Messages

31

Irish Air Corps / Re: EC135-UCHG-28/01/09

« on: January 29, 2009, 04:51:49 pm »

Given that the flight was into UCHG and the helicopter was fitted with pop-out floats, is it probable that the flight was an air ambulance run from the Aran Islands?

BM.
 

32

Irish Air Shows / Re: Thunderbirds Display

« on: December 24, 2008, 12:12:07 am »

The Thunderbirds practice of over-flying the crowd has obviously caught on with the Air Corps. At the Alouette Retirement Display the AW139s introduced a single-ship crowd fly-over once or twice while the other two helicopters reformed mid-display.

Blue Monday.
 

33

Aviation Waffle / Re: USAF helicopters in long-range rescue off west coast.

« on: December 11, 2008, 05:25:09 pm »

Did some more digging and the helicopters involved are;

88-26109, Callsign "Rescue 109".
http://images.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=88-26109&distinct_entry=true


89-26205, Callsign "Rescue 212".
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=89-26205&distinct_entry=true

The Hercules involved was 69-5828, Callsign "Rescue 5828".
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=69-5828&distinct_entry=true

BM.
 

34

Aviation Waffle / USAF helicopters in long-range rescue off west coast.

« on: December 11, 2008, 04:34:05 pm »

Not an Air Corps subject, but apparently a pair of USAF  HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters were involved in a long-range rescue of a sailor off the west coast yesterday. They were refuelled in the air by an MC130 Hercules and there was an RAF Nimrod involved as well. The Hercules completed the mission with two engine failures! The sailor was brought to hospital in Limerick. Did anyone get any photos of them at Shannon? Sounds like an interesting mission, to say the least.

Bue Monday.
 

P.S. Here is a couple of links to the story;

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28172475/

http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/1174/pave-hawks-called-in-on-uk-sar-mission/

35

Irish Air Corps / Re: Air Corps to deliver match ball to Munster V New Zealand match tonight.

« on: November 18, 2008, 07:56:44 pm »

Just saw the matchball delivery. An AW139 hovered into the stadium and a pair of Rangers fast-roped down onto the pitch with the ball. A good show. I guess they didn't want to leave any wheel marks on the pitch!

BM.
 

36

Aviation Photography / SAR Training in Galway Bay, 09/11/2008.

« on: November 12, 2008, 03:52:58 pm »

Sikorsky S-61N EI-SAR was doing some winch training with a RIB in Galway Bay on Sunday and I managed to get a few photos. It made a low pass along the Salthill Promenade at one point and winched three or four times from the RIB before heading back to Shannon.


Here she is starting her low run along the prom.






If you look closely at the winch you can see it has a second, spare, winch clamped on to the body of the first. This is the first time I've seen this on a Coastguard S-61N.


I hit the wrong button on my camera and managed to get a black and white photo. It's a poor shot but you can just see the winchman suspended under the helicopter.

Blue Monday.
 

37

Irish Air Corps / Re: A279

« on: November 07, 2008, 11:00:52 am »

I don't have an exact date but I heard it is due in before the end of this year.

BM.

38

Air Corps News / Re: New homes for Alouettes and Dauphins?

« on: October 16, 2008, 11:59:12 pm »

Here are a few photos of the Alouette fleet as seen on a recent visit to Baldonnel.



These are the six helicopters up for sale. The tailboom in the foreground was signed by past crews during the retirement ceremony in September 2007.





Here is Alpha 202 being prepared for display with the Ulster Aviation Society.



Blue Monday.
 

39

Irish Air Corps / Re: IAC Models on IPMS Ireland.

« on: October 02, 2008, 06:48:51 pm »

If anyone is interested have a look at this forum for some ideas. It may well have been plugged elsewhere on this forum somewhere but here it is again. Hopefully it will build up to be a good reference for IAC markings.

http://www.ipmsireland.com/forum/yaf_topics3_Aircraft-Modelling.aspx

Blue Monday.
 

40

Irish Air Corps / Re: Alouette III; First Anniversary of their retirement.

