Drone cops hone their skills with airfield training sessions at Langar Airfield

Police drone pilots were granted access to an airfield to sharpen their potentially life-saving skills.

Nottinghamshire Police's drone unit has helped save the lives of several vulnerable missing people and identify suspects by giving police an invaluable eye in the sky since it's launch in January 2020.

Last month its team of pilots and officers from other areas of the force that volunteer for shifts in the role, were put through their paces at Langar Airfield.

This training session was for their annual recertification checks and other valuable learning exercises.

Nottinghamshire Police carry out this training on a more regular basis than the law require, and use the sessions to check pilots basic skills and ensure emergency service exemptions are being used properly.

Chief pilot, PC Vince Saunders said: "Anyone can buy and fly a drone but they must adhere to very strict rules designed to protect other aircraft and members of the public.

"Emergency services, however, have been granted enhanced permission to fly closer to people and potential hazards, and crucially further way from the operator.

"With these rights comes a great responsibility to ensure we are as well prepared as we can be to do our jobs safely and effectively."

Three separate days of training were held for the team, which allowed all 15 of its current pilots to successfully complete their annual checks.

The drones unit operates six drones of varying size, and is a shared unit with Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Two of the main drones are fitted with high-powered zoom and thermal imaging cameras, and also have the ability to track vehicles.

They offer officers on the ground reassurance and an alternative option to police helicopters, meaning more aerial support can be put in core policing activities.

PC Saunders added: "The airfield is clearly a great location for us to do that in and we are extremely grateful to Skydive Langar for allowing us to use their facilities free of charge; they really were great hosts and worked with us to ensure this training could be carried out safely.

"We are lucky to have a really good group of core pilots and I am delighted we have been given the time and space we need to ensure they are operating this very expensive equipment properly.

"In the right hands these machines can literally save people’s lives, but we must remember at all times that we are dealing with aircraft and take the necessary precautions to operate them effectively."

Josh Carratt, operations manager at Skydive Langar, said: "The decision to host the police drone team at our airfield was a really easy one.

"The work they do is so important to the local community and we are proud to have been able to support them, even in just a small way.

"The team were all really friendly and it was our pleasure to spend time with them during the week, plus watching them in action was really impressive and great to see how these drones are being put to work in such an important way."