Queensland Police Service orders three more Bell 429s
The helicopters will be used by the Australian state’s Polair aerial law enforcement unit
Queensland Police Service (QPS) placed an order for three more Bell 429 helicopters with manufacturer Bell Textron at this year’s Avalon Australian International Airshow.
The helicopters will join three others already in use by Queensland’s Polair police aviation unit, bringing the total number of units to six, and will be used to serve northern Queensland.
The Bell 429s will feature night vision capabilities, and will be delivered in law enforcement configuration – offering an infrared camera, searchlights, removable and sliding doors, wire strike protection systems, an optional auxiliary fuel tank, a fast rope insertion/extraction system, and an equipment operator station.
The UK’s National Police Air Service (NPAS) recently placed an order for seven H135 helicopters with manufacturer Airbus.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca was a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.