The noise of a helicopter overhead can be irritating, especially when you're in the dark about its mission.

A Richmond police officer has attempted to shed light on the issue with a tongue-in-cheek post on Nextdoor.

PCSO Dave Haywood wrote:

"Why's there a helicopter above my house?". We'd thought we'd pitch in and answer this age old question that we get asked a LOT. It can be a soar point but the answer is simple. The crew are looking for someone or something somewhere. Hope that clears things up.

But looking up, the helicopter teams of the National Police Air Service that cover our fine borough do try to be as quiet as possible, and whilst "hopes and best wishes" are a lot quieter, an engine and rotor is much more reliable.

Having had the opportunity to fly in one, I learnt that although the helicopter may be above your area, they may actually be looking at something much farther away. (Sorry if they flightened you though!) They work a 24 hour rotor making them a highly valuable resource for the teams below.

We will endevour to keep you as informed as possible online but unfortunately our social media officers are not currently 24/7. So keep in mind that if we are using this vital resource, it's for a good reason. I'll continue to keep you as informed as possible when the teams "get to the choppa" but follow your NPAS teams on Twitter and Facebook for direct info!

Getting into a career in aviation is difficult as you need the right altitude and dedication as you may get hungry as the teams often miss having their launch.

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Find out more on the NPAS website.