Police helicopters in action: large-scale exercise over Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania!

Police helicopters in action: large-scale exercise over Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania!

From Monday, the sky over northern Germany will be crisscrossed by the rotors of up to 13 police helicopters. This helicopter-supported exercise is not only a further step in training, but also a sign of the commitment of the federal police and the state police Northern Courier reported. As part of a training exercise lasting several days, airspace surveillance is intensively practiced in several federal states, including overflights over Neubrandenburg, Fuhlendorf and Barth.

This exercise, which is part of the 44th training course for professional helicopter pilots, began on September 22, 2025. The pilots from various federal states, including Brandenburg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, have the opportunity to deepen their flying skills. The aim is to learn and perfect police tactical content and formation flying procedures presseportal.de.

Flight route and requirements

The planned flight route leads from Sankt Augustin, the starting point of the training course in North Rhine-Westphalia, via Gifhorn, Hamburg, Fuhlendorf, Barth, Neubrandenburg, Blumberg, Bautzen and Kassel-Calden back to Sankt Augustin on September 26th. However, the weather can put a damper on the flight route, which can make the plans a little shaky.

In total, the prospective pilots, who have been in training since autumn 2023, have just under 22 months until they receive their license, which is scheduled for December 11, 2025. After the license is handed over, they become part of the flying squadrons of the federal police or the state police, which are jointly responsible for security in the airspace.

Federal police and their helicopter fleet

The Federal Police, with an impressive fleet of 93 helicopters, is the second largest operator of civil aircraft in Germany, right after Lufthansa. These helicopters support a variety of missions, from border and railway surveillance to coast guard.

The cooperation between the different federal states is intended to increase efficiency and develop common security standards. The Federal Police's flying group is based in Sankt Augustin near Bonn and includes not only an aviation school, but also a maintenance facility and six flying squadrons.

The ability to be operational with the helicopters is a top priority. The operational flight operations also offer valuable support for emergency and disaster relief operations.