Messages

1

Irish Air Corps / Re: armed cessna pic.....

« on: November 24, 2010, 09:44:45 pm »

Hi there,
None of the Cessnas have any part of the firing mechanism still on them, with the exception of the aluminium airspeed arming switch, which is a small metal tab, located under one of the wings and which was folded back by the airflow under the wing and made the firing circuit live.Those tabs may have been modded out by now.I was one of the people who demodded the firing panel and wiring out of the Cessnas and that was back in the early 90s.We took out the firing panel, all of the wiring loom which ran out to the wings and the wiring for the gunsight and even the braces for the gunsight.Literally, all that remained was the tab and we even took the wiring from that.The removed parts were checked by the AE Section people and they also checked the aircraft to make sure that not even a screw from the system remained.Only the tabs remained as it would have required deriveting to remove tham and they were harmless, anyway. The pods and rockets were destroyed by EOD and every other part was scrapped under supervision.
The aircraft only fired them in a speed-stabilised dive and, as I've said before, they did not lose any airspeed upon firing and there was only a slight reaction from the ASI as they left the pods and disturbed the air around the static port.
regards
GttC

2

Scale Aircraft Modelling / Re: Understanding Air Corps markings

« on: November 24, 2010, 09:34:13 pm »

Hi there,
There was always confusion about how the tricolour should be painted, ie green leading on one side and trailing on the other.The answer is simple: it is always orientated in the correct fashion, upright and Green to the left, regardless of which side or which part of the aircraft or ship or vehicle it is painted onto.As for painting roundels, it's as difficult in real life as it is on models.It helps if the angle between each colour of the roudel is measured properly at 120 degrees. As Tony will testify, there were always errors on markings on Air Corps aircraft and there probably always will be.Certainly, it wasn't until the Marchettis and Cessnas were getting a lot of overhauls done, close together, than any attempt at standardisation was carried out. Sure, the Fougas retained French spelling and radio codes until they were retired.
regards
GttC

3

Aviation Waffle / Re: Throttle position at cruise

« on: June 10, 2010, 10:04:29 pm »

Hi there,
The throttles at cruise are at less than 50% power, depending on altitude and air temperature.For take-off, all jets use a reduced power setting, depending on actual weight and air temperature/density and runway length. A typical A320 power setting for take-off would be about 86%, ie, there is no need to use more than that power setting to get off at the appropriate speed, considering the above factors.Once the aircraft has rotated and climbed, the pilots follow what is known as the flap schedule, to decide when to bring in the flaps/slats, such as reducing to climb power at 1500 feet, pitching down to maintain 190 knots and bring in the first stage of flap, ie, from Flap 5 to Flap 1 and then, at 3000 feet, flap 1 to zero along with a pitchdown to maintain 210 knots.
The A320 has a slightly different fan to the 737-800, which is why there is a slight noise difference.The core engines are pretty much the same.
regards
GttC

4

Irish Air Corps / Re: Shannon SAR approaching it's 20th Anniverary.

« on: July 13, 2009, 12:17:15 pm »

Hi there
From the left: "Spence" O'Hanlon, Brendan?, "Tiny" Crean, refueller guy?, Dave Carolan, the next guy; his name escapes me but I know him,?, Frank Condon(now Aer Lingus), Flan Garry(ex-IAA?), Jim?, don't know the names of the rest.
regards
GttC

5

Irish Air Corps / Re: PC-9's going into storage?

« on: July 12, 2009, 09:26:47 pm »

Hi there
EI-BUN suffered a nosewheel collapse and resultant props/engine strike at Weston and has been replaced in service by a UK-reg'd Duchess.
regards
GttC

Let them hire in another King Air, if need be.

6

Irish Air Corps / Re: PC-9's going into storage?

« on: July 09, 2009, 04:26:22 pm »

Hi there
Makes you wonder what does justify the title of "operational", then?...........I well remember inhibiting the Lycomings.I also remember the shuffling around of aircraft when the IRANs were coming up, to get the highest-houred (engine) ones in line for the IRAN, so as not to waste hours.........Agusta were a pain in the arse for spares.Their support was dreadful.
regards
GttC

7

Irish Air Corps / Re: The Irish Air Corps, An Illustrated Guide.

« on: July 07, 2009, 05:45:38 pm »

Hi all,
I defy anyone to come up with a definitive answer to Air Corps colour schemes, especially for the old aircraft. In my time, paint schemes and assorted markings were the domain of the Drawing Office, which was a little enclave that bore no relation to the actual day to day of hangar operations. It was a rare day when anyone from that office graced the hangars with their presence.The then AE Section (Mid 80s to mid 90s) gave official direction as to the proper placing and size of decals and numbers / letters, the Drawing Office would then draw up the item and the Paint Shop would then make a stencil and apply the work to the aircraft. Things operated to a slow and small scale until the arrival of the Dauphins and their whole new colour scheme, which required an increase in output from the Drawing Office and the Paint Shop.The Drawing Office was modernised and increased in size, as the volume of drawings required increased rapidly and they had to get the finger out. The Paint Shop didn't have the good fortune to get any bigger and always seemed to have a floating population of three (the Big Skin, Pat and a.n.other). This was before the days of vinyl decals and literally everything was painted. I took part in the IRANs of the Marchettis and that work put the Paint Shop under a great deal of pressure.It lead to a lot of head scratching about decals, sizes, colours etc and the basic lesson learned by all was that all of the aircraft were ever so slightly different, as far as paint / colour schemes went. So, if the Don couldn't keep eight Marchettis looking exactly alike.
regards
GttC

8

Irish Air Corps / Re: PC-9's going into storage?

