Guests gathered at Filton airfield yesterday to celebrate the work of the Western Counties Air Operations Unit (WCAOU). WCAOU is a consortium comprising of Avon and Somerset and Gloucestershire Constabularies; delivering police air support to their respective communities.

WCAOU will disband on 3rd July 2013 when it joins the National Police Air Service (NPAS). This national collaboration programme has been developed to provide air support to the 43 forces at 22 bases across the country with a national, borderless air service.

Chief Superintendent Caroline Peters said “This is a momentous day for police air operations in Avon and Somerset. Since its conception in 1995 the unit has been an integral part of operations providing proactive support to critical operations most notably search and rescue. The move to a more borderless way of working can only benefit the local communities and as we move forward I wish colleagues moving over to NPAS the very best.”

The main aim of the national collaboration programme is to manage air support across the country through a borderless way of working. NPAS aims to increase aircraft availability and will provide under coverage across England and Wales. Nationally it is expected to save £15million a year from current costs for national air support.

West Yorkshire Police are the lead force for all Air Operations units under NPAS and will manage the central despatch and flight following function for NPAS. It is planned for the pilots and the majority of the air observers to be seconded to NPAS but still operate from the current airbase. Whilst many will continue to operate within the NPAS structure it is important to acknowledge the success of this unit.

The unit at Filton Airfield has served the communities of Avon & Somerset and Gloucestershire since 1995 by proactively tackling crime in action and supporting critical search and rescue operations. It is anticipated that mutual aid requests will occur more often under the new management by NPAS. They can determine which helicopter team is best suited to a specific task and area which should create a more efficient service to the public.

Filton Airfield will remain a key site for the South West region. The Great Western Air Ambulance (GWAA) is also located at this site and shares the facilities of the Airfield with the Police Helicopter.