Here we have a G-WPAS, the Wiltshire Police Air Support…

Here we have a G-WPAS, the Wiltshire Police Air Support Unit. The MD Explorer helicopter is jointly operated with Wiltshire Ambulance Service as an air ambulance.



The helicopter lifts off. You can see the gyrostabilised camera mounted below the nose of the helicopter and the night-sun spotlight mounted at the end of the port skid.



G-WPAS is not equipped with a tail rotor. Instead, hot air is ducted out of the rear of the boom providing stability. This makes the aircraft quieter to operate and easier to control when landing in confined places. It also makes it safer for persons moving around the exterior of the aircraft when its engines are running.