Police Aviation News November 2010
Police Aviation News November 2010
Police Aviation News November 2010
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<strong>Police</strong> <strong>Aviation</strong> <strong>News</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 4<br />
GERMANY<br />
BAVARIA: Plans of the forthcoming police air operations infrastructure in Munich have<br />
been disclosed. The new building will house the Federal <strong>Police</strong> flyer squadron south and<br />
the Bavarian police operations at the Oberschleißheim airport. Readers will recall the recent<br />
open day there.<br />
The structure will consist of two adjoining buildings and hard standings designed to accommodate<br />
the Federal and Bavarian EC135, EC155, AS332 and NH-90 helicopters.<br />
Engineering support will be common for all aircraft at the completion date – expected to be<br />
2012. [MM]<br />
ITALY<br />
GUARDIA DI FINANZA: The Helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare in Somerset<br />
has secured another First for a UK aviation collection, with the addition of an ex-Italian<br />
Guardia di Finanza Agusta A109GdiF helicopter. The aircraft is the first all-Italian aircraft<br />
and second addition this year to the Museum’s helicopter collection. The helicopter was<br />
unveiled by UK Tourism Minister John Penrose and officially handed over to the Museum by<br />
Graham Cole, AgustaWestland’s Managing Director during a ceremony held at the Museum<br />
on 8 th October.<br />
Following a first flight in 1971 the twin-engined A109 was the first all-Italian helicopter to enter<br />
large scale production, and the first to adopt the sleek lines and styling common among<br />
more modern helicopters of today. Since its introduction the basic design has been constantly<br />
upgraded and improved over the years and the aircraft is in worldwide service for<br />
military, corporate, search and rescue, air ambulance, law enforcement and other missions.<br />
The Guardia di Finanza, which is a parapublic organisation equating to a national customs<br />
and immigration force, purchased its own variant of the A109 during the 1980s to patrol Italy’s<br />
borders and territorial waters. It has recently been taking delivery of the new generation<br />
AW109N Nexus to replace the older aircraft and declared the A109 surplus to requirements<br />
earlier this year. The acquisition by The Helicopter Museum was supported personally<br />
by the Chief Executive Officer of manufacturer AgustaWestland, Giuseppe Orsi, and the<br />
company also sponsored shipment of the helicopter from Frosinone, Rome, where it has<br />
been stored since withdrawal from service last June. [EAP]
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