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History

Helicopter leaving hanger

Chiltern Air Support Unit’s history goes back to 1963, when Oxford City Police experimented by using a helicopter for special events.

Today, the Unit provides air support with two EC135 helicopters to the five counties of the three consortium police forces – an area of 3,270 square miles and 3.5 million people. On average, the two helicopters are airborne for around 2,200 flying hours per annum, attending up to 6,000 individual tasks.

Below is a brief history:

  • 1980 – Thames Valley Police uses an aircraft at 20 separate special events.
  • 1986 – The Unit relocates to RAF Abingdon and is allocated a budget of 650 flying hours per annum.
  • 1988 – Thames Valley Police becomes the third UK police force to have a full-time Air Support Unit, joining the Metropolitan Police and Devon and Cornwall Constabulary.
  • 1992 – The Unit has three full-time pilots plus six observers, and its flying hours are increased to 750 per annum.
  • 1993 – Thames Valley Police buys its own helicopter, a twin-engine ‘Squirrel’, and is awarded a Police Air Operators Certificate (PAOC).
  • 1996 – Bedfordshire Police and Hertfordshire Constabulary join Thames Valley Police and the Chiltern Air Support Unit is launched.
  • 1998 – The western base of the Unit moves to RAF Benson, near Wallingford.
  • 1999 – The RAF Benson-based ‘Squirrel’ helicopter is replaced by a Eurocopter EC135.
  • 2002 – A second EC135 replaces the Luton-based ‘Squirrel’ helicopter.
  • 2007 – The Luton base moves to RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire.