Aviation Support Branch (POLAIR) - ACA 04-06-2013

[JimK]

with wages and pilot training??

Yes.
Hourly costs for Government for aircraft is averaged out per year until the aircraft is paid off / expected retirement date which includes all costs including purchase or lease. So it inflates each year as costs go up.

The original Polairs (jetrangers) were running off at $700/hour at the time of the Olympics with a crew of two.

The current Polair fleet operate with a crew of three per machine

[cartman]

One of the TV news reports said that $750 worth of copper wire was stolen.
I Don't think desperate junkies needed to know that.

There is one shocking bit of information
Pinching rail copper is risky if you are not aware of the function of what the copper does
For instance one lot of copper leads forms part of the circuit that takes 1500 volt DC negative (2000 amps) current back to the substation
Take it at the wrong time and its all over
Then you have the Darwinian club members pushing the envelope .... I recall one idiot being electrocuted at Awaba about 2005 trying to pinch copper from a high voltage substation


Grant

[Mike Alpha]

For instance one lot of copper leads forms part of the circuit takes 1500 volt DC negative (2000 amps) current back to the substation
Take it at the wrong time and its all over

They were even pinching copper wire from railways back in the late 80s. I remember an incident around Mortdale where thick copper cables that went from the train tracks back to a hut were cut and stolen. The next train wheel that ran over the join in the tracks caused the 2000amps to short between the tracks. A 2 metre long length of train track exploded leaving molten steel to flow into the ballast rock. I remember seeing rail workers picking up huge clumps of fused ballast and molten steel. Amazing!

Mike

[citabria]

Wow.

3,000,000 watts.

[cartman]

In the budget released a day or two ago the "aging" polair 5 is going to be replaced with a counter-terrorism heliocopter and the nsw police are going to buy/replace a fixed wing aircraft.


Grant

[matthewn1983]

Where is Polair 6 these days?

[JimK]

In the budget released a day or two ago the "aging" polair 5 is going to be replaced with a counter-terrorism heliocopter and the nsw police are going to buy/replace a fixed wing aircraft.
Grant

A Bell 412 and a Pilatus PC-12 is highly considered for a fixed wing observation platform.
All I do know is that FRNSW will not be part of the deal, they are planning to do their "own thing"... which maybe wishful thinking

RFS are suppose to get their own machine.

Where is Polair 6 these days?

I saw Polair 6 travelling along the M4 about a month or so ago... still stinging drivers I believe.

[citabria]

Is PolAir 6 the Cessna VH-DVV?

[JimK]

yep, VH-DVV, Cessna 206H

[cartman]

I have prepared this from the CASA register, heliocopter spec sheets and from flightradar24 and flightaware information


Polair 1 - Polair 21 - VH-PHW - 'WHISKEY'
Eurocopter Model AS.350B2 (built 2006)
Crew 1
Seat Capacity 5
ICAO Hex Code 7C4D02
Service Ceiling 15100 ft (4600m)
Range 357nm (662km)
Maximum Speed 155kts

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/vh-phw
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHPHW

Polair 2 - Polair 22 - VH-PHX - 'XRAY'
Eurocopter Model AS.355N (built 1996)
Crew 1
Seat Capacity 6
ICAO Hex Code 7C4D03
Service Ceiling 11150 ft (3400m)
Range 380nm (703km)
Maximum Speed 150kts

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/vh-phx
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHPHX

Polair 3 - Polair 23 - VH-PHB - 'BRAVO'
Eurocopter AS.350B2 (built 1997)
Crew 1
Seat Capacity 5
ICAO Hex Code 7C4CED
Service Ceiling 15100 ft (4600m)
Range 357nm (662km)
Maximum Speed 155kts

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/vh-phb
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHPHB

Polair 4 - Polair 24 - VH-PHM - 'MIKE'
Eurocopter EC135 P2+ (built 2010)
Crew 1
Seat Capacity Up to 7 pax or two crew & two patients
ICAO Hex Code 7C4CF8
Service Ceiling 20000 ft (6096m)
Range 395nm (731km)
Maximum Speed 137kts

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/vh-phm
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHPHM

Polair 5 - Polair 25 - VH-PHZ - 'ZULU'
Bell 412EP (built 2012)
1-2 Pilots
Up to 13 passengers
ICAO Hex Code: 7C4D05
Service Ceiling 20000ft (6096m)
Range 402 nautical miles (745km)
Maximum Speed 140kts (259kph)

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/vh-phz
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHPHZ

This is the new CT "covert" heliocopter - in service June 2014.
The old Police/Fire heliocopter has been retired

Polair 6 - Polair 26 - VH-DVV
Cessna 206H Stationair (built 2000)
Seats 6
ICAO Hex Code 7C1239
Service Ceiling 27000ft (8230m)
Range 912 nautical miles (1689km)
Maximum Speed 164kts (303kph)
Min Takeoff Distance 1740 feet (530m)

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/vh-dvv
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHDVV

Polair 7 - Polair 27 - VH-DFV
Cessna 208G Grand Caravan (built 2013)
Seats 12
ICAO Hex Code 7C0FF9
Service Ceiling 25000ft (7620m)
Range 703 nautical miles (1302km)
Maximum Speed 185kts (342kph)
Min Takeoff Distance 2160 feet (658m)

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/vh-dfv
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHDFV (no tracking request)

The Cessna 208G is the additional fixed wing plane that was bought

Polair 8 - Polair 28 - VH-DQV
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan built 2015
ICAO Hex Code 7C1185

Grant