2. When and Why?
The Victoria Police Air Wing was officially formed in
1975 after members of the Victoria Aero Club
demonstrated to Force Command and Government
the effectiveness of aviation as a police resource.
3. Branched of The Air Wing
Air Ambulance
The Air Wing provides a 24-hour ambulance service to time-critical patients
and serves the Melbourne metropolitan area covering a radius of 150 kilometres
from its base at Essendon Airport. Operating within this radius allows the Air
Ambulance to go out and back without refuelling.
With vertical take off and landing ability, the helicopter can land on a roadway,
treat and stabilise a patient, then provide fast, uninterrupted transport to the
nearest medical centre or hospital. The Air Ambulance is also used for inter-
hospital transfers and as a primary response to other medical emergencies.
Operational support
The Air Wing provides support to the Dog Squad, Search and Rescue, Water
Police and Crime Squads. Aerial support includes all types of aerial
photography and thermal imaging for crime, traffic, planning and routine
operations. Members also conduct covert surveillance including observation
and photography of criminal activities.
4. Special Skills Required
License to fly a helicopter or any other air apparatuses
Specific search skills (i.e.. can distinguish drug crops)
Understands traffic congestion and how to manage it
Can identify car types
Photographic skills (aerial photography for crime, traffic,
planning and routine operations)
Medical skills (for the Air Ambulance)
5. Duties Performed
The Air Wing's work includes:
Crime prevention and detection - regular patrols of metropolitan Melbourne.
Traffic surveillance - to enable police to better assess a situation on major traffic
thoroughfares.
Detection of traffic offenders through Operation Airtector - to detect and apprehend
blatant traffic violators on the state highways.
Location of stolen cars - search areas of bushland where dumped stolen cars are to be
found in remote and otherwise barely accessible areas.
Air-ground direction of surface units - from the vantage of aerial observation, guiding
police on the ground to their targets.
Search and Rescue - an aerial search to find people missing at sea and remote
places. Helicopters can cover large areas in a short space of time, increasing the chance
of rescue.
Fire duties - The Air Wing has a fire bucket for use as an aerial fire bomber, and provides
the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) with aerial
observation support.
Air Ambulance - this service is provided on 24-hours standby, and is staffed by a police
pilot, police observer, ambulance officer and paramedic.
Photographic tasks - the Air Wing provides aerial support to facilitate all types of aerial
photography for crime, traffic, planning and routine operations.
Covert surveillance - observation and photography of criminal activities.
6. Part B
The basic requirements for a person to sit the Victorian police Air
Wing entry exam states:
“Applicants who wish to be appointed to Victoria police must meet
the following requirements:”
Be of good character and reputation;
Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia or
entitled to this status under Commonwealth law;
Have the mental capacity and physical fitness to be able to
perform the duties of a member of Victoria Police and who has
completed a medical examination in accordance with standards
prescribed by the Chief Commissioner of Police;
Has passed the education examination, fitness test, selection
panel interview and completed psychological screening; and
A person who is under 21 years of age must have successfully
completed the Victorian Certificate of Education or interstate
equivalent.
7. Training Requirements
These are the following training requirements to become a
police officer. Click on the links to find out more
information about specific branches of the police system:
CPP07 - security training requirements (explores the
different areas of security training in the police academy)
Batons, body armour and handcuffs (describes the
qualifications needed to use handcuffs, batons and body
armour)
For more information about training requirements visit:
http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?document_id=2459
