Angels with Altitude
Arnold Parker, a Yorkshireman and light aircraft fanatic, set up Sky Watch six years ago after two little girls were killed by a
train on a rural stretch of railway line. It was a tragedy he felt could have been prevented if somebody in a light aircraft
had spotted the children and radioed Air Traffic Control to alert the emergency services.
What began as a group of flying friends has mushroomed into a registered charity with over 200 pilots providing their time and
aircraft completely free of charge. The pilots regard flying as a privilege and feel that through Sky Watch they are putting
something back into the community.
Any pilot with a radio licence is welcome to join Sky Watch but it is certainly not a "Dad's Army" of amateur do'gooders with a
Biggles complex. The average Sky Watch private pilot has well over 1,000 flying hours. In addition there is a strong central
core of skilled current and ex-professionals … people with careers or recent careers as RAF aircrew (including a Red Arrows pilot),
ATPL's, including Training Captains, Police Aviation, Air Ambulance, Navy aircrew, Instructors.
Sky Watch develops skilled flying to the same safety standards as search and rescue professionals. The service has an
operational and training manual towards which valuable assistance was received from aircrew at RAF S&R., Channel Islands Air
Search, and Police Aviation crew.......
Humberside police and Coastguard on a joint operation with No.9
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