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« on: August 03, 2007, 01:59:53 am »
ST
I really must ask what is your own first hand experience of the Air Corps? On what do you base you assertions that the Air Corps need to get their house in order? I have read in this and other threads how you like to critisize under utilisation of aircraft etc. Could you please inform us of the figures on which you base this. Just because an AIII turns up at Croagh Patrick instead of a shiny new helicopter doesnt say anything. SAR is no longer a primary tasking of the Air Corps. It is in fact a rather naieve view.Has it struck you that maybe there are no qualified winchmen/operators on the new helis yet? Things like pilot training and crew training for the PRIMARY taskings take precedent, especially while there are AIII qualified crew available. You can be damn sure that when the AIII finally go in September that there will be no gap in the back up service the Air Corps provide in the SAR role. Just by making the AIII available, the Air Corps ensured that the Coast Guard S-61 in Sligo was available for normal callouts.
PC-9's under utilised?? Says who?? They dont just train ab-initio pilots you know. Many aspects of MILITARY flying are practiced and honed on these aircraft. Without this, these skills would be lost and if we ever needed them who would teach us?? They maintain a basic minimum military standard. Cheaply and efficiently. The very reason they were purchased. If you can do it more cost effectively you're a bloody genius.
Have you visited Baldonnel in the past 4 years? Anyone who has will tell you great inroads that have and continue to be made into improving availibility and maximising flight hours. For example the flying day now starts earlier. And before you jump on that one, when the AW139's are sufficiently "worked up" , night training with the army will be high on the agenda. Back off a little there, give the boys a chance. Rome wasn't built in a day.