Messages

1

Air Corps News / Patrolling the seas with the Air Corps

« on: July 25, 2007, 08:19:21 pm »

Have to say it was a good article right up until the part were the fisherman said "I thought they were goin to throw down a rope(from the CASA)..but they flew around a couple of times and flew off".....end clip!!! Wait a minute REWIND!!! Now either it was edited arse-ways or yer man had something against the Air Corps cos in an article promoting the Air Corps it cast a shadow over us.
What he neglected to say (or the editor cut out) was that the CASA dropped rafts then went off to direct the rescue craft onto the scene and returned to provide "Top Cover"!!  
Anyhoo, besides that ,at least it shed some light on an aspect of the Air Corps that most people wouldnt know about. We dont just fly around the Don doing touch and go's, which is the extent that most members of the public would see of the Air Corps.
(By the way, the grain in the attached image is actually rain!!! No stopping tha CASA)

2

Irish Air Corps / Air Corps To Use Birr?

« on: July 24, 2007, 06:53:17 pm »

With regards to the CASA's again. The only advantage of moving them to the west coast would be to increase their endurance on Marpats by a mere 45 mins!! And considering they do 7 hours at a time already I dont think thats good economy seen as all the maintenance is done at the Don.

3

Irish Air Corps / RIP Steve Fogarty.

« on: July 24, 2007, 06:46:03 pm »

Just to say that long serving Air Corps photographer Steve Fogarty passed away today. "Darth" was a legend in his own lifetime and may he rest in peace.

4

Irish Air Corps / What next aircraft?

« on: July 20, 2007, 01:22:34 pm »

Hey guys,
            My above post about Harriers is just a fantasy so dont go off on a nutter over it. Anyhoo, back to reality, more CASA's!! hmmm! Whos gonna fly and crew them?? As I said before its all fine and well getting new aircraft but we need people to fly/fly in/maintain them and the infrastructure to support them. And the way things are going we barely have enough people to run the palce as it is!!!

5

Air Corps News / Whalelog

« on: July 17, 2007, 05:29:43 pm »

Hi clog,
         Its great when we see Dolphins and whales. The recent weather although wet, is reasonably calm at sea with some days completly flat calm and the surface like glass. This affords us better chances of sighting whales and the like.Ive seen other creatures like a giant turtle and a giant jellyfish also! Actually, the day I got those Whales we came across a huge water spout(Tornado) sucking the water up to about 1000ft, talk about flying fish! It seems that that group of Whales and Dolphins are hanging around a bit as theyve been spotted at least once maybe twice since.
        With regards to photographing stuff on patrols its amazing what you get to see in the Atlantic. Ive photographed a fridge freezer bobbing around 200 miles of Donegal recently(probably full of Donegal Catch! ).
Its vital to keep tabs on this sort of stuff as its a danger to shipping. Can you imagine a small yacht hitting an industrial size fridge, ouch!

6

Air Corps News / Whalelog

« on: July 16, 2007, 12:53:32 pm »

Hey,
       I think their my photos!! Pity they dont mention its 105 SQN that actually take the photos!!

7

Irish Air Corps / Air Corps To Use Birr?

« on: July 14, 2007, 01:11:58 pm »

See the CASA's move!! Hope not! Some of us have settled this side of the Shannon and it would be a right pain in the a@#e havin to uproot again or have to explain to the better half and kids that you'll be gone for weeks on end!! No thanks,Ive done my fair share of hopping from place to place. Maybe the up and coming next generation of Air Corps lads and lasses would see it different! Of course thats just me, if I had to go I'd take one for the Corps   .
Ahem..!

8

Irish Air Corps / What next aircraft?

« on: July 11, 2007, 10:29:49 am »

Well, FF is back and starting the wish list thing all over again!! Welcome back aul chap!  

Re: Jags, the very last of them landed RAF Cosford last week for scrapping/storage/display and what a beutifully painted Jag it was. The topside painted like a jags coat and all the Sqn badges on the rudder. More where dispersed to Shawbury, 12 I think. The only ones left flying are the two(GR3A and T4) at Boscombe down, with QinetiQ/ETPS, and for the moment they are still in 6 Sqn colours, dont know if theyll be painted Rasberry Ripple?? Looks like the Typhoon is taking over and will be a very common sight in UK skies soon!!

9

Irish Air Corps / AW.139 276 on the move.

« on: July 02, 2007, 07:19:41 pm »

Not to get too much off topic but Ive noticed over the years that the majority of British people actually think that we are part of the RAF!! I dont know how many times Ive had to explain over again that we are a seperate country!! "Yeh OK, so how long have yeh been in the RAF"

10

Air Corps Careers / Air Corps Photography

« on: July 02, 2007, 07:11:06 pm »

Hi Pilatus,
             Im afraid Frank is right. You have to be a serving member of the Defence Forces to be eligible for the photographers course. Also, this years course is only the second one in 15 years so they are fairly scarce.

Air Corps photographers are required to photograph all aspects of the defence forces from recruits getting their mugshots done on signing up, a portrait of the COS or President,out on the ground with the Battalions or ARW, to flying over the Atlantic in the CASA on a Marpat or in the back of a PC-9 for a Calendar shoot. So to be trained as a soldier first is paramount.

