Police drone pilots were granted extended access to an airfield in order to hone their potentially life-saving skills.
Nottinghamshire Police’s drones unit has helped to save the lives of several vulnerable missing people since it was launched in January 2020.
It has also helped to identify and arrest suspects and has also given police an invaluable ‘eye in the sky’ at all manner of public events.
Earlier this month its team of pilots – officers from other areas of the force who volunteer for shifts in the role – were put through their paces at the Langar Airfield for their annual recertification checks and other valuable learning exercises.
The training, which Nottinghamshire Police are choosing to carry out on a more regular basis than is required by law, is used to check pilots’ basic skills and ensure they are using emergency service exemptions properly.
Chief Pilot PC Vince Saunders said: “Anyone can buy and fly a drone but they must adhere to very strict rules designed to protect other aircraft and members of the public.
“Emergency services, however, have been granted enhanced permission to fly closer to people and potential hazards, and (crucially ) further way from the operator.
“With these rights comes a great responsibility to ensure we are as well prepared as we can be to do our jobs safely and effectively.
“The airfield is clearly a great location for us to do that in and we are extremely grateful to Skydive Langar for allowing us to use their facilities free of charge. They really were great hosts and worked with us to ensure this training could be carried out safely.”
The team held three separate days of training, allowing all of its 15 current pilots to successfully complete their annual checks.”
PC Saunders added: “We are lucky to have a really good group of core pilots and I am delighted we have been given the time and space we need to ensure they are operating this very expensive equipment properly,
“In the right hands these machines can literally save people’s lives, but we must remember at all times that we are dealing with aircraft and take the necessary precautions to operate them effectively. That is what the public expects of us and I am proud to say that is what we are delivering.”
The Drones unit, a shared resource with Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, operates six drones of varying sizes and is available to carry out responsive and pre-planned operations across the county 24 hours a day.
The two main drones are fitted with high-powered zoom and thermal imaging cameras, and also have the ability to track vehicles.
Consequently they offer officers on the ground reassurance and an alternative option to police helicopters, meaning we are able to put aerial support into more core policing activities than we were previously able to.
Josh Carratt, Operations Manager at Skydive Langar, said: “The decision to host the police drone team at our airfield was a really easy one. The work they do is so important to the local community and we are proud to have been able to support them, even in just a small way.
“The team were all really friendly and it was our pleasure to spend time with them during the week, plus watching them in action was really impressive and great to see how these drones are being put to work in such an important way.”
