Helicopters
The Midlands Air Operations Unit, a consortium of West Midlands, Warwickshire, West Mercia and Staffordshire Police, based at Birmingham Airport, operated from 25 July 1987.
West Midlands Police launched their own air unit on 10 May 1989 with G-WMPA, an Aerospatiale AS355 F2. G-WMPA was subsequently fitted with a gyro-stabilised camera turret with daytime and thermal image cameras, plus a Nitesun Searchlight and Skyshout PA System. It was sold to a buyer in Switzerland in 2007.
From January 2000 they operated G-WMID, a MD902 "NOTAR" helicopter, named "Miss Mollie Collins", after a child who had "shown tremendous courage in dealing with her disability", in a local newspaper competition. This aircraft was subsequently re-registered as G-KSSH and is the Surrey air ambulance.
In July 2007 G-WMID was replaced by a Eurocopter EC135 P2+, G-WMAO. G-WAMO was destroyed by arson in the early hours of 8 June 2009, while at Birmingham International Airport.
From October 2009 to July 2010, they used a Eurocopter EC135 T1, G-SUFF, loaned by the manufacturer.
They now operate another Eurocopter EC135 P2, G-POLA, acquired in July 2010.
All of the above helicopters have had a casualty evacuation role, for occasions when a Midlands Air Ambulance was unable to attend.
Read more about this topic: West Midlands Police