« on: July 07, 2009, 05:31:35 pm »

Lads,
The storage of first-line aircraft is nothing new.AFM did an article about French A.F. Mirage storage not all that long ago.The aircraft are simply rotated in and out of flyable storage, to even out flying hours on airframes and engines and to act as attrition replacements.As far as I know, all of the NATO airforces do the same....as for allegedly special missions, even the Marchettis did those (recce pods being trialled and actually used, armed top cover during VIP visits, armed top cover during cooperation with Gardai and more mundane but essential tasks as aerial photography for the Ordnance Survey when the contracted aircraft was unavailable). I remember hearing Heli personnel sneering BFTS lads as "not operational, like us", until they were advised of what the Marchettis actually did beside generate pilots and perform at airshows.
regards
GttC

9

Irish Air Corps / Re: PC-9's going into storage?

« on: July 06, 2009, 06:34:44 pm »

Hi all,
Yizzer have short memories. Aircraft have been put into short(flyable) and long term storage before, in the Don, especially the Cessnas and Marchettis.The Fougas were also grounded before what was meant to be their official retirement, to save fuel funds for the GIV.It also happened that aircraft would be deliberately delayed in returning to service after overhaul or taken off duty early, for overhaul.....as regards 240, I have heard from within that it is grounded for good.What is afoot for it, in terms of disposal, I don't know.I have also heard that some sub-units will be closed, in Training Wing, until further notice and their personnel moved to other units, because of the recruitment embargo.
regards
GttC 

10

Irish Aviation History / Re: Miles Hawk Trainer

« on: January 03, 2009, 01:08:21 pm »

Hi Tony
I think you'd have to ask Johnny Molloy, JJ Sullivan or some of their contemporaries for that gen.
regards
GttC

11

Irish Air Corps / Re: What next aircraft?

« on: December 31, 2008, 09:27:23 pm »

Hi there
Forget fighters.It will never, ever happen.A better light strike aircraft than a PC-9? Possibly....Personally, I think the AMX would be a good choice.
In the meantime, nothing less than a C-130 for strategic airlift.Don't waste your breath on anything smaller as the cost/benefit are simply not worth it. A Casa 295 is far too small for STRATEGIC airlift and is scarcely a real tactical transporter.
Failing that, stick with hired-in civil assets such as the An-124 or even A300 or IL-76 or join that NATO or EU Pool.Anyone who ahs spent five minutes in Shannon Airport will have seen enough airlift capability to last the Don a lifetime.
For the Cessna replacement, buy Cessna 182s.They're what they should have got the first time.If you want to go all-turbine, get a few clean(uncluttered with garda gear) Defenders.Rock-simple aircraft, that are easy to maintain and very good at what they do. If you want to drop paras, get a PC-6 or a Caravan.Buy the Rangers their own, for their own para-dropping duties, to be operated at their choosing......Shift the GASU entirely to the Gardai, a move which is long, long overdue and is simply the result of smart politicking and stubborness from the Don hierarchy.Put the money into buying more helicopters to serve the Army..........sell the King Air, as it is so old and high-houred as to be essentially worth only the value of it's engines. Buy two C90s for multi-engine training, air ambulance and MATS back-up and a King Air 350 for short-range MATS.Sell the GIV and put the money towards a GV or similar.
Move to bases around the country and stop depending entirely on a small, cramped airfield with substandard navaids, surrounded on all sides by housing or industrial buildings and move to the plenty of long runways available.
regards
GttC   

12

Irish Air Corps / Re: New Air Base?

« on: December 31, 2008, 09:09:23 pm »

hi there
Logistically, it would not be difficult to split the assets to other airports, such as Shannon for the Casas, which is entirely logical, as there are hundreds of engineers available there and no shortage of parking space and hangarage.There is no reason on earth why they couldn't be moved there(airlines routinely rebase aircraft and personnel, worldwide.It's not that hard to do), permanently, except that Donners who have their families established in Leinster don't want to move without compensation.If you told Shannon Airport Authority that you were thinking about putting the Casas there, they'd bite your hand off, they'd be so eager to get the business (fuel sales, housing, wages into the local economy).The only thing that surprises me is that Willie O'Dea hasn't ordered it to happen yet.You can be sure if he does, the Don brass will do everything in their power to prevent it happening except on their terms.
It's well beyond time for the Don to take some of the same pain that the Army gets, with regard to closure and moving of units.
regards
GttC

13

Irish Air Corps / Re: Air Corps Air Firing Pictures

« on: November 25, 2008, 06:11:15 pm »

hi there
The flagged pin is also known as the "last chance" pin, as it is removed just before the aircraft move onto the runway.It's to prevent inadvertant ground firing.
regards
GttC

14

Irish Aviation History / Re: Fouga '216' and AIII '202' off to new homes!

« on: July 01, 2008, 11:42:27 am »

Hi there
I've just read that bit about the disposal of the Alouette.I'll scream if I ever read again that 202 "ditched".That suggests that it involuntarily ditched in the lake as if there was no other option.That is not the truth.The aircraft rolled off a very small pier,(upon which it has no business being, as there was no call for it to attempt to land there) as there was only room enough for two wheels to make contact.Ask one P.Buggy.He was the crewman and was injured as a result of a stupid accident.The whole incident was witnessed by a wedding party at a lakeside hotel, as the pier was hotel property.
regards
GttC

15

Air Corps News / Re: "The Big Skin" RIP

« on: July 01, 2008, 11:35:53 am »

Hi all
God rest him.He was a gas character in the real sense of the word.I remember one of his favourite pranks was to grease car doorhandles.A decent skin and always obliging and friendly.His annual "turn" as Santa was always highly regarded by the families.Did anyone save his famous belt, with all the cap badges on it?
regards
GttC