NPAS News 2024

[AeroAmigo]

I’d be very curious to know how the state of the rotary fleet is affecting the hours flown per base, and how many requests for NPAS are declined because of a lack of availability.

A snapshot of how it stands currently (Source: Lots of patience and ADSBExchange)

G-TVHB was at Birmingham until 10th June then sat in the NPAS hangar there until it re-positioned to Oxford on the 7th Sep
G-MPSB at Oxford since 8th Sep
G-MPSC at Oxford since 6th Aug
G-DCPB at Oxford since 1st Aug
G-POLH at Oxford since 20th Aug, Redhill no aircraft
G-POLU tracking history showing it is still only used for training (Really don’t understand this given the state of the fleet, even despite it’s shall we say varied history)
G-POLD not been seen flying from North Weald since 10th Sep assumedly waiting transfer to Oxford or has a tech snag
G-EMID last seen positioning to Oxford 24th Oct 2024!!! (WFU? Parts donor?)
G-POLB at Oxford since 8th Sep
G-NWOI positioned to Gloucester/Staverton 16th Sep, St Athan no aircraft

G-POLJ active at Birmingham
G-POLC active Hawarden
G-SUFK active Husbands Bosworth
G-CPAS active Exeter
G-HEOI active Almonsbury
G-POLF active Benson
G-POLG active Barton
G-CPAO has been repositioned from Bournemouth to North Weald to cover for POLD since 13th Sep, Bournemouth has no aircraft
G-POLA covering POLB at Carr Gate since 15th Sep, No aircraft currently at Newcastle

G-MPSA is currently performing an escort role for Trumps helicopter fleet during his state visit, meaning Lippits Hill’s has no aircraft and the MPS fleet is not contributing to any MPS calls for NPAS at the moment,

This is pretty much the status quo for NPAS now, I track the frames regularly and the picture rarely looks different to this, using the CAA G-INFO tool the fleet are all very high hours which I assume causes serviceability issues.

Do they have room for any other Airbus customers at Oxford?

[J.A.F.O.]

Quote:
Civilian TFOs have been binned as well, as they didn't really work as they didn't have a Police mindset. Again that was foretold when they were introduced. Not totally true.

Originally Posted by MightyGem

There may be some still working, but they are n to being recruited anymore.

https://www.npas.police.uk/jobs/tactical-flight-officer

[J.A.F.O.]

Originally Posted by MightyGem

I can't believe this Topic has been quiet since March.

Thanks for continuing to do this MG. Still grim reading all these years later. Half the number of flying hours, a fraction of the number of jobs and at an overall cost probably not too far different from what it would have cost to keep it going as it was and poor old Norfolk seem to have lost out completely: hardly any jobs, loads of cash.

I'm just grateful that I saw the very best of it. I'm sure for individual pilots and TFOs (police officer or civilian) the job's still as rewarding as ever but I'm not sure the police as a whole, or the public for that matter, are getting what they once had. Still, there's only a few of us dinosaurs who seem to care.

[J.A.F.O.]

Originally Posted by AeroAmigo

A snapshot of how it stands currently...

Ten aircraft available in the whole of England and Wales. Am I reading that right?

[AeroAmigo]

Originally Posted by J.A.F.O.

Ten aircraft available in the whole of England and Wales. Am I reading that right?

Unfortunately yes, it could be 11 if you count POLU, the argument could made that it relieves active frames from training/currency duties, but it rarely leaves North Weald so unless the crew is based there, they’d be on the normal airframe based where they are anyway.

Husbands Bosworth has been without an aircraft for large chunks of this calendar year, no replacement was sent during an extended stint of maintenance for SUFK, and then SUFK covered at Birmingham for POLJ for a similar period

I’d be interested to know what happens to the crew when a base doesn’t have a serviceable aircraft for extended periods like this

[SilsoeSid]

POLW - Having spent ages circling Chequers, they moved on to Slough for a few more dizzying orbits before pirouetting up the A355…

[The Nr Fairy]

Interesting take from a Chief Super working at NPAS, at odds with Wiltshire PCC's view of the value of money they get from NPAS

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y4g285gdno

[SilsoeSid]

Mr Wilkinson believes newer technology should be used, and criticised NPAS: "It is unthinkable that outdated, Canute-like thinking should be allowed to hold us back from using new techniques and AI."

