twitter account from January 31 and therefore bringing to an end the fantasy that they represented another base ..... a bit like Doncaster, not much going on their either.