Spy in the sky
**Photos from the PSNI article Policing from the Skies
Ulster’s first police helicopter may be known for chasing speeding criminals - but the spy-in-the-sky has also been involved in many life-saving operations, writes SINEAD McCAVANA
18 June 2006
IT’S almost a year since the PSNI’s first helicopter took to the skies. And, in that time, it has attended more than 800 incidents and clocked up 1,500 flying hours. (Click photo to view)
Sunday Life spent a day with the PSNI’s highly-specialised air support team at their purpose-built base in RAF Aldergrove.
PSNI’s head of air support, Detective Inspector Roger McConnell, told how the chopper had an increasing role in air-lifting casualties.
He said: “We would carry out a casualty evacuation in emergency circumstances - we’re not an air ambulance, but in a life-or-death situation, we are called in.”
The Eurocopter 135 T2, which was bought for £3.7m is also the fastest search facility in Northern Ireland.
“We can get to Belfast in a few minutes - it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to reach the north coast and about half an hour to get to Fermanagh,” said deputy commander of air support, Detective Sergeant Brian Cairns.
“The coastguard would call us out from time to time because we can find people quickly using the thermal imaging camera, which detects body heat.
“We found the fishermen who were in trouble around Whitehead after the coastguard couldn’t locate them.
“It was dark and the weather was terrible, but we were able to spot them.”
The helicopter crew also helped rescue five lost scouts on Black Mountain in west Belfast.
“It’s hard to imagine anyone getting lost on Black Mountain but it did happen and police on the ground couldn’t find them,” added Det Insp McConnell.
“But by using the thermal imager, we found them and directed police to their location.”
The helicopter is also effective in finding young children or elderly people who have wandered off.
“We found an old man in a river - he was trying to scrabble up the bank. Again it was dark, so no one could see him but we picked up his body heat straight away.”
The black helicopter is an impressive piece of machinery and the envy of many other forces in the UK.
It has state-of-the-art equipment including a broadcast quality video camera and a searchlight - as powerful as 30 million candles.
Click photo to view
“We have to turn it off when we land or it would burn the grass,” laughed Det Sgt Cairns.
A civilian pilot flies the hi-tech chopper, while two PSNI officers - known as observers - operate the cameras, read maps and communicate with police on the ground.
Another job for the helicopter is at serious road traffic accidents, where aerial shots of the scene are important for investigating officers.
It is also involved in planned operations, including contentious parades, where video evidence may be needed later in court, if trouble flares.
But air support team’s most high profile incident came earlier this year when they chased a suspected robber on a motorbike for an hour and 20 minutes.
It is thought to be the longest recorded air pursuit in UK police history.
“That was unbelievable,” said Det Insp McConnell. “It started in Belfast and ended in Omagh.
“Another advantage of chasing someone in a helicopter is that it reduces the risk of people on the ground getting hurt.”
It is estimated the Eurocopter costs around £750,000-per-year to run.
But the air support chief believes that is value for money.
“Every best value review carried out on other police forces in the UK always come back saying that it’s good value for money,” said Det Insp McConnell.
“At the end of the day, what price can you put on a life?”
