Messages

1

Irish Air Corps / Baldonnel Procedures

« on: April 09, 2007, 09:55:51 pm »

Ok - Non-Precision Instrument Approach Procedure 101:

Let's say we're flying an aircraft and are esablished on the inbound radial VOR/DME App Rwy 11 at bal. The wind favours 29 so we're cleared to the MAPt (missed approach point) to position Right Downwind 29. And we're in a CAT C aircraft. The OCA is 720'* and our COCA is 920'*. (NOT REAL OCAs - Dont have plates handy)

Aircraft is configured for landing and commences descent from 2000' at Final Approach Fix. Approx 300' per mile at 150kts groundspeed requires about 750fpm. We'll reach our COCA of 920' about 0.8miles before the MAPt, and we will NOT descend below that altitude without being satisfied that we can continue VFR(Visual Flight Rules). If there is any doubt as to whether we can maintain VMC(Visual Meteorological Conditions), we execute the published Missed approach procedure.

2

Irish Air Corps / Baldonnel Procedures

« on: April 09, 2007, 01:43:04 pm »

Where to start..

Sure Weston is busy, last I heard they'd about 3 times the movements that Bal had, and more than Dublin too. But lots of traffic doesn't make for a complex environment. In Weston all the air & ground traffic is on one frequency, it's all VFR, and it all complies with standard procedures, most of the time.

Bal isn't busier, but it is more complicated, with 3 frequencies, mixed IFR/VFR, and non-standard procedures being the standard.

The IF Approach procedure to RWY23 passes directly over Dub at 10nm finals at 3000'. Believe me when I tell you, it causes confusion & panic, to such an extent that dublin simply don't allow it to commence.

Can't imagine why a 3000' TSA would be activated over dublin for a 500' AL03?? Unless it was a security operation similar to May Fly. The lads in the tower aren't a bunch of monkeys, there to make your life miserable, so there was probably a genuine reason to use 3000'.

Unless an aircraft is under radar vectors, it's up to the pilot to navigate around airspace boundaries. There is radar information available in Bal so it's very easy to tell if someone cuts a corner, and if one of our lads does it, he's just as wrong as anyone else.

Circling to land. The IAPs have at the bottom of the plate the OCA (obstacle clearance altitude) and on some, the COCA (Circling OCA). The COCA will differ depending on the Aircraft category A,B,C,or D, and there are restrictions on it's use. The pilot must not descend below that altitude unless he has become VMC. A 600'agl downwind is about 920'qnh and is perfectly fine. There's no extra danger associated with the procedure, because if the pilot is not visual by MAPt at COCA, he carries out a missed approach procedure. Easy as..

Just one last point. Glide & PFL circuits have a greater priority than 'real' circuits, for the same reason you say they don't. And by the way, ALL circuits are training devices. Glide + PFL are emergency training for 'in the event of a power failure after t/o and above 1000', or recovery from a power failrue at high altitude in a training area.

3

Irish Air Corps / Baldonnel Procedures

« on: April 04, 2007, 12:19:28 pm »

Although Baldonnel wouldn't have as many movements as Dublin or even Weston, the Military traffic is infinately more complex. All Weston and Dublin traffic is fairly standard and is carried out in accordance with the rules of the air, whereas military traffic is more often than not, a non-standard mix of organised chaos, and is not always in compliance with rules of the air.

Local traffic procedures at Baldonnel consist of 800', 1300' 1800'glide and 2800'pfl circuits. Fixed wing and helis, sometimes all at the same time, often with Instrument approaches inbound to 11.

Runway 11 is the most commonly used runway because of the airspace configuration. There is no Instrument approach to 05 due to terrain, and approaches to runway 23 tend to cause mass confusion and panic at dublin airport. Runway 29 is used, but usually only when traffic is coming back from UK or Europe. The Military training areas are all west of baldonnel, and it makes sense for them to approach 11, to circle to land on the duty runway.

The level of restriction (if any) is dependant on the weather conditions, type of approach, and local traffic at the time. Instrument Approach Plates and Departure Procedures to/from Baldonnel are NOT published in the AIP. General Aviation pilots would be familiar with military radio frequencies and NAV AIDs, but most would not be flying the procedures or even be aware of the details.

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Irish Air Corps / New Air Corps EC135s - First pictures

« on: October 01, 2005, 07:08:57 pm »

Are they different versions??

Look at the skids.

The first pic certainly seems to be the civil type while the second appears to be the military type (EC635?).

Any ideas...

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Irish Air Corps / Higher Options 2005

« on: September 10, 2005, 09:48:36 am »

Chances of a flip in a PC9 are less than very very slim.
You'd have to complete Ejector Seat Training before even being eligible for a spin...AND, there'd be a long queue.

Better chance of a flip in just about anything else.

Decent chance of trips in Helis & Cessnas.

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Irish Air Corps / Aircraft Callsigns & AC in use

« on: September 08, 2005, 08:41:52 pm »

It works like this.

Cessnas      Romeo  eg R203
SF260        Whiskey  eg W231
PC9M         Irish  eg IRL260
Kingair        Kilo  eg K240
Defender     Papa  eg P254
Casa          Charlie  eg C252
Lear45        Irish eg IRL258
G IV           Irish  eg IRL251

Allouette     Alpha  eg A211
Gazelle        Golf  eg G241
Dauphin      Delta Hotel eg DH246

Sections use 'Irish', 'Fox', 'Whiskey', 'Alpha', 'Red', 'Blue' or 'Rainbow' folled by "Section".  eg FoxSection / RedSection

Any international Flight uses IRL folled by tail number

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Irish Air Corps / Baldonnel to 'go civvie' again?

« on: February 05, 2005, 10:56:04 am »

Don't you think that going civvie has been on the cards (behind closed doors) for a long while now.

Look at the big picture.
1. New Runways
2. New VOR/DME
3. New ILS
4. Infrastructure- new access roads just being completed.

Not much left to be done now.

Bal is the ideal location to operate to & from for ATRs B146s Biz-jets and other commuter short hop flights.  Dub will increase capacity and free up space allowing for more long haul, charter, cargo ops. Weston can keep their level of traffic probably unaffected.

Can't see a move to Shannon in the future, but as Dublin grows and grows, eventually a move to a new location - possibily midlands.

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Irish Air Corps / Finner Camp runway status?

« on: February 05, 2005, 10:39:25 am »

A FISO service used to be provided by Signals staff. Not ATC.
The Restricted area R22 was put there to protect SAR Heli deployment. There's no tech support now, but there was when the Dauphin was stationed there. When the Unimog Fire truck & crew were removed that was the end of it. The runwat itself is ok, but the support services are not there and so it cannot be used.

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Irish Air Corps / Finner Camp runway status?

« on: January 27, 2005, 09:37:24 pm »

Runway's ok- but.... No Fire crew, No Landings

(except in emerg)