Some forces already worked and funded jointly and also provided an ad hoc service to a force without their own ASU. It worked well.

I am more than aware of how it worked Shy.😊
There were a number of forces who participated in consortia air units, who were quite clear that once the austerity cuts kicked in, their participation in air support was going to end. I think a lot of us connected with air support at the time, thought we might move to a number of multi-aircraft/ multi-base regions. Knowing that eventually those regions would drop one or more bases and one or more aircraft. But the savings would be spread out to all forces in the region and the drop in service understood and accepted by all forces in the region. Once the decision to have a national service was approved, the die was cast and here we are. :ugh:

As someone who lives in Wiltshire, the loss of the joint air ambulance / police asset was a blow. We do have a good service from the Air Ambulance, but the only time I've heard NPAS in the skies about Pewsey is when there was a car chase involved. And correct me if I'm wrong but the closest is either Benson, Almondsbury or Bournemouth now ? How do those locations affect the response times, especially if the closest choice is already committed?

Ironically, the unit I had most in mind was North Midlands and that is now an area with one of the largest gaps in “local” cover.

And even more ironically, their two forces were pretty much top of the list to dispense with air support if NPAS didn’t happen.

Those two forces understood the benefits of pooled resources so it’s understandable that they wanted to take it a step further. Unfortunately, as we know, the whole thing was bungled at National level.

The fixed wing plane has been venturing out of the Yorkshire & North East area a few times this week, so perhaps something has changed there finally with it's restriction to Yorkshire & North East calls. It seems ludicrous to restrict it's operating area when it's available and resources are stretched so thinly.

Sounds interesting. Where can I listen???? :}

I'll take that bet. Although since you only stake a fiver, it suggests that you're hardly brimming with confidence.Wink If 2Excel take this on then be prepared for a drop in availability based upon the record with their Piper Navajos, failing to meet contractual requirements for the UK Coastal contract (which will not have escaped notice) - indeed a strong rumour that they have subbed out some of the work to the previous provider.

Some of the reason(s) why the FW has had a difficult birth centres large around a) NPAS being unable to organise a pish-up in a brewery b) a Rotary focused organisation and the FW is a thorn in their side c) Egos and Empire building of several CC/DCC's/etc, p1ssing in the pot within the respective Police Forces Districts

I recall that when the tender for the maintenance for the fixed wing was decided by NPAS they rejected 2Excel in favour of Gama even though the former was located next door at Doncaster. A number of snide remarks in the 2Excel hangar over that at the time but, if we lose all sense of reality and assume that NPAS knew what they were doing, at that time they thought 2Excel were not up for the job.
It seems Black Beard has noted a lack of performance that others had not in the 2Excel hangar. Maybe, just maybe, NPAS got that bit right.
I will now go and sit and darkened room......

Well done Cabby.

No sign of that yet as a standard Kent Police Press Release.... I will have to ask them. It seems though that Acting Supt Wenlock is the man who makes certain things happen.... in one set of 2021 minutes I found that .....Volunteering in Kent Police

T/Supt Wenlock provided an overview of the presentation showing the innovations in Citizens in Policing, Special Constabulary, Speedwatch, Community Policing Volunteers, Volunteer Cadets and Policing Support Volunteers.

So he has a track record.

And so did someone else who was a Temporary Chief Inspector in Kent Police if I recall correctly. Watson was the name and he was deep into the South Coast Project of BAE Herti light UAVs over the English Channel a decade ago. He was also 'involved' in running the less than exciting Kent Police ASU [a couple of Cessna's] and then he went on to serve as GOD with NPAS, ahe looked after the ground aspects of the organisation. Although a non-aviator he made some pretty important decisions on fixed wing if my information is correct, before moving on to making cakes in retirement.

There is a worrying thread of repetition running through this storyline and Cabby could be right that this might be the next NPAS SE.

Strange really. For decades now ACPO and the NPCC have totally frowned on the activity being portrayed here. SkyWatch and its offshoots have been shunned, castigated and denigrated for offering to do exactly this kind of operation. Funny how everything flips back to the thoughtless schemes of ACPO and NPCC.

This could run and run. Well for a few days at least.

It seems that in this world of controlled news this one slipped through the net and the authorities are not too happy. The Kent Press Release and images are pretty much word for word as given in the local paper, a total paste job. But even though it is supposed to be 'on hold' Kent Police sent me the press release direct at lunchtime.

I hope they do not get their CPVs mixed up with their LDVs, shades of 1940, or every police station will be inundated with volunteers for the Home Guard air section!!!!

I suspect the CAA will have a view….

Isn't that fairly obvious? :hmm:

You might have thought Kent Police would have consulted the experts before entering into this venture.......or indeed anyone with the slightest knowledge of police aviation in the UK. They would then know that this is a non-starter!

Fuzz Burner,
Clearly you don't understand - All Senior Police officers are experts in everything simply by being appointed as such. Simply by asking for help and guidance from anybody else they spoil their chances of promotion or an OBE/QPM.
Their Golden Rule on being given any large scale project is to find out who has the knowledge and expertise in that particular field - and keep them well away.
Want an example of this? Look no further than NPAS - or Airwave, or it's replacement.

What could possibly go wrong?

I hate to think the outcome of a volunteer pilot having an accident while flying on behalf of a police force.

When a certain very wealthy Special Constable in Surrey attempted to set up a Air Support Unit crewed by himself and carefully selected Special Constables, using his own Gazelle, he was quickly reminded that he would have to fully comply with a PAOM and the idea quickly fell flat.

Yep - Civil Air Support, formerly known as UK Civil Air Patrol, been on the go since 2000.

https://www.civilairsupport.com/