MightyGem

I'm sure there was a FlightLog system in use some years ago that collated such stats. Whatever happened to that fat bloke?

It would be interesting to know how much flight time is spent in transit compared to how much actually spent at the required task location.

Another, in view of the longer transits due to the reduced number of aircraft, would be what percentage of tasks are cancelled/incident deemed over before the aircraft arrives on scene.

That went the way of the Dodo years ago. :p

Fell off his motorbike I heard. :)

Hours
Minutes.

:E:E:E

I hear that here is an in house Christmas Jingle competition going on.
Although the photo competition didn't come to much in the end, as far as prizes or even results went, it's not about the winning, it's about bringing a little Christmas cheer to those that might need it; so here's my little contribution to the festive season;

To the tune of Cliff Richards', 'Mistletoe and Wine'.




Pilots Have a Whine
by Sillysod Sid

The phone will ring, the crims all want bling,
The old has passed, there's a new beginning,
Dreams of past jobs, ones that didn't blow,
Another misper, come on let's go.

Christmas time, pilots have a whine,
Ops room singing their little rhyme,
With logs backing up and few aircraft free,
A time to reject the bad jobs we see.

A time for living, a time for believing,
A time for trusting, not deceiving,
Love and laughter and joy ever after,
Ours for the taking, just follow the master.

Christmas time, pilots have a whine,
It's all ok, just stay online,
With engineering cover and moments of glee,
Just don't go and rustle the Wakefield tree.

Silent night, holy night

It's a time for brewing, a time for flying,
A time for crewing and patience trying.
NPAS is love, NPAS is peace,
Let's have a laugh, but no not you please.

Christmas time, pilots have a whine,
Days and nights riddled with crime,
With crashes on the highway and bodies in the tree,
A time to realise what the other staff may see.

Christmas time, pilots have a whine,
Take a little break, don't rush all the time,
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree,
If not a brew, take time for a wee.

Christmas time, pilots have a whine,
Just a whine, you know you can't have wine,
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree,
Just wait until you visit, you'll meet Dorothy.

Christmas time, silent night
Pilots have a whine, holy night
Ops room singing their little rhyme,
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree,
Just wait until you visit, you'll leave with a flea.

Sid Silsoe, Mr, old as my nose and a little bit older than my teeth, I cannot answer that question.
:oh:

Cleveland Police helicopter base will NOT close next year - Gazette Live

News | NPAS

Just spent a pleasant night out various lads and lasses of Air Support. The evening was slightly marred by the story of the continuing decline of Air Support.

902s offline more than on, manning levels leading to single crewing, a new ops/dispatch centre costing ££££s so that the boss doesn't have to drive 40 odd miles to visit it and ops staff who after nearly 3 years still can't give to the basic info of what the job is, where it is and who to talk to. Also talk of 10/8 base models for the future. :(

More great PR for NPAS last on "Cuffs" last night!😳.

Don't watch it myself elfish, but;

BBC iPlayer - Cuffs - Episode 7

As before, all within the first five minutes :sad:

Blatant agenda anyone? I hope the message gets across if so!

The transcripts are online, and it would appear that the agenda isn't solely aimed at NPAS;

Episode 7 - Cuffs Transcript

Job going in London:
https://atsv7.wcn.co.uk/search_engin...M4ZGJkZmY4MmU=

I see they are now requiring Instrument Ratings in preparation for the CAA requirement to have one in the near future. End of the easy route for ex mil guys. :(

Does it also mean existing pilots will be 'given' IR's?
Be handy for those looking to move on in the future.........

No,it won't. As I understand it the requirement for pilots to hold IRs comes in about 2020(?). A large number of the current pilots are due to retire by then, or shortly after. Those that are due to retire shortly after will be given grandfather rites to allow them to continue to retirement. There will be a small number of the current pilots who will be required to obtain an IR, which NPAS will foot the bill.

All newly recruited pilots will require an IR.

That's my understanding, anyway.

Old 902s
 

So who has got the contract to dispose of them?

I see that the pilot is for Lippitts Hill [as well as other SE locations] where there has been a long standing expectation of an IR for the 145 pilots.

Mind you I am a little worried that the existing pilots are being allowed 'Grandfather Rites' that seems a little too short term than the longevity assumed by ordinary Grandfather Rights!!!! ;)

Oops. :O

I gather there's quite a shortage of pilots in the SE. I gather one pilot was given a £17,000 relocation package to move from the Midlands to Bristol.

I wonder what package may be offered to existing pilots to move to the SE; if they can't recruit internally, will they select people just to fill spaces and not necessarily who would in the past have been the 'best' person for the job; is there a weighting allowance in the shadows somewhere out of the public eye?

I see that NPAS has entered the "Comp A" business, flying a family from ooop north to darn sarff to visit a relative after an accident. Good PR, but hardly within the remit of Air Support.

Maybe your Rites slip of the typing was not far off the mark if you go by the Daily Star reporting of the recent UAV training in D&C and Avon.

The Daily Star headline today is Police set to smash crime rates – by using DRONES. Now that is raising expectations through the roof and clearly showing those last rites for helicopter pilots everywhere!!!!

Still it was the only instance of the headline getting out of control at an event that was pretty well reported..... but was it a cop that said it [for his iffy business case] or a reporter that dreamed it?

The other question is how much is the infrastructure for five UAV across Cornwall going to cost? Can't they just issue longer 'Selfie Sticks' to units?

I gather that the hot topic at the next NPAS Board Meeting will be a new fixed wing contract, as the current one seems to have fallen through. :=

Or maybe they'll just kick it into touch.