Game-changing air support elevates KDM’s festive safety
The "eye in the sky", an ex-military French Gazelle helicopter, not only helped recover stolen vehicles but also assisted in chasing perpetrators of serious crimes.
Air support provided during KDM’s festive season safety programme was a game changer, making this one of the most successful seasons yet.
This according to KDM Community Safety’s senior operations manager, Marius Prinsloo.
“It’s our eye in the sky. We could immediately see the change in behaviour patterns. Not only did it give us a visual of what was happening when we did an operation, but it also served as a huge deterrent. You could actually see suspicious vehicles turning around and we then targeted them,” said Prinsloo.
The “eye in the sky”, a striking black and gunmetal grey ex-military French Gazelle helicopter, piloted by Mohamed Badul of Badul Air Aviation, not only helped recover stolen vehicles but also assisted in chasing perpetrators of serious crimes.
“Criminals sometimes have faster cars than the police but they cannot outrun a helicopter,” said Prinsloo.
Badul said the helicopter’s top speed was 311km/h.
He credited the success of KDM’s programme to the partnership between his company, Saps, KDM, Marshall Security, Hawks Security, Pro Security, IPSS Medical Rescue, IPSS Security, and SMG BMW Ballito, as well as a network of additional role-players who were actively involved in operations.
“Badul Air Aviation’s air wing has been providing festive season aerial surveillance assistance to the local precinct since 2015 and I can confirm that this season was by far the best strategised and coordinated,” said Badul.
Badul, whose company’s main stream of income is on-site aviation refuelling, said he provided free air support to KDM during the festive season. He also worked closely with paramedics throughout the year and assisted during natural disasters and the looting in July 2021.”It’s what I always wanted to do. Actually, I wanted to fly medical helicopters and combat aircraft. This is a combat aircraft but the guns have been removed. So whatever I do is exciting. I’m not flying for nothing, I’m flying for a cause.”
The Courier experienced some of that excitement on Saturday morning.
Taking off from Mvoti Airfield, we first went looking for a hijacked Audi inland and then flew up and down the coast between Mvoti and Tugela River mouths before returning to base.
There really is nowhere to hide from the eye in the sky. Flying over dense bush and sugarcane fields, anything or anyone who does not belong there is easy to spot.
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