Daily London
Chief Police Commissioner Mike Bush again defended his use of the taxpayer-funded police helicopter after it was revealed he used it another time for a demonstration on July 29.
The second helicopter ride was not non-operational travel and was necessary to ensure Bush could familiarise himself with the technology after he began his tenure, Victoria Police said.
Bush’s wife Vicky also took a flight in June alongside two visiting police officers from New Zealand.
“I have only used the Victoria Police Air Wing helicopter once for non-operational travel,” Bush said in a statement.
“This was in relation to a recent trip to Hobart and I have rightly publicly apologised for this. Outside of this, I have only been onboard the Air Wing helicopter one other time.”
Bush said he used the Air Wing while being “educated on the capability of our specialist resources”.
“As a new Chief Commissioner, I have been very clear that I need a proper understanding of how the organisation works,” Bush continued.
“This day was organised with this in mind and provided me with a deeper knowledge of how our elite units work to keep Victoria safe.
“To be clear, this flight was not for non-operational travel – it was to gain a very real understanding of how the Air Wing operates in the air which simply cannot be achieved from ground level.”
He was dropped back to police headquarters because the chopper was already headed that way.
Bush was not on the flight when his wife went up in the police helicopter over Melbourne on June 28.
The flight lasted 10 minutes and was a pre-arranged trip.
The commissioner issued a public apology last month after it was found he used the helicopter to visit Hobart for a work conference, a move that didn’t quite pass the pub test.
Bush admitted in a statement it was not the right decision and accepted he should have “looked harder for a commercial flight” for his interstate trip.
A Victoria Police spokesperson previously confirmed Bush took a secondary Air Wing to Hobart for a “critical” meeting.
This type of chopper is predominantly is used for training flights and acts as a back-up for the primary helicopter.
The police helicopter costs an estimated $10,000 for every hour it is in the sky.
