When the helicopter began routine patrols back in October 1979 newspapers received regular letters from inner-suburban residents complaining that the peculiar whine of the rotor was unacceptable noise pollution and that police peering into backyards was an outrageous intrusion on civil liberties. But as the burglary rate in Melbourne rose, the noise of the helicopter began to be a comfort rather than an annoyance. The air wing fleet consists of the original Dauphin, two later models previously used by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu and a single-engine Squirrel helicopter. Ironically, one of the Romanian helicopters used by the brutal regime is now used as Victoria's air ambulance. The new Dauphines won't come cheap.
Charges increase when they take to the air.
When executives from the company that built the Dauphin, now known as Eurocopter, visited Melbourne they were delighted to see Daphne was still operating. It has flown 17,236 hours and covered about 2,326,860 kilometres, the equivalent of flying from Melbourne to London 137 times. Every moving part has been replaced several times and while it is still in good condition, the job has outgrown its capabilities as police added new detection and rescue gear. I N the 1970s and 80s major drug syndicates started to grow huge crops of cannabis in isolated bush areas. The drug growers would sometimes hike into inaccessible country, carrying irrigation gear and seedlings to set up crops worth millions.