Helicopters still king, says NPAS chief pilot
Captain Paul Watts, NPAS chief pilot, said that, whilst using drones may be useful, manned aerial vehicles still have the advantage in SAR and policing.
The National Police Air Service (NPAS) in the UK has explained its view on the use of drones. In a new video, Captain Paul Watts, NPAS chief pilot, said that, whilst using drones may be useful, manned aerial vehicles still have the advantage in SAR and policing. “Most drones are limited by their battery life to 20 or 30 mins,” Watts explained. “You cannot guarantee that a police incident will only go on for 20 to 30 mins.”
UAVs’ limited range and small field of view are also cited as reasons that helicopters are superior. Watts describes helicopters as ‘airborne command and control platforms’, and their ability to control an incident from the sky is unmatched by drones.
Although the technology used by the military abroad may one day come to the UK, said Watts, the UK’s busy airspace may limit the use of drones. To allow a large drone to operate in a densely-populated area, it would have to be able to observe other airspace users. Watts says that current technology does not allow this to happen. There are some situations where drones can be useful to NPAS, including perimeter surveillance, said Watts.
He does however predict that advances in future technology will mean less helicopters having to be operated, which could result in reduced cost.