Air International 2018-05
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S.Degraef, E.Borremans - Austria's Police Flyers /Parapublic/
The sole remaining Bell 206B JetRanger III is used for training new pilots and the occasional transport of personnel.
One of four Flugpolizei AS350B1S. The type's high-altitude capabilities means these helicopters are assigned to units operating in mountainous regions.
The Austrian Flugpolizei operates seven FLIR-equipped EC135P2+ helicopters, which are based at Vienna-Schwechat, Salzburg and Klagenfurt.
An EC135P2+ undergoing work at the unit's Wartungsbetrieb (maintenance unit) at Meidling.
The Flugpolizei is only allowed to rescue people in specific types of difficulty to avoid overlap with the dedicated HEMS mission allocated to Austria's OAMTC service operating a fleet of yellow H135T3s.
The quartet of EC135P2+ helicopters used for surveillance are equipped with Nightsun illumination and multispectral cameras, with the crew wearing night-vision goggles.
Four EC135s are used for surveillance missions, the three others 'slick' examples are used as multirole helicopters.
After receiving their wings, Flugpolizei pilots visit the various FESTs during a pilot apprentice phase before assignment as an operational pilot.