If you thought those curious signs that claim police helicopters are used to bust speeding drivers were a hoax, you now have confirmation it's the real deal.
Snow bunnies keen on beating the queues at Victorian snowfields last weekend were caught en masse by Victoria Police highway patrol vehicles assisted by the Air Wing’s Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin 2 helicopter.
In total 60 speeding detections and 56 motorists were caught speeding as part of Operation Earlybird in the Mansfield area northeast of Melbourne in Victoria.
Of those caught, 15 were travelling at speeds that result in the loss of driver's license and a 29-year-old Hallam man had his Volkswagen Passat wagon impounded for driving at 158km/h in a 100km/h zone on Mount Buller Road.
Motorists disobeying road signs and overtaking on unbroken white lines were also fined.
The high-altitude operation occurred over the weekend of August 10-11 and targeted vehicles heading to the Mt Buller and Mt Stirling ski fields.
It's not clear when the Victoria Police Air Wing was last used to catch speeding motorists, nor how often police helicopters are used to stop speeding drivers.
However, a Victoria Police spokesperson told carsales.com.au the Air Wing "…is a support service available to all other responding units across the state, including highway patrol.
"The Air Wing is not dedicated to specific operations across the year, however, will provide aerial support when there is availability.
"During road operations such as the recent Operation Earlybird, the Air Wing can provide valuable assistance in areas where ground units are unable to easily navigate due to steep or mountainous terrain."
When we asked for clarification of how Air Wing helicopters nab speeding drivers, Victoria Police said it doesn't disclose its methodology "for operational reasons".
However, the spokesperson said the Air Wing has several options at its disposal, including "a range of techniques to detect speeding motorists and subsequently direct on-ground units".
Victoria Police will upgrade its Air Wing with three new Italian Leonardo helicopters in 2020 at a cost of around $63 million, plus a Beechcraft King Air 350ER aeroplane, which will be used to rapidly deploy officers where needed.
In terms of police cars, Aussie motorists will see the likes Honda, Tesla, Chrysler, Holden, BMW, Volkswagen and other brands around Australia.
Acting Sergeant Rebecca Watkins from Mansfield highway patrol said most of those people caught in the sting were driving to the snowfields from Melbourne.
"Plan ahead so that you don't need to rush to or from the snow," she said. "Be patient and be safe.
"It's not just the people who are exceeding the speed limit that put themselves at risk -- but also other road users -- of being seriously injured or killed," she stated.