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Topics - Silver

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1
Air Corps News / Fouga Magister article
« on: December 11, 2014, 06:47:41 pm »
The current edition of 'Airfix Model World' (Jan 2015) has an excellent five-page article on the history of Fouga's in Irish Air Corps service. The magazine also includes a 6-page article on the Airfix IAC Fouga scale model, plus a centre page poster pull-out featuring IAC Fouga's in flight.


2
Shameless Promotion / Air Corps prints
« on: December 13, 2013, 08:23:08 pm »
I recently purchased a Swiss Air Force F-5 Print from this website, and have
now discovered that they have released three new Irish Air Corps prints -

http://www.aviationgraphic.com/cerca?orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=ireland

3
European Air Shows / Swiss Air Force '100 Years' Airshow 2014
« on: November 20, 2013, 10:27:36 pm »
In 2014 the Swiss Air Force celebrates 100 years in existence. As part of the celebrations
there will be a large airshow taking place, with participation from air forces around the world.

Will the Air Corps be taking part in this show?

I developed an interest in the Swiss Air Force after visiting Meiringen Air Base in 2012. Its
an impressive air base - located in The Alps and with caverns inside the mountains used to
hangar its F-5E's and F/A-18's.

4
Irish Air Corps / Baldonnel 'Open Day' ?
« on: October 01, 2013, 06:28:05 pm »
In July 2012 my girlfriend and I were holidaying in Switzerland and attended a Swiss Air Force 'Open Day' at Meiringen Air Base in central Switzerland.
(It was pure coincidence that we happened to be in the area on the date of the Open Day ;) )

It was an enjoyable few hours and fascinating to see the equipment which the Swiss have at their disposal, for example - their 55 x F5's and 33 x F/A 18's! (they originally ordered 100 x F5's back in 1978!). The day/tour included displays of various vehicles they use e.g. snow ploughs, fire tenders, etc and also a tour of their air traffic control tower/centre. There were approximately 200 people in attendence and we were split into groups of 50. Each group had an air force guide showing us around and explaining the workings of the various aircraft, equipment etc. We also viewed an excellent display of their german shepard guard dogs in action (my girlfriend found this part of the tour particularly fascinating). All-in-all a great way to spend a few hours and to learn about the Swiss Air Force. Attendence was free with email registration a week or two prior to the event being the only requirement.

(Meiringen Air Base itself was also fascinating - the only remaining 'alpine' air base in use by the Swiss Air Force - and because of the fact that the fighter jets are stored in 'james bond style' caverns inside the mountains!)

It has since had me thinking that (in the absence of an annual air show) why doesnt the Air Corps hold a couple of annual 'Open Days'?

Such events are much easier to organise and manage than an air show, allow interested persons to view the Air Corps' base and equipment up close, and gives the Air Corps a chance to show taxpayers what they do and how their money is being well spent.



5
Irish Air Corps / New 'Silver Swallows' Display Team?
« on: November 11, 2011, 09:21:33 pm »
I recently read an article about the visit of the Learjet to this year's Malta Airshow. The article stated that the cost of sending the Learjet to the show was in the region of €10,000 (I read elsewhere that it cost c.€13,000).  

As somebody interested in promoting the Air Corps I'm very much in favour of sending aircraft to foreign airshows. However it got me thinking "How far would €10,000 - €13,000 go towards paying the fuel costs of a reformed 'Silver Swallows' Display Team ?" ..(utilising the PC-9M's).

I believe a display team would have much more scope and impact when attending airshows abroad than sending a single (often static) aircraft. A display team is a great, positive way of promoting Ireland abroad, as well as providing 'esprit de corps' of the Defence Forces.
 
When I last suggested that the AC should put together a display team, some suggested that the then Finance Minister Brian Lenihan (RIP) would 'go through the roof' because of the extra cost/fuel used by a display team. However if c.€10k can be sanctioned to send one aircraft to Malta, I believe such an amount could also be sanctioned to fund (part fund?) a part-time display team.

If we could afford to send 5 x Fouga jets abroad a few times per year back in the recessionary-1980's, surely we could now afford to do likewise utilising 5 x turboprops?  

6
Aviation News / RAAF 'Roulettes' PC9/A Crash
« on: June 16, 2011, 01:01:28 am »
From Australia's ABC News - 19 May 2011...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/18/3220557.htm

7
UK Air Shows / 'Red Devils' reformed
« on: June 06, 2011, 09:15:09 pm »
I read recently that the Belgian Air Force 'Red Devils' aerobatic display team has reformed using their SIAI Marchetti SF260's. The team originally used Fouga Magisters, but was disbanded after five years in 1977.

Is there hope yet for 'The Silver Swallows'??
(IMHO, a reformed Air Corps team would be a good boost to AC (and national) morale in these straightened times.
Running costs would surely also be very low in comparison to the Fouga's operated in the 'depressed' 1980's?)

'Red Devils' Related link....

http://www.bfbs.com/news/england/red-devils-return-riat-46954.html

8
Irish Air Corps / IAC Winching Ops - SAR capable?
« on: January 25, 2011, 09:50:06 pm »
I came across this footage of an IAC AW139 crew winching from LE Orla. It's the only such footage I have seen to date.

Proves that the IAC is 'SAR capable' if required?

http://irishsar.blogspot.com/2011/01/irish-air-corp-joint-ops-with-le-orla.html


9
Irish Air Corps / King Air 200 - where is it?
« on: January 19, 2011, 01:14:49 am »
I read recently that the King Air 200 was retired.

