WA Police airwing: Mid West-Gascoyne cops to use high-tech fleet for rescue missions and station transfers

Criminals can run but they cannot hide from WA Police’s eyes in the sky. From tracking high-speed pursuits and jumping from helicopters in treacherous rescues, to searching for those lost in the State’s most isolated areas, and providing critical surveillance in high-stakes missions — no two days in the police air wing are the same. WA Police’s air wing has a fleet of high-tech helicopters, fixed-wing planes, and drones, which according to Mid West-Gascoyne district’s top cop Supt. Steve Post, local police can use to their advantage when called upon. The air wing enables police to resolve issues and locate missing people, cars and items faster. “We’ve certainly had support for a number of the searches that we have conducted over the last 12 months,” Supt. Post said. WA Police air wing unit OIC Supt. Paul Daly said the fleet of high tech helicopters, fixed-wing planes and drones act as a “force multiplier”. Tactical flight officers that work from within the aircraft are highly trained and operate equipment such as the “forward looking infra-red camera”, which can operate both day and night, and the night tracker beam. “They also are rescue swimmers, so they can jump from the aircraft into water to go and retrieve someone or something,” Supt. Daly said. “They are also winch operators, bringing someone back into the aircraft if we find someone in circumstances or locations where extracting them by vehicle or by foot is not possible.” As well as boasting crime-fighting and lifesaving capabilities, the police air wing also provides crucial transport for officers who work in the biggest police jurisdiction in the world. Rather than travelling in a car for eight hours to attend an incident, Supt. Post said officers could fly to their stations in a matter of hours and be ready to respond faster. “It’s certainly advantageous to have access to the air wing and aerial support for our placing in the Mid West,” he said. “The increased aerial support enables us to get around the district a lot quicker.” When there has been a murder in Kalgoorlie, Broome, Carnarvon, Wiluna or Derby — it is the police air wing that gets homicide detectives to the scene in a matter of hours. Last month, while active shooter Lachlan Bowles was on the run from police after murdering his colleague Terry Czernowski in Kellerberrin, it was the police air wing that was tasked with tracking him down. WA Police recently acquired a new $20 million Airbus H145 helicopter — described the best in the world — with a second, almost identical model due to be operational by mid-next year. “We’re really excited about the prospect of having access to certainly the new helicopter, and also the fixed wings to help us do our business,” Supt. Post said.