I think Mr Wilkinson, the Wiltshire police and crime commissioner (PCC ), needs to read up on the King Canute and the incoming tide story, in particular where he reportedly cried out…
"Let all the world know that the power of kings is empty and worthless,”


Funny how the Kings name is actually Cnut… which must be a reference to those that mislearned the story :-)))

[Teetering_Head]

Originally Posted by SilsoeSid

I think Mr Wilkinson, the Wiltshire police and crime commissioner (PCC ), needs to read up on the King Canute and the incoming tide story, in particular where he reportedly cried out…
"Let all the world know that the power of kings is empty and worthless,”


Funny how the Kings name is actually Cnut… which must be a reference to those that mislearned the story :-)))

Wilko is talking out of his backside, if the technology was readily available, certified and much cheaper to run everywhere would be running it. Maybe he could get in touch with his old military muckers and get some of the retiring RAF reaper drones for the Police service?

[SilsoeSid]

I see the Mayor/PCC of West Yorkshire, the person who not too long ago wanted rid NPAS, is in Brazil for COP30.

What’s the difference in range of a bandwagon compared to a fully fuelled 135 ?
About 5,500 miles by the looks of it !

“With devolution, we no longer have to wait for national leaders to rescue us from the cost of living and climate crisis. We're taking bold action ourselves to deliver real change.”

“We work across West Yorkshire to develop and deliver policies, programmes and services which directly benefit the people of West Yorkshire.”

https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk

https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/all-...ahead-of-cop30

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...te-crisis.html

[pr00ne]

I wonder what the NPAS implications of this will be?

Home Secretary to shake up "irrational Police structure."

In a speech to a conference of national police leaders today she said:

" We have loaded critical functions like the National Police Air Service and vetting onto local Police forces, drawing attention away from neighbourhood Policing."

[backtothebeat]

Originally Posted by pr00ne

I wonder what the NPAS implications of this will be?

Home Secretary to shake up "irrational Police structure."

In a speech to a conference of national police leaders today she said:

" We have loaded critical functions like the National Police Air Service and vetting onto local Police forces, drawing attention away from neighbourhood Policing."

well Tracy said she wanted rid of NPAS when she was elected, so she may be getting her wish come true.

[jd3782]

The Home Secretary has announced a new national police body called the "National Police Service" that will be responsible for counter-terror, fraud and criminal gang investigations.

Will take over role of National Crime Agency, NPAS from West Yorks, Counter Terrorism functions from the Met and National Roads Policing from Sussex Police.

I can't add a link but if you Google National Police Service there are multiple articles talking about a 'British FBI' to take over serious crime.

[PPRuNeUser469990]

So the government run NPAS, becomes the err, government run err.. NPS?

Is this going to change anything?

[AeroAmigo]

West Yorkshire Police will be relieved to relinquish control of NPAS. Wonder if this will affect their fleet renewal plans in any way, or accelerate the BVLOS drone testing they are conducting.

Just as another nod to the current state of the fleet, I've found NPAS were boasting back in August about having the highest hour 135 in the world in their fleet....

https://www.instagram.com/npashq/p/DNc39vGNUrz/

[PANews]

We can only hope that, if this plan even gets going, they make a better job of it than they did in Scotland in 2013.

With some new borders to be drawn up for the reduced police forces I can see that local policing needs in Telford will really be a priority for the new police HQ based in say Nottingham! With the alleged lack of knowledge among the youngsters in Geography it will probably take them a week to find that Telford is even in England!

Still NPAS can always go and look for it for them!

[MightyGem]

Weather radar on new NPAS 135s. Why??