Police Aviation News November 2008

Police Aviation News November 2008 17
UNITED KINGDOM
HAMPSHIRE: There may be continued
pressure to interest UK fire departments in
acquiring full size utility helicopters but this
effort has yet to provide the hoped for returns.
Meanwhile the tangible interest of fire
people has been in a much more modest
area.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service now
has an eye in the sky thanks to a state-ofthe-art
mini-helicopter. In April the Service
took ownership of the Carvec Kestrel Aerial
observation and photography platform – a
high performance remote controlled helicopter
capable of being flown out to a distance
of 500 metres from the pilot and to a height of up to 400 feet for between 15 and 20 minutes.
The helicopter and its associated equipment will be stowed and mobilised with the Incident
Command Unit which is based at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s headquarters in
Eastleigh.
UNITED STATES
CALIFORNIA: It was not that long ago that a series of fatal crashes heralded the end of
vintage and veteran aircraft fighting fires in the USA. True enough a significant number of
the old craft were taken offline, but not all.
The giant Martin Mars fire fighting seaplane continues to fly the mission this season. An
example of the type seemed ready to be in use after it arrived at Lake Elsinore after Coulson
Flying Tankers in Canada arrived at an agreement with local officials to station the
7,200-gallon-capacity aircraft on the lake so it will be ready to respond quickly to wildfires.
Coulson were paying for moorings on the lake even though a fire fighting contract is yet to
be signed with the authorities.
But the Mars firefighting seaplane left Lake Elsinore almost as quickly as it arrived. One
week after it docked for what city officials expected would be an extended engagement, the
Vancouver Island-based crew packed up and headed back to Canada without being used.
Coulson Flying Tankers proved unable to secure an on-call contract with either the US Forest
Service or Cal Fire and opted to return home.
The provision of air cover in the region turned into a political hot potato in the run up
to the Presidential elections. The Bush administration failed in its long standing promise
to outfit California Air National Guard C-130 cargo planes for firefighting duty. The aircraft
failed to appear for this years extended fire season despite pressure from the military and
elected officials.
Last year's devastating fires killed 10 people, charred 800 square miles and destroyed al-