« on: October 02, 2008, 06:25:58 pm »

Is one of them going to Collins Barracks?

From what I have heard, six of the Alouettes are up for sale and it looks like this sale is near completion. No-one at Baldonnel is being told where exactly the helicopters are going. The sale is being handled by the Civil Service so it's out of Air Corps hands. It was previously mentioned that they might be going back to France to a civilian company for refurbishment before going on to a new owner (or owners), probably in a similar manner to the sale of the Dauphins, which now appear destined for the Chilean Navy. A195 is going to the Irish Air Corps Museum to replace A202. Alpha202 is currently undergoing refurbishment at Baldonnel and it looks like it is destined for the Ulster Aviation Society. I took a few photos in Baldonnel last Friday and I'll post some soon.   

Blue Monday.
 

41

Irish Air Corps / Re: Shots from Bal

« on: September 29, 2008, 09:58:38 pm »

Fouga, thanks for adding that link. Some very interesting stuff.

Blue Monday.
 

42

Irish Air Corps / Re: Alouette III; First Anniversary of their retirement.

« on: September 23, 2008, 11:24:39 pm »

Shamrock145, you may be correct. It is probably a slight breach of copyright but given that No.3 Squadron haven't (as far as I know) produced or sold any merchandising bearing the image of the Pink Panther, the holders of the copyright are happy to overlook the use of the image. They probably aren't even aware of the breach in any case.

This is a potential problem for decal manufacturers but given the tiny size of the actual image used for scale models, many are happy to consent to the use of the copyrighted image as there is no other possible use for the decal. I came across this problem recently when researching markings for an aircraft carrying the badge of a state body. There was a copyright issue but when the actual size of the badge was shown to the head of the state department, they were happy to give the go-ahead.

Blue Monday.
 

43

Irish Air Corps / Re: Alouette III; First Anniversary of their retirement.

« on: September 22, 2008, 03:55:44 pm »

Here are a few more Alouette photos; first up is A213.



Can anyone explain the connection between the IAC Alouette IIIs and the Pink Panther? I have heard two different stories from my friends in Baldonnel.

The first one is that Sud Est/Aerospatiale released some promotional literature for the Alouette III back in the early sixties which was adorned with a Pink Panther cartoon figure and that it was adopted by the IAC crews as their unofficial squadron emblem.

The other story is that the first of the Pink Panther films was released around the same time that the Alouette first arrived in Ireland, was very popular and that the Pink Panther character was adopted by the helicopter crews of the time as a result. Can anyone confirm which version of this story is true?



Here is A214 during the IAC Family Day, 2007.



A poster from the Helicopter Wing Hangar on Retirement Day.



Six of the best in close formation.



Alpha 195 is ceremonially towed away to officially bring the career of the Alouette III to a close.

Blue Monday.
 

44

Irish Air Corps / Alouette III; First Anniversary of their retirement.

« on: September 21, 2008, 03:42:04 pm »

Today, the 21st of September 2008, marks the first anniversary of the official retirement of the Alouette III helicopter from Irish Air Corps service. It's the one aircraft that single-handedly inspired my life-long interest in aviation and I'm sure inspired plenty of others as well. Probably the most significant aircraft to serve with the IAC, the whine of the Artouste engine is sadly missed and Baldonnel is probably a considerably quieter place now that they're gone. Here is a photo of A196 landing for the final time at Baldonnel last year at the end of the Retirement Flypast.



If you have any photos of the Alouette, recent or historical, please post them to salute this great helicopter. It looks like a buyer has been found for six of the helicopters with A195 being retained for the IAC Museum, possibly in "ground-running condition".

Blue Monday.
 

45

Air Corps News / New homes for Alouettes and Dauphins?

« on: September 16, 2008, 02:19:10 pm »

I read in FlyinginIreland magazine that an undisclosed buyer has been found for the IAC Alouette IIIs. The Chilean Navy has also expressed a lot of interest in the ex-IAC Dauphin IIs. There is still life in the old birds yet!

Blue Monday.