Air One - the eye in the sky
We had the privilege of visiting the Police Air Operations Unit based at Halfpenny Green for a fascinating insight into their role.
The day started off like any other until the phone rang, and like an episode of the Apprentice, we were told a car would pick us up in half an hour! We knew the visit was arranged, but not when, and fortunately for us the aircraft was grounded in the morning due to low cloud, creating the ideal opportunity.
Arriving at Halfpenny Green with PCSO Ade Price we were greeted by Air One crew member PC Matt Henry who guided us through to the hanger where the helicopter call sign Air One waited. Part of the National Police Air Service (NPAS), Air One is an EC135 helicopter with a top speed of 140mph, it can remain airborne for up to two and a half hours before the need to refuel, and can be anywhere in the county within 20 minutes. Amazingly the flight time from Halfpenny Green to Perton is just two and a half minutes, making it a vital asset to police operations, not only in Staffordshire but also in the West Mercia force area.
Air One is bristling with state of the art equipment that helps it fulfil a number of roles including searching for offenders and missing persons (reconnaissance and surveillance), and pursuit and support for ground units involved in major incidents. Air One also has the ability to download live video to ground commanders. The helicopter can carry out casualty evacuation in support of the Air Ambulance which for safety reasons is unable to fly during darkness.
On the underside front of the aircraft is housed the video camera equipment, an HD state of the art camera that is also FLIR equipped (forward looking infra red) giving the aircraft the ability to search via body heat signatures for offenders or missing persons.
The camera equipment is operated via remote control by the rear observer and has a 360 degree turning circle, giving the aircraft an exceptional view of any scene unfolding below. There is also an amazing onboard mapping system - when a postcode or set of coordinates is entered, it calculates the distance and flying time to the target and sets the camera pod to point in the right direction! But it is not all about technology, the aircraft also carries maps for the old fashioned way of getting around if the tech goes down!
At the rear underside of the aircraft is mounted the 'night sun' a powerful searchlight delivering a whopping 32 million candle power! Yes you read that right 32 MILLION candle power! However, the night sun is not used for searching, that is the job of FLIR, the Night Sun is used to guide officers in on the ground, and to let offenders know that the eyes are well and truly in the sky!
Air one is also equipped with a PA system allowing aircrew to communicate directly with those on the ground. This can be used for crowd control, civil disturbances, or for public safety. We were told anecdotes about when the PA system had been used: There was an incident in North Staffordshire where offenders had entered a derelict building to commit metal theft, and the building was in such a bad state of repair that it was deemed too dangerous for officers to enter, a warning via PA system was delivered and the offenders left the building into the arms of waiting police. On another occasion a missing six-year-old was located using the PA system after he became too scared to approach searching officers as he thought he would be in trouble!
Air One is also used for digital aerial photography for help in road traffic collision investigations amongst others.
The forward observer operates the camera and also acts as an air observer assisting the pilot, while the rear observer is the mission commander and has a number of roles including liaising with ground units and navigation. The rear observer also has the job of monitoring six radio frequencies, four assigned to the police, and two for civilian air traffic control.
All-in-all a very challenging but worthwhile job, and as Matt described it: "The best job in the world."
We would like to thank the officers and crew of Air One for their hospitality and for the fascinating insight into the vital role they play in helping to keep our communities safe and reassured. We would also like to thank PCSO Ade Price for arranging this fantastic opportunity, it was truly a memorable Sunday!
