Czech Police Aviation

Current Title:	Letecka Sluzba Policie Ceske Republiky
Title in English:	Czech Police Aviation Department
Abbreviation:	CPAD

Narrative Summary:
The first Czech police aviation squadrons (called "Cetnicke letecke hlidky" - Gendarme aviation patrols) were founded in 1935. They were abolished in 1939 because of WWII. After the war a new police aviation squadron was established called "Letectvo sboru narodni bezpecnosti" - The aviation of the Corps of national security. This unit has been reorganised and renamed many times (see Key Dates table below). It was popularly known as the National Air Guard or Security Air Guard.

When the Czechoslovak republic was divided into the Czech republic and the Slovak republic in 1993, the Czech republic retained the existing "Letecka sluzba federalniho policejniho sboru", while in the Slovak republic a new organisation was founded called "Letecky utvar Ministerstva vnutra Slovenskej republiky" - Aviation body of Home Office of Slovak republic.
In 1994 the "Letecka sluzba federalniho policejniho sboru" was reorganised into the "Policie Ceske republiky Letecka sluzba" - Czech Police Aviation Department.

Note: Provision of Government Transport duties by the security aviation unit is described separately. Reports in some sources that the old Czechoslovak Border Police (Pohranicni straz) operated helicopters are false. This was a unit of the Army under the Ministry of Defence and air support was provided by the Air Force or Security Aviation as required. It was disbanded circa 1990-93 and replaced by the civilianised Pohranicni policie (Border Police) - a part of the Policie Ceske republiky (Police of Czech republic).

Key Dates:
1935		First police (Gendarme) aviation squadrons established, (called "Cetnicke letecke hlidky" - Gendarme aviation patrols).
1939		Police aviation squadrons disbanded following German invasion.
1945		"Letectvo sboru narodni bezpecnosti" - Aviation of the Corps of National Security established.
1947		Renamed "Bezpecnostni letectvo" - Security aviation.
1979		Renamed "Letecká správa Federalniho ministerstva vnitra" - Aviation service management of Federal Home Office.
1988		Renamed "Letecka sprava Sboru narodni bezpecnosti" - Aviation service management of the Corps of national security.
1991		Renamed "Letecka sluzba federalniho policejniho sboru" - Aviation department of Federal police corps.
1 January 1993		Czechoslovakia becomes Czech & Slovak Republic - Slovak Home Office aviation unit split off.
23 February 1994		Czech Police Aviation Department ("Policie Ceske republiky Letecka sluzba") created from Federal Police unit.

Current Status:
The CAPD currently undertakes two main types of air operations:

1) Flights for police units
  a) operations for special police squads
  b) quest/searching flights for missing persons/culprits
  c) documentation of offences
  d) supervision over the places with a very congested traffic column
  e) border monitoring (cooperating with the border guard of Germany)
  f) air protection of very important places
  g) management of big police actions
  h) training flights

2) Flights for rescue squads of the Integrated Rescue System of the Czech Republic (Integrovany zachranny system Ceske republiky)
  a) flights for HEMS (helicopters from bases Praha, Brno, Hradec Kralove)
  b) flights for SAR flights (helicopters from bases Praha, Brno)
  c) flights for Mountain brigade (helicopters from bases Praha, Brno)
  d) flights for Fire brigade (helicopters from bases Praha, Brno)
   da) transport of fire squads to hard to reach places (mountains)
   db) air quenching by a bambi buckets. The CAPD helped to quench mountain forest fires in Slovakia and Macedonia for example.
  e) flights for Security boards of state/county/village (Bezpecnostni rada statu/kraje/obce)
  f) flights for Emergency staff (Krizove staby)

Future Plans:
Until 2008, the current plan is to take delivery of all 8 EC 135 helicopters, and to construct four new heliports for helicopters serving the police and Integrated Rescue System flights (see above) in Ceske Budejovice, Karlovy Vary, Hradec Kralove and Ostrava. Hradec Kralove is currently a heliport for HEMS helicopters only. This will consume most of the CAPD cash budget. After 2010 a new heavy helicopter type may be purchased.

