Topics

16

Irish Air Corps / Will / Should we sell a MATS jet ?

« on: October 20, 2010, 10:48:51 pm »

Now that we are in a full blown recession, will (or should?) we sell one of the MATS jets ?

IMHO, one of the jets should be sold.
Perhaps an argument could be made that we should even sell BOTH MATS jets?!

I believe by selling one of the jets we would -

A. send a message to world markets that we are serious about cost-cutting
B. we would save serious money by getting ministers to use commercial flights (as is the case in the UK and other EU countries)
C. we could use the proceeds of such a sale to purchase a joint CASA 235 MPA/Transport aircraft ...which is badly needed. (The new US Coastguard 'Casa 235's' are dual role MPA/Transport aircraft).

Remember too that the official "excuse" for purchasing the Learjet was our EU Presidency role in 2004(?)..i.e. the suggestion being that we would dispose of the Learjet after our 6-month EU presidency had ended.
And yet here we are 6 years later with TWO MATS jets still in operation?!!
 

Opinions?

17

Air Corps News / US Customs search Irish govt jet?!!

« on: August 15, 2010, 08:10:41 pm »

Unreal! They search our state aircraft and yet their military aircraft regularly pass through Shannon unchecked?!
Imagine if we insisted on checking Air Force One the next time it's in Ireland!?!

Does diplomatic immunity not even apply to our heads of state anymore?
As much as I have no time for Bertie, Cowen and Co, I find the thought of US Customs searching our state aircraft as insulting to the both the country and it's people. 

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2010/aug/15/government-jet-searched-for-contraband-ahead-of-us/

18

Air Corps News / 718 applications for two AC pilot jobs

« on: August 03, 2010, 08:09:01 pm »

There is an article in today's Irish Independent which states that there has been 2500 applications recieved by the Defence Forces for 27 cadetships ....incl 718 applications for TWO Air Corps pilot positions.

(Perhaps somebody here can post a link to the article)

19

Irish Air Corps / Air Corps prints on ebay

« on: July 13, 2010, 11:42:02 pm »

Just came across these nice side-profile Air Corps prints on ebay.
They are produced by www.greypencils.com (based in Dublin)

I purchased a PC-9 print.

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/amckaygp/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

Silver.

20

Aviation News / UK SAR contract suspended?

« on: June 18, 2010, 12:24:47 am »

A BBC News report on new UK govt spending cutbacks mentioned that the 'all UK SAR contract had been suspended'.

Presumably the RAF/RN/HMCG status-quo will stay in place for the forseeable future so?

21

Aviation Waffle / Scotland - aviation stuff to see?

« on: June 15, 2010, 11:27:44 pm »

I'm off to Scotland for my hols next week and was wondering if there are any good aviation related places to visit? (Museums, airfields, wrecks, etc) ...plus any motoring museums, circuits...

22

Irish Air Corps / Air Corps "not interested in Search & Rescue" ?

« on: May 21, 2010, 04:41:06 pm »

Has anybody here read the 'Flying In Ireland' article about the new Coast Guard SAR heli contract?

The author makes some good points imho...incl the following -

- Price Waterhouse (suggested?) that one provider should supply ALL heli services in a small country like Ireland
- That a public/private partnership (where both AC and CG pilots would operate SAR helis (as will now be the case in the UK) should have been considered
- That there seems to be no concept of having back SAR helis/crews in place up in the event of CHC going bust
- Why only ONE back up SAR heli between all Irish bases (when UK bases have a back up heli at each base)?
- Could the AC not have provided some (or all?) SAR helis using the AW139 (which the UK CG will now also use)?
- The (seeming) waste of money on a 10-year SAR contract which will still mean no SAR heli assets belong to the state at the end of the contract
- And finally - when a question was put to the Minister for Defence in the Dail asking was the Air Corps invited to bid for the tender? - the answer was that the Air Corps are "not interested in search and rescue" (or words to that effect)?!     

(To qualify the last point, my understanding is that the AC are not interested in providing full time SAR heli services in Ireland...but would ofcourse always assist in any SAR op when requested to do so)

Personally I agree with the author's points.
I believe that in a small country like ours it would have made more sense to provide the Air Corps with the necessary helis to provide all SAR cover for the island. Or at the very least have a 50/50 pilot split built into the contract so as to allow for SAR cover to continue in the event of the SAR provider company going on strike, or worse still going bust.

