- The National Police Air Service has denied allegations that one of its pilots deliberately drew a phallic shape in the sky after a Hampshire resident spotted the pattern on a flight-tracking website.
- Gordon Bird, a 53-year-old resident from Fleet, expressed concern over a perceived “waste of resources” after the late-night helicopter flight woke his two-year-old daughter.
- NPAS explained that the aircraft was conducting a legitimate operation in support of Thames Valley Police to search for a vehicle that had failed to stop for officers.
- The service emphasised that police flights do not follow predetermined flight plans, as they must respond dynamically to unpredictable circumstances on the ground.
- The incident follows similar past occurrences, including RAF pilots creating a comparable pattern in 2021 and Finnish air force cadets who faced disciplinary action for drawing phallic outlines in April.
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