Having completed a training secondment in Trinidad and Tobago, Auxiliary Constable Darren McLean has received his pilot wings, and is now heading to the United Kingdom where he will spend the next year flying operations as a single-pilot captain.
The successful completion of his secondment with National Helicopters Services Ltd in Trinidad is a major milestone in McLean’s progress to become the first Caymanian helicopter pilot in the RCIPS Air Operations Unit.
“I am confident that Darren was exposed to as wide a variety of conditions that our type of operation would allow, and he performed admirably,” said National Helicopters general manager Captain Homer Solomon in a statement. “I am certain that his experience here with us has placed him on a solid footing for the next phase of his development.”
During his time in Trinidad, McLean logged more than 1,000 hours twin turbine flight time, and completed more than 3,000 takeoffs and landings, according to an RCIPS press release.
Many of these takeoffs and landings were done on oil rigs, which often present particularly challenging conditions. The types of missions he flew ranged from simple personnel transports to more urgent medevacs.
“The operations that meant the most to me were always the ones where I was able to help save someone’s life,” McLean said. “At various times we were responsible for transporting victims of motor-vehicle collisions, persons with gunshot wounds, and even premature babies. It is a different experience flying with someone’s life on the line, and I was grateful to be able to help people in this way.”
The release noted that while gaining this experience flying for National Helicopters as part of a two-pilot crew, McLean flew with and learned from other experienced pilots, and benefitted from the lessons they were able to impart, and the support they offered while flying operations together.
Now he is moving on to the next stage, and will spend the next year flying operations as a single-pilot captain for Helicentre Aviation in the UK. This means that, when it comes to anything relating to the flying itself, he will be solely responsible for making all the decisions when conducting operations, the RCIPS said.
“During my time at NHSL Captain Solomon always told me that my goal should be to take the best of all the pilots I fly with,” McLean said, “and so I will be taking the lessons I learned from them into this new experience.”
In addition to allowing McLean to gain the necessary single-pilot captain hours to qualify to pilot for the RCIPS Air Operations Unit, the UK secondment will also allow him to gain experience flying in different weather conditions, over different terrain, and in a much busier airspace.
All of this will serve him well when he returns to Cayman to take up his post as AOU helicopter pilot, the RCIPS noted.
“We are very pleased that Darren has reached this milestone and look forward to his continued progress in the UK over the coming year,” said the head of the RCIPS Air Operations Unit, Inspector Neil Mohammed. “We know it has been a long journey for him, but he has never wavered or given less than 100%, and his hard work will continue to pay off.
“We are also grateful to our partners in National Helicopter Services Ltd for working with us to help develop this unprecedented program, and look forward to continuing to build our relationship with them.”
Captain Solomon said it was a “pleasure working alongside the RCIPS in what was in so many ways a groundbreaking initiative”.
He added, “While a lot of planning went into it, Darren’s attitude and aptitude also made the process easier, as he was always willing to adapt to whatever challenges came his way.”
RCIPS Commissioner of Police Derek Byrne, who presented McLean with his pilot wings upon his return to Cayman, said, “The future is very bright for Darren as he begins this next step. He is not only on the verge of being our first Caymanian police helicopter pilot, he is also serving as an example for other Caymanians who may one day follow in his footsteps.
“Once again, we thank our partners in National Helicopter Services Ltd for working with us on this initiative, and the Cayman Islands Government for their continued support.
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