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Polair presently operates three Bell 206 Jetrangers and a /one Aerospatiale AS355 twin. The Jetrangers are original equipment dating back to 1979 when the NSW Police airwing initially became operational and desperately need replacing with more capable twin engined helos with greater endurance and load carrying capability.
NSW Police Air Wing Hoping For Expansion
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Nsw Police Air Wing Hoping for Expansion Despite Fiscal Restraints
As Sydney’s urban sprawl continues to expand year by year, so does its requirement for specialised police services. Like any large city, Sydney has all of the inherent problems ranging from felonies to misdemeanours, and lost persons to stolen cars.
The NSW Police Air Wing exists to assist other police divisions to cope with the wide ranging tasks demanded by Sydney and the state of New South Wales. Polair has operated for 12 years at Kingsford Smith Airport in and around Hangar 13 (the old East-West hangar near Flight Facilities). Some readers may be surprised to learn that a previous air wing commenced in NSW in 1947; it utilised an Avro Anson and was crewed by ex-air force pilots (trained during WW2) until its disbandment in 1952. It was the first police air wing in Australia.
The present Polair was initiated by a survey commissioned in 1977, which established that there was a need for an aerial police service in NSW. Initially an MBB Bo-105 helicopter was considered, but a review at a political level, based on police operations in Los Angeles, determined that several Bell Jet- rangers could be utilised instead. The first of these was delivered in May 1979.
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