Australian Aerial Patrol

The Australian Aerial Patrol (inc Wollongong Aerial Patrol) conducts fixed wing shark patrols on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. The patrol was created in 1957 and is based at the Illawarra Regional Airport.

In the 1990s the Australian Aerial Patrol (AAP) became an accredited civil Search and Rescue (SAR) unit. The unit was equipped with a Partenavia PN-68-TC (VH-APH), a Cessna 402 and a C-182 (VH-APN) for these operations. The AAP was involved in several major SAR operations throughout the 1990s including the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race rescue and the rescue of the crew of the yacht 'Green Hornet' in 1999.

In 2002 The AAP became a tier 1 (first response) SAR unit and equipped with a Piper Chieftain (VH-VRA). This aircraft was fitted with a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera, leased from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). In 2006 AMSA contracted out T1 SAR operations to a single contractor (Aerorescue/Paspaly Aviation). As a result the AAP FLIR camera and SAR stores were returned to AMSA. This has left the heavily populated NSW coastline without a fixed wing T1 SAR capability. The AAP currently conducts limited (Tier 4) SAR operations with mainly volunteer crew. In 2001 the Australian Aerial Patrol acquired a local flying school (Wollongong Flight Training) and re-branded it as NSW Air. The flying school conducts flight training up to commercial level and also trains pilots for beach patrol/SAR operations.