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Aviation Waffle / Re: Wrecks and Relics in Dublin Area

« on: April 30, 2012, 01:02:16 am »

Quote from: Short finals on April 28, 2012, 12:05:27 pm

There is a Danish Hawker Hunter at Pudden Hill outdoor activity centre near Ashbourne, at 53 35'09.35"N 06 25'41.84"W.

Never heard about this jet before?
Anybody got a pic?

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Irish Air Shows / Re: Bray Air Spectacular 2012

« on: April 26, 2012, 08:32:49 pm »

Nice new website.
I attended the show a few years ago and hope to go again this year.

What I would like to see at the show is one or more of the PC-9M's doing a fast fly-past.
The general public who attend have no idea what the PC-9's are capable of and I'd say many people
at the show just regard them as a slow trainer plane.

(It would be even better if a PC-9M could do a firing display out at sea...that would surprise a lot of people at the show! .....I know this is never going to happen btw)

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Irish Air Corps / Re: Air Corps: Value for Money?

« on: March 01, 2012, 07:20:37 pm »

IMHO -

- The leased CASA should have been purchased - e.g for transport usage.
- 2 x addition CASA's should be purchased - multi-role variants like the USCG purchased.
- The King Air should be replaced - kinda crazy using one of the CASA's for multi-engine
training when it could be patrolling.
- King Air/Dornier or similar aircraft for Customs/Coast Guard usage purchased (like Dutch 'Kustwach')
- 2 x Dauphins should have been retained, stripped of complicated electronics, and used as Naval Helicopters.

IMO, the Air Corps is providing vital roles to the state - troop transport, coastal patrol, air ambulance (Sweden, Holland, Greece etc etc use their military helis for air ambulance and SAR), Customs support, Coast Guard SAR support, point air defence - however it needs greater numbers and better useage of its aircraft...the CASA's in particular

This might sound radical to many but - I believe in the future (perhaps a long way in the future!) we will see UK jets based in Ireland - full time or part time - and perhaps with some Air Corps pilots flying them.

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Aviation Waffle / Re: Hello Folks

« on: January 24, 2012, 08:58:36 pm »

Good work Frank!
Was just reading this thread for the first time and thought that 'Jetman's' posts seemed very like our old "friend" 'FiannaFail'...is that who Lootenant Pidgeon' is?!

Having said that, I am very interested in Claudel's mention of the PC-9's doing 'intercepts' during the recent state visits. Can you expand on these please Claudel?

- what aircraft were intercepted?
- approx location?
- how many PC-9's were on patrol at any one time?
- weapons carried?
- what people were "impressed" by the PC-9's performance during the visits?
- what approx range do the ADR radars cover?

(I dont think any of my above questions are classified??)

I bought several papers each day during the state visits in the hope of seeing photos of PC-9's on patrol during the visits...but to no avail

...no Air Corps patrol footage shown on RTE or TV3 either afaik??

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Aviation Waffle / Re: Not Much on the forums

« on: January 16, 2012, 07:44:39 pm »

Very true. Its a pity really...this forum used to be very active.
I have considered posting a topic about possible transport aircraft for the AC but am hesitating due to the lack of feedback I recieved to previous topics I posted here.

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Aviation Videos / Re: AW139 doing winch training with Irish Navy

« on: November 29, 2011, 06:18:18 pm »

Cheers for that!

Always good to see Air Corps helis still involved in SAR work/practice!

How about a new SAR patch lads?!

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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?

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Air Corps News / Re: Awards, Michael Whelan

« on: October 03, 2011, 09:36:46 pm »

Congrats to Michael!

A well deserved recognition for all his great work in the Museum!

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Irish Air Corps / Re: aircorps chest badges

« on: July 30, 2011, 11:49:52 pm »

PM sent

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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

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Irish Air Corps / Re: RIP Donal MacCarron

« on: June 15, 2011, 09:12:56 pm »

Sad to hear this news.
I liked his books.

RIP.

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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

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