23

Irish Air Corps / IAC Fouga scale model?

« on: May 18, 2010, 10:04:15 pm »

I've been keeping a look out for a scale model Fouga over the years, but have only come across airfix-type kits to date (I would prefer a diecast model).

Having said that, this Fouga looks nicely made...

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2007/11/fouga-magister.htm

24

Aviation Waffle / Irish 'COASTWATCH' aircraft?

« on: April 26, 2010, 04:26:37 pm »

I was reading an excellent 4-page article about the RNLAF's new 2 x Dornier 228 'KUSTWACHT' aircraft in the current edition of 'Air International'.

These aircraft are used on behalf of the Netherlands Coastguard, Customs and various govt depts for costal patrols. The planes are piloted/maintained by RNLAF and RNN (navy) aircrew. The article also highlights the great co-operation bewteen the various agencies....with observers trained from several different departments to crew the planes.

IMO, we badly need such aircraft for Customs (and Coast Guard) patrols off our coastsline (the south west coast in particular).

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Kustwacht---Netherlands/Dornier-228-212/1272322/M/

25

Air Corps News / GASU Twin Squirrel sold

« on: April 23, 2010, 06:44:49 pm »

The current edition of 'Flying in Ireland' magazine has a small article about the recent sale, to a UK lifting and fire-fighting company, of the GASU Twin Squirrel. The article states that the heli cost c.€3 million back in 1997, when all the specialist police equipment fitted to it is taken into consideration.
Needless to say all such specialist equipment was removed before the sale.
 
The sale price is rumoured to be c.€400,000.
 

26

Aviation Waffle / Fouga desktop model?

« on: April 22, 2010, 08:20:38 pm »

I have come across these Fouga desktop models on ebay a few times. Apparently they are hand-crafted wooden models made in the Philipines.

Has anybody here purchased one of these models, or know somebody who has?
Quality, accuracy and finish? Worth the money?

I've been seeking a die-cast scale model Fouga, but it seems that such a model doesnt exist (I dont want an airfix plastic model btw)   ...is this the next best thing?

Link ....
 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CM-170-Irish-Air-Corps-CM170-Airplane-Wood-Model-FS-New_W0QQitemZ160418686809QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2559b2e759

27

Aviation News / RNZAF 'Red Checkers' grounded.. IAF display team crash

« on: April 17, 2010, 11:56:07 am »

Read in AFM earlier that the RNZAF display team has been grounded following a mid air collision recently - the wheels of one aircraft hit the canopy of a fellow CT4 Airtrainer during practice.

This follows the fatal crash of a 'Red Checkers' CT4 Airtrainer in Jan 2010.

The team is grounded pending further investigations.

--------

The Indian Air Force display team also had a recent fatal crash during an airshow display - one of their jet aircraft plunged into a building killing the pilot, co-pilot and one civilian on the ground ---seven other civilians were injured.

28

Aviation News / Airworthy Fouga Magister

« on: April 16, 2010, 05:24:53 pm »

There is a nice two-page spread in the current edition of 'FlyPast' magazine about the Dutch based Fouga Magister display aircraft...owned by a Dutch aviation group. It is used to perform air display ..mostly at Dutch shows. Two nice pic with the article.

Would be nice if it could make it to an Irish show?

(Though it would be even better if one of our old Fouga's was restored for solo displays ..or even for ground (engine running) displays!;) 

29

Air Corps News / AW139 'Rising Star' - AFM, May 2010

« on: April 13, 2010, 09:30:17 pm »

The current (May 2010) edition of 'Air Forces Monthly' carries a four page article about the AugustaWestland AW139. Entitled 'AugusaWestland's Rising Star' the article is four pages long, shows several colour pics ...incl a pic of an IAC AW139 ...and includes a listing of all current AW139 military/govt operators worldwide.

There is also a two-page article next in the magazine about Pakistan's recent aquisition of AW139's for their 'Emergency Relief Cell' ...a unit tasked with emergency relief efforts in the area. (The article praises the 139 as being able to lift twice the load of the older Huey's).

Silver. 

Incidentially...there is a nice review of Joe Maxwell's book 'The Irish Air Corps' on page 87 of the same edition.

30

Aviation News / Marchetti crashes in UK

« on: April 03, 2010, 06:00:56 pm »

A Marchetti crashed in an Essex field on Sunday 21-3-10...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/essex/8578999.stm