South Yorkshire Police have extended their level of air support coverage with the addition of four new fixed wing aircraft
Four new fixed wing aircraft have been added to the fleet of police helicopters in order to to deliver a more responsive service to the police forces across the country.
The aircraft which have been spotted flying around above Rotherham over the past few weeks are based at a custom built National Police Air Service hangar at Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Two of the four planes are already certificated to fly on task and have responded to 100 tasks across the UK in the last two months.
With a faster flying speed and greater endurance times, the planes will increase attendance rates to more remote areas of the country.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport is home to one of 14 NPAS bases providing support to all police forces across England and Wales as part of a national service. From base, NPAS responds to 20,000 incidents every year.
Ian Vause, Assistant Operations Director for the NPAS said:ย โProviding a unique aerial view to police officers on the ground, the addition of aeroplanes to the National Police Air Service helicopter fleet has already boosted our ability to respond to policing needs across the UK.โ
โSupporting the location of suspects and vehicles, of vulnerable missing people and the policing โcommand and controlโ of large public gatherings, such as sports matches and other events, air support is a vital tool in combatting crime and disorder and keeping people safe.
โWe save local police time when it really matters and I am delighted to be able to do this more often and in more locations through the addition of this new arm to our fleet.โ
