Messages

1

Air Corps Apprentice Contact Page / Re: John Falvey RIP

« on: June 24, 2010, 11:29:05 am »

Thanks for the PM, Claudel.

I received that address from an exer in Oz just after I posted the last one.

Was John laid off recently from 'Lingus? I can't believe they allowed it all to go, so many lads out of work. Those skills won't just come back either.

We're constantly getting the statement that we're overstaffed in Engineering at BA! Can't believe it! We're struggling to get aircraft out all the time, then something else jumps out and adds extra work to the check. But in the not too distant future there's going to be an awful lot of retirements!

There's a slow trickle of apprentices starting to come through at the moment but we haven't had any for about 15 years.

How's things in the 'Don? You sending anything over to RIAT?

Best wishes,

JK 

2

Irish Air Corps / Re: Old Air Corps Film

« on: June 16, 2010, 02:32:40 pm »

Hey Claudel, was that you doing the pre flight?

3

Air Corps Apprentice Contact Page / Re: John Falvey RIP

« on: June 16, 2010, 02:23:33 pm »

RIP John, Jeez, Claudel, what happened to him?

4

Irish Air Corps / Re: Dauphin at sea onboard LE Eithne - 34 photos

« on: December 07, 2009, 04:05:07 pm »

Hey Frank,

Long time no see! Thanks for showing those photos, reminded me why I left the 'Don!

Hope all's well,

JK

5

Irish Air Corps / Re: IAF Fougas

« on: August 03, 2008, 04:22:29 pm »

Hey Claudel, did you get across to Northolt with the PC9 for the photocall recently? Give me a shout if you are coming over, I'll send you a pm with my email address. Good to see you're still around,

Best wishes

JK

6

Irish Air Corps / Re: Casement Hangar designations and usage

« on: August 03, 2008, 04:04:58 pm »

Don't read too much into it Shamrock! when I was in they were numbered 1-4, but now there's a new one, maybe they just call it the new one!

Right, now I've told you I'll have to shoot you and eat the evidence!

7

Air Corps Apprentice Contact Page / Re: 40th Appt Class

« on: August 03, 2008, 04:01:21 pm »

Hey Stally,

Sorry about the delay in getting back! Yes I'm afraid Sick Mick was one of my crowd!

We, in the 40th, reached a plateau of jiltyness and everyone was rather gash, except for Sick Mick! His gear was always better, his wagon floor was always shinier! So just before Saturday morning inspection a group of us would dive into his room and wreck his floor, not giving him enough time to get it up to his normal level! Or we'd nick his pads!

Ahhh! Those were the days!

8

Irish Air Corps / Re: IAC Vampires

« on: January 09, 2008, 08:11:41 pm »

Hi Short Finals, the Vampire you speak of, "198", was a pile of bits in the Apprentice side of Hangar 2 (The other side was where the Fougas were kept) back in the mid '70s. The bits were still in RAF colours back then. 6 of us apprentices from the 40th appt class re-assembled, paint stripped and re-painted the aircraft in Air Corps colours under the supervision of Sgt Jerry (The Rasher) McCann back in 1978. Then we towed it down past the Riverside huts to the front of the Apprentice Hostel. Later it got towed to the front of the Officers mess. I don't think it was ever actually used as an instructional airframe, perhaps because we had the Frence Air Force Fouga, after it's wheels up landing.
The lads from the 39th apprentice class gave me some invaluable experience in how to drill out rounded off phillips screws when we had the opportunity of taking that Fouga to bits!
I remember the Belgian Air Force taking away some of the IAC Vampire Airframes and at least one unboxed Goblin engine in a couple of Transalls That must have been back in '77-78. I've got a faded photo of the two Transalls on the ramp with a civvy Cessna 172 between them, dunno what he was doing. Any ideas Tony? 

9

Irish Air Corps / Re: Irish Air Corps Calendar 2008

« on: January 09, 2008, 07:56:14 pm »

I've received my calander today, thanks Frank. Some very good photos in there!

Best wishes for the New Year and good luck with the new style forum.

JK

10

Irish Air Corps / Thanks from the NI Air Cadets

« on: December 25, 2007, 07:11:10 pm »

Hi Sniper, good to see you're still around! Sounds like you had a good day for the Wing Parade. No visiting aircraft for ours!

11

Irish Air Corps / Happy Christmas Frank

« on: December 25, 2007, 05:37:07 pm »

Amen to that Frank! Really sorry I haven't had an awful lot of time to check out the site this year!
Good to see you're still posting too Tony! Did you manage to get to the Alouette 111 stand down earlier this year?
I really wanted to get across to it but I'd been on a 767 course and the exam day coincided with a visit to Baldonnel! I really did want to go and catch up with some of the lads, but it just wasn't to be!
Best wishes for the New Year to you all,

John Kealy

12

Irish Air Corps / SA319 and SA 316B Alouettes

« on: December 25, 2007, 05:04:56 pm »

Hey Fouga23, sorry for changing the subject but I've just had a peek at your photos of the last Fouga flight. What a fantastic looking little aircraft the Fouga Magister is! I worked on them in the Air Corps from '77-'80 and they still hold a special place in my heart! (sad git!). On my annual pilgrimmage to France earlier this year (I do like to get away with some of the lads from work on our motorbikes every year for a very long weekend) I spotted a couple at various places. One looked like a gate guardian at an airfield by the town of Bourg-en-Bresse, another was at what looked like a scrapyard on the Route Napolean.
Yeehah1, good luck with your model.

13

Air Corps Apprentice Contact Page / I know your there somewhere come on you 55class

« on: December 25, 2007, 04:46:52 pm »

Hi AOG,

looks like your class have the same response rate as mine! Are you still in the 'Don? I'm with BA at Heathrow, on the nightshift, working on 747, 767 & 777s. Schedule Maintenance, A checks, that sort of stuff. What about you?
Best wishes for Christmas, by the way!

14

Air Corps Apprentice Contact Page / 40th Appt Class

« on: October 03, 2007, 12:25:21 am »

Best wishes to all members of the 40th! I know I'm a bit late with the anniversary-timing never was my best attribute, that could be why I've got 3 kids!

It would have been 31 years last month! Who's still left? Josh, Paddy Mc, where did the rest of us go? I know Kenny, Gibo and Benton and possibly Jad are in Oz, what happened to Woolie? and Billy Mc? and Sick Mick? all from Ballyfermot!

15

Irish Air Corps / Just noticed this.

« on: October 01, 2007, 10:38:49 pm »

That's a fine gesture by the locals. Thanks for bringing it to our attention, Fouga.