# @victoriapolice on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CwJs9tNPGHL
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/17660790-victoriapolice-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/cc23364839.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-08-20T03:38:27.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Victoria Police (@victoriapolice) — https://gondola.cc/victoriapolice

## Caption

Today is #WorldHelicopterDay. It's a day to celebrate not only an engineering feat (impressive work Igor Sikorsky), but also the vital work our Air Wing Unit does in the remarkable rotorcraft, like the Leonardo AW139 (pictured). 

Recently clocking 10,000 fleet hours, helicopters hold a special place in the hearts of the Air Wing Unit. So, it's little surprise that Tactical Flight Officer Tim Conway and Air Wing Pilot Adam Chamberlain were more than happy to share their chopper facts with us. 

Maximum take-off weight – 7000Kg. 
Top speed – 310km/h (Although we would never fly this fast)
Typical altitude – Between 1000ft to 6000ft
Fuel load – 1654 kilograms 
Best view over Melbourne – Melbourne city skyline at night is always an impressive sight 

The AW139 is also equipped with a winch, which allows TFO’s to rescue missing, or trapped persons in water or on land. 

World Helicopter Day wouldn’t be what it is without the people who fly them. So, when prompted about some commonly asked questions, Tim and Adam didn’t hesitate when asked with the question “why is the helicopter hovering above my house?”. A question we also receive a lot in our comments section. 

The answer? ’There are several reasons we could be flying or hovering overhead, we might be providing tactical support to ground units, helping to look for an alleged criminal, pinpointing a location to help an arrest and preparing to perform a rescue‘. 

Think flying to new heights could be a career for you? Remember you need to be pilot trained to get up in the helicopter, but that doesn’t have to stop you from joining and providing assistance from the ground. For more information about Air Wing policing follow the link in our bio and click 'Specialist roles and units'. 

Can you count how many pieces of equipment get loaded into a helicopter before take-off? Answers are in the comments 👇

## Stats

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- **Likes:** 2,929
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- **Comments:** 30

## Tags

worldhelicopterday

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