What is your fondest memories of the AIIIs?

[Lurk]

It was painful, but being at the bottom of a hoist, and getting dragged through winchmans alley is an experience!

hanging over a boat on a cable, with the swing on the cable so strong, that you could wave at the pilot from the starboard side. Hard, seeing that the hoist is fitted to the port side!

But the best memories, was being part of the great crews that worked this aircraft.

Lurk

[Fouga]

always seeing the co-pilot with the door open and him standin outside the alouette on the foot rest and his head just a few inches from the rotors as he looked around below him as she came in to land ...brilliant

[Lurk]

Fouga, there is no co pilot on the Alouette 111, the figure in the door would be the GP Crewman, or the Winch Op/ Man. Dual controls are only fitted for Pilot Training purposes.

[Fouga]

whatever it just looked good.

[Turkey]

fond memories of the A111; apart from being up in one  '>
Today in Maynooth, when several flew by in formation with a Dauphin, recuit unit training, Gormo' to the glen, how to get on, how to get off, ect, apparently  '>

Time will tell.................................

[John K]

Hey Lurk, not quite true about dual controls only fitted for pilot training......after maintenance involving flying controls we used to fit dual controls to ensure full and free movement, the test flight would inevitably end up with the pilot asking the crewman "Do you think you could fly this?", so a quick seat change into the middle seat and a few practice landings, etc would ensue. If I ever win the lottery I'd like to continue those informal lessons!

[202]

I think a great contribution by the AIII was its role as perhaps the first IAC aircraft to make a big impact on public opinion. This was largely due to the crews' heroic rescue activities but also due to the presence of an AIII at many a local festival or occasion where many people, for the first time, saw an aircraft up close and despite its small size the sound of its gast turbine was strangely compelling.

I remember in particular as far back as the mid 1960s an AIII giving a display in the confined circumstances of the Inchicore rail works during the big open days there (alas, now also a thing of past) or watching three AIIIs come in line abreast during the big military tattoos in the GAA grounds in Newbridge in the early 1970s.

[clan]

I agree 202, I remember when they would land in the Galway Regional hospital in the seventies and eighties, The crowds would gather to watch them land and take off. I lived about a mile away and can clearly remember been stuffed into the family car with the family to drive down and see them take off.
I think back then, everyone in the country knew about the Air Corp, what they did, and had a very hig regard for them.
Now days, I think not enough people know enough. The interest is there from the public, just not the public awareness or equipment.

[Lurk]

True enough John K, but I was just emphasising who the bod at the door was! I hear that Helis were banned from using winchmans alley in recent years!

My fondest memory has yet to come - flying the lead of a seven ship flypast with the rest of the squadron in tow over Dublin city as close to their retirement as possible. Just as soon as I can get back from this sweatbox and the techs can pull off having them all serviceable. That will be probably the last time we do it, although I would love to have the first AB139 to arrive escorted in from the coast by a pair of A3s. Many fond memories from the past, quickstopping the thing with ARW onto the roof of Kildare barracks, flying in Marseille and all the way there and back, lifting troops for six hours at a time in the Glen until you feel like a part of the machine, practicing intercepts with Marchettis, Bush's visit, Mayday, the Border, and all the great friends I made while doing all of this. Nobody ever hated the Alouette. '>

[Head]

'>  groovy

[sealion]

Quote (scorpy @ 21 Jan. 2005,22:43)

Nobody ever hated the Alouette. '>

Says it all really. The final flypast sounds great. Be sure to give us the heads up,before the event.

I'll do my best.

[Bitch]

I had many memories, but one that stuck out was on the rescue of the "Ard Cranna" 77 NM west of eagle Island Mayo. A certain gentleman pilot insisted I deploy smoke....I stated that we had no F....ng time for this as we were so far out and also the smoke was not of the floatable type, but this cravated "current Aer Lingus" pilot insisted anyway. My patter was...Pin out...smoke deployed...smoke sunk...what next?. Any we got our man and routed back to castlebar. Wouldnt trade those days in though.

[Bitch]

p.s. the "Ard Cranna" rescue was an Alouette 111 and 77NM west of Eagle Island was for real.....we must have been mad...anyway great times still. '>