Our fixed wing fleet

Complementing our helicopter fleet are our fixed wing aircraft, which are based at East Midlands Airport and which are deployed across England and Wales to provide national air coverage.

We operate four Vulcanair P68R aircraft which provide the potential of two simultaneous lines of fixed wing air support during their hours of operation.

Each aircraft is fitted with the same capabilities as our rotary fleet and so can be deployed to the same range of dynamic incidents.

But where the fixed wing fleet excel is in endurance. With the ability to remain airborne for up to eight hours, they are a popular resource for pre-planned operations and large-scale events which are likely to last for several hours.

In 2024/25, our fixed wing crews provided 759 hours of assistance to 39 different police forces.

They also patrolled the skies for 177 hours, enabling them to respond to incidents whilst already airborne.

The reach of endurance of our fleet

Five hours of continuous airborne patrol by the NPAS fixed wing crew provided valuable support to forces across the Midlands and South, easing demand on police resources.

The crew lifted at 8pm on Friday 1 November 2024 to patrol the Midlands area and immediately self-tasked to the Derbyshire and Staffordshire border to search for an offender near HM Prison, Sudbury, before diverting to Banbury, where Thames Valley Police needed assistance with a search for a highly vulnerable person.

Remaining in the South East, the crew was tasked three further times - to reports of high risk missing person, a vehicle which had failed to stop for officers and a suspect who had made off. Not only did the crew find the suspect but they made sure vital evidence was recovered too.

As the crew returned to base, shortly before midnight, they picked up a missing person search which was being conducted by Derbyshire Police. 

In all, the aircraft and crew were in flight for five hours, demonstrating the value of the reach and endurance of the fixed wing fleet.