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.

Welsh seem happy with NPAS
 

Dyfed Powys looking forward to more cover from NPAS.
Police air support service questioned by Panel ? Llanelli Online

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.

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.

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.

A pertinent comment in that report :

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

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

Coconutty

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?

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.

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence." - Robert J. Hanlon

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.”

Some are hoping that a greater proportion of aircraft get to the job in time, irrespective of who flies them.

Typical "we are all inclusive" PR stunt.

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....

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?

It is "of whom" Joyce; "which" refers to animals or objects, "whom" refers to people; see me after class.

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

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...

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.

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:
The report says that:
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.

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.

A very faint shadow of the service that air support units provided to Forces prior to NPAS.

TF

I understand that the decision has now been made to close Boreham and move the aircraft temporarily to Lippits Hill. If we ever had a shadow of doubt that the lunatics were running the asylum they must now all be gone! What chance for the guys and girls on the ground now in Cambs, Suffolk, Norfolk and even Essex? This makes the decision to close Wattisham even more bizarre and shows yet again an arrogance not to listen to those that might just know what they are talking about. Lets hope that the PCCs from these forces ask difficult questions and bring this three ringed circus to an end.

The move, I understand from someone outside NPAS, is on April 20.

I have asked NPAS whether there is an issue adding the additional aircraft hours to Lippitts Hill [IL] as I thought there was an 'agreement' in place to limit the aircraft numbers and hours. I may be wrong. So far that enquiry is being blanked.

The move is about gravel. The control tower is going as they have run out of other places to dig gravel from on the site. Locals are after saving the 1940s concrete airfield market letters so there is not expected to be anything but dust there quite soon.

Question: Why, at the start of this 'PLAN' did NPAS intend to leave Boreham for Southend?

Did they know this day was coming and simply failed to plan for it?

Retaining Wattisham for a year or so until the fixed wing was ready and operational would have made sense. But then I do not hail from Wakefield.

The support of East Anglia at night now requires a fly in from either London or Husbands Bosworth. There are no night fuelling options closer than Lippitts Hill. [I refer you to night noise and the alleged agreement above].

No building has yet commenced at the Lippitts Hill replacement at North Weald so that site is a minimum of 3 months away - nearer 8 based on how long to took to sort Doncaster [footings January 2017 and final handover some time after my visit on 27 September]. So NW could be early 2019 on that basis.

Doncaster still has not had the 'pressure' of actually operating anything!

Re-arrange these words into a well known phrase or saying: up, a, couldn't, piss, in, brewery, arrange, a. :ugh::ugh::mad:

Perhaps, the time has come for strong leadership.

Would it not be better, for everyone, to just accept the inevitable, and close all of the units?

Just decide that the the Police in England and Wales do not have Air Support, like they don't have many other things that Police in other countries have?

Instead of this fannying around pretending it's all good, and super efficient, just stop doing it. Wouldn't that make the savings calculated so far, seem like chicken feed?

As spending less money on Air Support seems to be what's driving this whole project, it is surely time to move up a gear and do that properly. West Yorks could keep one helicopter for the whole of England, so they still provide the potential for a service, for almost no cost, but retain the need for execs as well as a few cops and pilots.

One aircraft for the whole country, just like that big country to the north of England.

Just to update on the closure of Boreham. Message just in from NPAS.

It appears NPAS have managed to hold the gravel company off so the move on April 20 is now cancelled.... or at least on-hold. That should hopefully see them through to North Weald opening (and overcome the fury of the neighbours at Lippitts Hill).

At least until the next cricis!

The question from me, is: Who audits the NPAS? (Financially and more importantly Operationally)?

It strikes me this is all about smoke and morrors?

Well TC - do your homework, why don't you?

National Police Air Service needs urgent reform

And then read the actual report:

Planes, drones and helicopters: an independent study of police air support

And here's the poison chalice:

National Police Aviation Project Manager


How can one improve performance when the last 6 years has seen streamlining of a once comprehensive force, down to the bare bones - if there is absolutely NO money available?:rolleyes:

TC - They're obviously in a hurry: applications close on Easter Monday, they're shortlisting on Wednesday and interviewing on Thursday. I know that you describe it as a poison chalice but there are one or two people who could take this on and make a real difference. Hopefully this is a chance for someone to save air support.

Reading the advert smacks of being written for just one individual !

MaxR - are you familiar with what has happened over the last 6 years? :ugh:

PanEuro - concur.

TC - I am aware of what has happened and of the HMICFRS report which appears to be the driver for this new post. I cannot believe that what has happened so far can be allowed to continue and so am optimistic, perhaps naively, that it isn't too late for air support to be saved.

PanEuro - I agree with you that it appears to be written for the person they've already selected but that shouldn't stop you applying and giving them a surprise.

MaxR - you're obviously a glass half full person.

Let's put personalities to one side here (even though we all know the Chief Operating Officer NPAS is to blame).
The damage has been done. Aircraft have been chopped, Bases have been closed. There is NO going back because to improve on this situation requires money and buckets full.
The government are not going to reverse their mandate - which is to streamline the force and save money, is it?

Therefore, I ask you/anyone: What can be done by Cambs (Chair of NPCC Air Support) to ameliorate the situation when the problem is response times predominently?:rolleyes:

I am a glass half full person but even I recognise that a part-time project manager post will not be the solution but it could be the start of someone intelligently defining the problem rather than continuing to destroy air support while pretending all is rosy. If someone could stand up, admit the way that it's been done was a balls-up, state that they were strapped for cash and would have to make do for a while and then come up with a strategy to use the current resources whilst looking to build on that in the future, that would be a start.

There must be ways to use what is currently in place more effectively, there must be ways to build a better future. The problem with getting NPAS right was never a matter of not having access to good ideas but more a matter of those in charge believing they had more knowledge and competence than they did.

20 hours a week? Obviously not that important.

That report shows that many of the concerns voiced here some long time ago were totally justified.

i.e. seems that it's been acknowledged that it's a complete shambles*.

*Other descriptions are available. :mad:

They want to recruit a CAA form 4 holder and pay them £24,000 a year................good luck with that!

It's probably intended as a top-up to the pension of the person they've already selected - or am I now being overly cynical?

No - It comes with the Job!

TF

As an ex Wattisham driver I could hazard a guess as to who would be in the frame for the job.

Hmm, the job is down my neck of the woods...not bad for 20 hours a week lol. Hell I could add that to my full time running a business.

In an ideal world be nice if Wyton got an a/c back since 2012/13 we have been relying on the charity of the Wattisham and Borehamwood.

What happened to the super duper plan to relocate both 135 to a new facility at Honington to cover 3 counties?

cheers