Bell 412HP B-4363 seen over Prague
in Sept 2003. (photo, Alan Lebeda)


Main Marking*		Unit Insignia
A 'pointed' version of the national insignia ("sfericky trojuhelnik") is carried on the rear fuselage of Police aircraft and helicopters, and has been used since 1935. The white outline is replaced by a blue outline on light backgrounds. During the 1940s and 1950s, National Security aircraft were distinguished by having a red-painted nose or engine cowling and red wing leading edges. In recent times the service title POLICIE is carried on the fuselage sides.

Aircraft Serial Numbering System(s):
Police aircraft used in the period 1935-1939 carried civil registrations in the series OK-Pxx. The registered operator was Bezpecnostni Letectvo Ministerstva Vnitra (= Security Aircraft of the Ministry of the Interior). Between 1945 and 1972 civil registrations were again carried, but in the OK-Bxx series.

In 1972 a new numbering system in the B-xxxx series was introduced. For example: Bell-412HP B-4369, where B = Bezpecnostni letectvo (Security aviation). First figure "4" = type of helicopter (B-"4"369 for Bell- 412, B-"2"909 for Mi-2, B-5265 for Bo-10"5", B-"8"939 for Mi-8). Second figure "3" = end figure of the year of delivery - 1993. The third and fourth figure "69" are the last figures of the construction number.

In 2005 it was decided that CAPD helicopters would adopt civil registrations. All CAPD helicopters are currently having their B-xxxx serials replaced by OK-Bxx registrations, and this should be completed by the end of 2006.

Bell 412, EC135 and Bo 105 formation
seen in July 2005. (photo, Alan Lebeda)

Aircraft Designation System(s):
Aircraft obtained from the Air Force in 1935 retained their Air Force type designations, eg: Aero AP-32. After 1945 the new Air Force type designation system was followed for Security aircraft, eg: C-2 for the Arado Ar 96, S-89 for the Supermarine Spitfire. During the 1970s it appears that this practice was dropped and the designer's/manufacturer's was adopted instead, eg: Mil Mi-8, Bell 412.

Current Aircraft Inventory:
Click on aircraft type for more details

Aircraft Type	Total Del'd	Total Now	Role	Origin
Bell 412HP/412EP	4/2	3/2	Police/Air Ambulance	USA
Eurocopter EC135T-2	8*	8*	Police/Air Ambulance	Germany
MBB Bo-105CBS-4	4	2	Police/Air Ambulance	Germany

* = being delivered.

Aircraft NOT Used:
Twelve Benes-Mraz Be-51B Beta-Minor light aircraft were ordered in the late 1930s but not delivered before the German occupation.

Current Organisational Structure:
CAPD helicopters are currently based at Praha–Ruzyne Airport, Hradec Kralove and Brno:

1) The main aviation base of the Ministry of Interior Affairs (official name - Hlavni letecka zakladna Ministerstva vnitra Praha) is at Praha-Ruzyne Airport (hangar "D"). Located here is the headquarters of the CAPD. Dispatching of CAPD flights is controlled from here and repairs to CAPD helicopters are also carried out here.
2) The aviation base of the Ministry of Interior Affairs in Brno (Letecka zakladna Ministerstva vnitra Brno)
3) The regional aviation center of the Ministry of Interior Affairs in Hradec Kralove (Regionalni letecke stredisko Ministerstva vnitra Hradec Kralove)

In Praha (Prague/Prag), Brno and Hradec Kralove the CAPD provides a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (Letecka zachranna sluzba - LZS). In other big cities this is provided by the army (Plzen) or by civil operators (Jihlava, Ostrava, Olomouc, Ceske Budejovice, Usti nad Labem, Liberec). For HEMS flights there is at Praha one machine and at Brno one machine. Both are in constant readiness for service with medical equipment. In Hradec Kralove is there one helicopter in readiness for service only for 12 hours per a day. In Prague and Brno there is also another helicopter with special police equipment in constant readiness for service for police purposes and emergency flights for the other parts of the Integrated Rescue System (all except HEMS). The remaining helicopters are in Prague and are used for planned flights (training flights).