Its one of the best jobs within the DF but can be very demanding mentally having to think outside the box all the time and be able to make split second decisions that could make the difference between the "Money Shot" and a blurred image. Its a constant learning curve and photographers , though they may not admit it, are never really masters but eternal students in the hope of achieving the perfect image   .
So if your willing, sign the dotted line and maybe you'll make it some day!!

11

Irish Air Corps / AW.139 276 on the move.

« on: June 20, 2007, 10:04:15 am »

The Crews are'nt wearing the Helmets yet as they havnt got them. The one in the photo is only for dispaly at the moment. I think they have to wait for them to be approved for the 139 or something.
By the way, that photo looks identical to the one I took!! Hope someone was shooting over my shoulder and not nicking my images!!!

12

Air Corps News / Air Corps save 'lost' yacht

« on: June 13, 2007, 09:54:23 pm »

This was the second one in a week! Last week the CASA found a Trawler that was on fire and directed the coastguard S-61 onto it to winch the crew off. At least that time the photos made it to the press and were acredited to J.H the 105 Sqn photographer who took them.

13

Foreign Air Forces / Air Shows (Read Only) / Message from Red 1, leader Red Arrows.

« on: June 11, 2007, 10:02:42 pm »

Hi all, the following is a message form the red arrows leader who has asked for it to be passed on among the aviation community:

Unfortunately, we had to cease our display twice during this last weekend
due to infringements of our Restricted Airspace, once at a display close to
Southampton and the other at the Cosford Air Show. Sadly, these
infringements occur every year and they present me with what can be a
potentially dangerous situation. These temporary areas are exactly that and
are applied for through the Department of Transport and are legally defined
under Civil Law. In effect we borrow the airspace for just 30 minutes so
that we can entertain audiences of up to 250,000 people. When I say borrow,
I mean that the airspace is owned by the UK, no individual owns it and that,
with regulation and agreement we all try to use this airspace safely.

The Red Arrows' restricted airspace is a zone 6 nautical miles in radius,
centred on the display datum, from ground level up to 8000 ft. We apply for
this airspace because the high energy, close formation aerobatic manoeuvres
flown by the Red Arrows means that the pilots are busy looking out for each
other and are unable to look out for other aircraft as well. Prior to each
display, we contact all of the local airfields to our display site reminding
them of the restrictions; also display organisers are also very pro-active
in highlighting any restrictions to other local airspace users.

Whilst the majority of civilian pilots are extremely professional in their
approach to flying, it is disappointing to me that the number of
infringements into the Reds' display airspace by light aircraft,
micro-lights and gliders appears to be on the increase. Should an
infringement occur during one of our displays, I will assess the situation
and in most cases terminate the display immediately. As Team Leader, safety
is my number one concern, that being safety of the spectators, and safety of
my pilots in the air. Obviously when this happens it is extremely
disappointing for the crowds who have paid to see the display, but, far
worse, the likelihood of a collision between intruders and nine fast jets is
extremely high - the risks simply aren't worth taking. I will always ask the
local Air Traffic Control unit to track the infringer and this information
is then passed to the Civil Aviation Authority for potential prosecution.

A point to note is that the Red Arrows' website should not be used as a
planning tool. The website is used to inform our fans and any interested
members of the public about the team and the Royal Air Force. It acts as a
focal point for news, photos and anything else that we can think but it most
definitely not a planning aid.

It is every pilot's responsibility to check the NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen)
and be comprehensively briefed on all aspects of the airspace in which they
are intending to fly. Pilots must also consider the 'what ifs', what may
happen if they are forced into different airspace due to diversion or bad
weather. We do try to work closely with the Civil Aviation Authority and the
General Aviation communities and I have been very impressed by the work and
effort that goes into educating as many people as possible about sharing our
airspace safely.

All pilots' first port of call should be the AIS website http://www.ais.org.uk,
which has the definitive and legal restricted airspace information. You also
may like to try looking at the privately run website
http://www.flyontrack.co.uk. This very useful website highlights the simple
steps that any GA pilot, experienced or novice ought to take in preparing
for a flight, powered or otherwise! Try the link
http://www.flyontrack.co.uk/hntoi.asp as a great place to discover how not
to infringe restricted airspace.

Above all else, simply phoning the free phone AIS Information Line on 0500
354 802 can save you a lot of embarrassment or worse.

For the 50,000 plus crowd at Cosford this last weekend I am sure that I was
as frustrated and as disappointed as you were that we were unable to perform
our full routine. I hope that this message explains why we were unable to
continue with the display and goes someway to highlight to other pilots and
airspace users the reasons for and dangers of entering restricted airspace.
Please help each other by passing on the flight safety message. Thank you
for your continued support and here's to an enjoyable, rewarding and above
all else safe 2007 season.

Squadron Leader Jas Hawker

Red 1

14

Irish Air Corps / AW.139 276 on the move.

« on: June 05, 2007, 04:25:39 pm »

Heres a shot of 277 on returning to the ramp last Friday (01/06/07). Didnt realise she'd arrived till I looked at the pic afterwards!!DOH!

15

Irish Air Corps / Italian Air Force Airbus 319 at Casement

« on: May 20, 2007, 07:02:51 pm »

I remember the 707 landing alright! It was a crock!!! Did an Aer Lingus 747 do a touch and go at one of the air spectaculars during the 80's or was it just a slow pass with gear down , cant remember?? I remember its fast/low run though, Wow, amazing to see such a big a/c fast and low!!