Police Aviation News November 2008
Police Aviation News November 2008
Police Aviation News November 2008
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<strong>Police</strong> <strong>Aviation</strong> <strong>News</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 19<br />
UKRAINE<br />
The Ministry of Emergencies of Ukraine and Eurocopter<br />
signed a contract for the acquisition of two Eurocopter EC145<br />
helicopters to be based in the Kiev region, they will be used<br />
for a wide range of missions that cover rescue, emergency<br />
medical evacuation and fire fighting. The aircrafts will be delivered<br />
next year.<br />
UNITED KINGDOM<br />
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA): In a recent article<br />
The Scotsman newspaper highlighted areas of potential conflict<br />
between the needs of the SAR mission and the European<br />
Working Time Directive. The ‘Directive, which came into effect<br />
in 1998, was designed to protect the health and safety of<br />
workers but it was always known that it would not fit well with<br />
all situations – particularly with the emergency services.<br />
Regulations introduced a statutory limit on average weekly<br />
hours of work; a legal entitlement to paid leave; and new laws<br />
on rest breaks, night work and shift patterns. They specify a<br />
maximum of 48 hours in the working week, averaging out over<br />
17 weeks.<br />
Action by a Sumburgh SAR crew highlighted these uncertainties<br />
about the Directive on hours and rest periods, which<br />
could put the UK air/sea safety service out of action if not resolved.<br />
Under the regulations, SAR crews can work for a maximum of<br />
2,000 hours a year. Previous practice had been to discount<br />
50% of a 24-hour shift if the crew was not called out but crews<br />
became concerned that non-flying time was not being discounted<br />
and they had exceeded, or were about to exceed,<br />
their limit and could face possible censure.<br />
Although the employer was not pre-warned the Sumburgh<br />
‘stand-down’ action was covered by nearby SAR resources.<br />
Now, perhaps jolted by the wake-up call, talks are underway<br />
to set up a permanent formal agreement that works within the<br />
working time regulations.<br />
Many voiced reservations about the adoption of both the Sikorsky<br />
S92 and the AgustaWestland AW139 when they were<br />
destined for introduction to service with the MCA under the<br />
new UK Coastguard contract last year. The two different types<br />
replaced the elderly Sikorsky S61 in service. The doubters<br />
were disregarded at the time but in time the weaknesses in<br />
both types have now surfaced to give credence to their worries.<br />
At first it was the Sikorsky’s based in northern Scotland that<br />
came under the spotlight after it became clear that the basic<br />
airframe did not possess the range capability of the S61 it replaced<br />
and then that the long-range fuel tank was taking up<br />
an inordinate amount of cabin space. The MCA’s answer has<br />
been not to fit the tank as standard—bringing about a few<br />
‘wait a minute’ moments for those in peril on the sea as it is<br />
presumably fitted. Time as I understand it is of the essence..