Current Air Bases:
Main base is the Praha–Ruzyne Airport, with helicopters also based at Hradec Kralove and Brno.

All-Time Air Bases Used List:
1935: Cheb, Ruzodol u Liberce, Hradec Kralove, Dolni Benesov and Bratislava Vajnory (latter now in Slovak republic-SR)
1938: As in 1935, with the addition of Terezin, Stare Mesto u Moravske Trebove, Brno, Zvolen (SR). After the signing of the Munich Agreement (when part of the Czech area was seized by Hitler's Germany) the unit at Ruzodol u Liberce was relocated to Milovice
1946: Founded bases at Prague Ruzyne, Ceske Budejovice, Brno, Bratislava Vajnory (SR), Karlovy Vary, Kosice (SR), Jicin, Olomouc, Plzen and Rimavska Sobota (SR)
1950: Only Prague remained after reorganisation
1961: Bratislava base added to the organisational structure
1991: Added Hradec Kralove and Brno

'Ve znamení sferickeho trojuhelniku'
by M. Dlouhy
Published by Oddeleni public relations MV CR, Praha, 1995 ISBN: Not applicable

'Policejní letectvo Vcera a dnes'
by M. Dlouhy & J. Minarik
Published by Themis, Praha, 2000 ISBN: 80-85821-91-5

'Vrtulniky u Policie Ceske republiky Letecke sluzby'
by J. Fojtík
Studentska vedecká a odborna cinnost, Policejni akademie Ceske republiky, Praha, 2005

'Technicke systemy a prostriedky policie'
by A. Tallo, a kol.
Published by Akademia policajneho zboru v Bratislave, Bratislava, 2001 ISBN 80-8054-186-8
[In Slovak language]

Policista 8/2000, Pomoc z nebe, R. Cervena
Letectvi a kosmonautika 7/1996 pp.26 Letadla v policejnich sluzbach, M. Dlouhy
Letectvi a kosmonautika 5/1997 pp.20 Policejni letadla pri zachrane zivotu, M. Dlouhy
Letectvi a kosmonautika 25/1995 pp.26 Policejni letectvo, M. Dlouhy, M., M. Machutova
Letectvi a kosmonautika 7/2005 pp.46 Policejni letectvo, J. Fojtik
Letectvi a kosmonautika 8/1997 pp.30 Kazdodenni obetavost, J. Hornik, J. Knotek
Letectvi a kosmonautika 2/2004 pp.12 EC-135 se sferickym trojuhelnikem, P. Kolmann
Letectvi a kosmonautika 9/2005 pp.28 Mi-2, P. Kolmann
Letectvi a kosmonautika 22/2003 pp.31 Mil Mi-8 se sferickym trojuhelnikem, P. Kolmann
Letectvi a kosmonautika 3/2004 pp.16 Modernizovane Mil Mi-17, P. Kolmann
Letectvi a kosmonautika 3/2003 pp.10 Sanitni EC-135, P. Kolmann
Letectvi a kosmonautika 13/2003 pp.10 Zachranari opet v Hradci, P. Kolmann
Rotorbreeze 2/2003 pp.4 And then the rains come, The Czech Police Aviation Department above and beyond the call of duty, A. Moffatt, (Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.)
Letectvi a kosmonautika 18/1995 pp.26 Letecka sluzba Policie CR se predstavuje, 4. BULLETIN ALZS, V. Panenka
Letectvi a kosmonautika 10/2002 pp.34 Policie CR letecka sluzba, V. Panenka
Kriminalisticky sbornik 2/1995 pp.71 Vyuziti policejnich vrtulniku letecke sluzby, V. Panenka
Letectvi a kosmonautika 1/2002 pp.11 Rozhovor s Vladimirem Panenkou o Policii CR letecke sluzbe, M. Salajka
Verejna sprava 24/2002 Rozhovor s plk. JUDr. Vladimirem Panenkou, reditelem LS PCR, A. Tabach

Information on this page was from derived from the following source: Fojtík, J., 'Helicopters serving in Czech aviation Police department', Students science essay, Prague: Police academy of Czech republic, 2005

Czech RepublicPolice Aviation

Czech Republic
Police Aviation