What aircraft do NPAS use?
Vulcanair P68R
NPAS fleet consists of Eurocopter EC135s and EC145s. Four Vulcanair P68R will join the fleet. Work is underway for all four aircraft to achieve air worthiness and police operational certification – a process expected to take several months – before they can begin flying in support of police forces in England and Wales.
Why do helicopters fly over my house at night?
TLDR – The most common reason why military helicopters may fly over residential properties is training. The home is likely in the flight path of the military’s training operations, which typically means that a military base or facility is nearby.
Are NPAS police officers?
Tactical Flight Officers are Police Constables or Police Staff and join NPAS from various locations and backgrounds. A background in aviation is not required but relevant policing experience in an operational environment is desirable given the operational policing nature of the role.
Who runs NPAS?
NPAS was formed in October 2012 following a national review of air support by the Home Office and is delivered by West Yorkshire Police as the lead force – a unique arrangement in UK policing. All 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales and British Transport Police contribute funding for NPAS.
What do NPAS do?
Police forces request NPAS to assist them with a variety of tasks. This includes searches for suspects and missing people, vehicle pursuits, public order, counter-terrorism and firearms incidents, among others.
Can police helicopters see through houses?
Thermal From The Air The helicopter high above isn’t limited by buildings, foliage or other aspects of the land getting in the way – instead it can see everywhere around and can accurately track a criminal’s movements through an environment.
Why was police helicopter over my house?
There are many reasons that the police helicopter might be over your house, from an operational incident to a routine training flight. These incidents could be anything from a missing person search, a police pursuit to a medical evacuation.
Can police helicopters fly over airports?
Generally, most police helicopters can fly for around 2-3 hours depending on the model. Most helicopters can refuel at any nearby airport and be back in the area in around 20-30 minutes and some helicopters based in remote areas can have an auxiliary fuel tank to increase the time up to 5 hours.
Do the UK police have planes?
Police aviation in United Kingdom provides British police forces with an aerial support unit to assist them in pursuit, surveillance and tracking. In addition to its fleet of helicopters, NPAS has introduced four Vulcanair P68R, which are fixed-wing aircraft able to provide longer flying time and lower running costs.