My question is  - Where is it?

Has it been sold off?
Or is it in storage in Casement?

10
Irish Air Corps / PC-9 recon cameras?
« on: January 13, 2011, 05:16:57 pm »
Does the PC-9 fleet come equipped with recon cameras/pods?

IIRC, it was common knowledge that the Marchetti's could carry them as required.

11
Air Corps News / Air Corps 'not equipped' to provide rescue services
« on: January 03, 2011, 06:54:17 pm »
Article from Sunday Independent 2-1-11


By JOHN DRENNAN and DON LAVERY

Sunday January 02 2011

A national search-and-rescue helicopter service could not be carried out by the Irish Air Corps because it would cost tens of millions of euro for new aircraft, training and bases, a memo to Government has revealed.

There would be no cost savings if the service was carried out by the Air Corps, the memo released under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act said, pointing out that the Department of Defence withdrew from providing a limited service in 2003.

Last year, Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey signed a controversial 10-year, €500m contract with a civilian operator to provide the service, more then twice the cost of the existing civilianised service.

According to Fine Gael's Fergus O'Dowd, who obtained the information under FoI, the new service will cost €150m more than the old contract over the 10 years.

There was some criticism as to why the Air Corps had not been asked to provide the service, or why its aircrew and aircraft was not used as part of search-and-rescue operations.

But a memo to Mr Dempsey, written by Chris Reynolds, director of the Irish Coast Guard, pointed out:

? The Air Corps did not have aircraft able to reach out into the Atlantic from Coast Guard bases in Sligo and Limerick.

? For the Air Corps to service the two bases, three to four new medium-load helicopters would be needed, costing up to €60m.

? If existing Air Corps AW 139 helicopters were used at the two other bases in Dublin and Waterford, they would need two per base.

? At €3,000 per flying hour, the four aircraft would need to be converted for their new role at a total cost of €8m, with six months' downtime for each aircraft.

? Basing helicopters at Waterford would cost €500,000 a year.

? Converting pilots and crew for maritime search and rescue would cost up to €380,000 per pilot for converting to aircraft type and role, and €56,000 for a crewman.

The memo also warned that crews that were trained could be lost to industry, with all the training and experience costs having been borne by the State.

It said that pilots and air crew in the military change roles and aircraft types many times in a career, needing a greater level of manpower and refresher training.

Civilian crews had one role with no changes. The net effect was that the Air Corps cost for additional crew, additional headquarters administration costs, allowances and other current cost increases would not result in savings.

The memo also pointed out that the new AW 139 helicopters used by the Air Corps were also being used by the UK coast guard for search-and-rescue work off the south coast of Britain and had "not earned a good reputation".

"They can only rescue a very small number of people and are poorly adapted for the work.

"The UK has decided [that it] will remove the AW 139s from its fleet in the next contract and go for a full-sized helicopter fleet, all of the same make.

"A point on the small size of the AW 139 is that it will be a very poor rescue craft in a mass-rescue situation off Dublin, Cork or Rosslare," the memo read.

It also said that the State would have to hold the risk of an accident or total write-off of a helicopter and would have to replace it rapidly to ensure continuity.

The memo pointed out that maritime search and rescue was dangerous work -- with the Air Corps suffering a tragic loss of a helicopter and crew in Waterford, the US coast guard suffered a similar loss in 2009, and the Irish Coast Guard had on occasion suffered serious damage to its machines.

The memo conceded that it was difficult to assess what the cost of the new contract would be, but that it was likely to be 40 per cent greater then current expenditure.

- JOHN DRENNAN and DON LAVERY

Sunday Independent

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/air-corps-not-equipped-to-provide-rescue-services-2480909.html

12
Irish Air Corps / Air Corps Review 2010
« on: December 16, 2010, 08:18:01 pm »
The current edition of 'Flying In Ireland' has a 2010 review of the Air Corps.

A few things stood out for me when I was reading the article and stats -

- Search and Rescue Ops
Total 6 - incl 2 by CASA aircraft

(How things have changed from only a few years ago when the AC has dozens of SAR missions per year)
I was surprised that the CASA's were only involved in 2 SAR missions for all of 2010?

- Cash-In-Transit Ops
PC-9's were used in 2 such ops

I didnt realise that the PC-9's were ever used in such operations?

- MATS
€2.8 million was spent on maintenance of the Gulfstream in 2010.

Doesnt sound like an aircraft which is near the end of its 'operational life' ?


13
Shameless Promotion / Defence Helicopter magazine - free copies
« on: December 13, 2010, 08:13:40 pm »
I have 3 copies of Defence Helicopter magazine - July, Sept and Nov 2010 - up for grabs.

First person to make contact with me gets them!
(Just send me a PM with your name and address and I'll pop them in the post).

Silver.  

14
Irish Air Corps / Ex-Air Corps Marchetti looking good!
« on: December 10, 2010, 01:41:29 am »

15
Irish Air Corps / Replacement for the Gulfstream?
« on: December 09, 2010, 10:17:42 pm »
No...not another MATS aircraft.

I was thinking more along the lines of another CASA 235 ...perhaps a dual role Maritime/Transport 235 - as used by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Incidentially, what aircraft is currently used for dual-engine training (now that the King Air has been 'decommissioned')? If its a CASA, then surely an extra twin-engined aircraft would make sense to replace the GIV....as it would free up the current CASA's for Maritime patrols.

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