$13.48 million to replace Winnipeg police helicopter: report

A new police helicopter could be flying over Winnipeg to replace the current 15-year-old model.

A report to the mayor’s Executive Policy Committee is recommending council accept a bid from Eagle Copters for an Airbus H125.

The city would lease to own the chopper for $13.48 million over 15 years, at a cost of around $900,000 annually.

The report said the manufacturer stopped making the current helicopter in 2017, which is an Airbus H120, so parts for maintenance are harder to get and becoming more expensive.

It said in 2023 the helicopter was in the air for 864 hours and was available for 220 days, grounded 64 days for maintenance and 60 days for weather.

The report notes the helicopter improves safety for police and citizens. It said in 2023 it was dispatched to 1,459 “high-risk” events, including tracking vehicles where a driver refused to stop or was trying to get away from police.

Mayor Scott Gillingham said he supports the purchase.

“We used to hear a lot about high-speed chases,” said Gillingham. “We don’t hear that anymore, why? In the evenings and nighttime, when the helicopter is in the air, police can break off a high-speed chase because the helicopter picks up the vehicle, and things can be a lot safer.”

The report said the replacement helicopter has a speed of 136 knots, and flights can last as long as 4.5 hours, compared to 120 knots and 2.5 hours for the current chopper.

But the report said the new unit would be louder.

“The FOU (Flight Operations Unit) will continue to use best practices to mitigate the effect of the aircraft’s sound while airborne over Winnipeg,” the report said.

It said the Airbus H125 is in use by the RCMP, and police services in Calgary, Edmonton, and York.

EPC will consider the purchase at a meeting next week.