ASOG Article of the Month | November 2022
ASOG Author | Patrick Ryan
Not many books on the shelf focus on the operational side of police aviation. However, there is a relatively new book that does just that, i.e., focuses on everything from history and tactics to recruitment & selection of police helicopter crews. Besides the police aviation aspect of this book, it has much to offer to other multi-mission aviators when it comes to relating and learning something new regarding unique hi-tempo operations.
I was given two gifts during the ASOG Conference & Meet-Up in Cologne this month. The first gift was Bryn Elliott (ASOG Member and editor of Police Aviation News Magazine) giving me a copy of a book, and the second gift was Bryn signing the book as a contributor. As a contributor, Bryn provided valuable information about UK police aviation history and current event details.
Now to the Book
The book I'm referring to is "Police Helicopter, Delivering air support for law enforcement – Operations Manual." The book's author is Richard Brandon, and is Published by Haynes Publishing UK (2020). If you're interested in obtaining a copy of this book, you can easily purchase it over the internet.
Overall, the book is focused on UK police aviation past & present and is divided, from my perspective, into the following logical and informative chapters:
- Police Aviation in the UK
- The Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit
- Anatomy of a police helicopter
- Police helicopter crew
- Tactics
- Police helicopter in action (Case Studies)
- Behind the scenes
Within each chapter, you'll find very informative sub-subjects. My favorites are "Anatomy of a Police Helicopter" and "Tactics." Here's an overview of their sub-subjects:
Anatomy of a Police Helicopter
- UK Police Helicopter
- Anatomy of a police helicopter
- Exploring the police role equipment
Tactics
- What does a police helicopter do?
- Searching
- Enclosed area search
- Open area search
- Vehicle pursuits
- And more…..
The Good
What I like about this book and the author is – It's written from an Airborne Sensor Operator (ASO) or Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) perspective. So you can see Richards's perception of operations from a TFO perspective throughout the book.
Another "like" on my part about this book is the illustrations, diagrams, and photos. Richard provides relevant, informative, and helpful information about the topic and is on the same page with the subject. Being an "Old Crew Dog," I could quickly get a visual on the subject and understand the information he was relaying.
The Bad
On the bad side, and not really a bad thing, the book left me wanting to get a "Ride Along" flight and actually see the crews, equipment, and operations in action, i.e., experiencing the real world sometimes is better than seeing the world virtually when it comes to understanding a subject.
The End
To flip to the final page of my short review, Richard's book, in my opinion, is perfect for those wanting to:
- Get into police aviation,
- Non-aviators or Supervisors working with police aviators, or
- Someone who wants to learn a new perspective of a different Aerial Work or Multi-Mission operation.
So, if you're looking to fill your Airborne Sensor Operator "Knowledge Bucket," I highly recommend this book for future and current ASOGers.
Comments
This book is long overdue as a reference tool, and as a positive inspiration for anyone thinking of joining the airborne surveillance field. I'd recommend it for any commercial company contributing to the aviation and sensor market, to consider this as a worthwhile gift to your police aviation customers!!
GJD