There will never be a new a/c base

[A.O.G]

In relation to the poll on a new air corps base,this will never happen as land prices and finding locations would just be impossible.

[Hess]

Shannon?

[P.Doff]

That was suggested before and very nearly happened (well within the rumour mill, anyhow!)

[pilatus]

i wouldnt rule it out altogether,say if baldonnel started to take civvie traffic and it grew that much that the corps(or government) decides to sell off bal and uses the money made from the sale aswell as money earned from charging civvies for using bal and then buy a new site!unlikely but in this country who knows?

[The Blue Max]

I thing as was mentioned earlier of operating in differnt locations as a new Air Bases will never happen as at the momment we dont even have one Air Base in the Country as Officially Baldonnel is classed as a Military Aerodrome the only future locations of  Irish Military Aviation will be as Air Stations e.g Finner,Cork or Shannon Airport(Possible) or even a return to Gormanstown for a centre for Army to train with Tactical Helicopter Landings For Traing Troops with new skills such (Abseiling etc..) or the other possible future type of operations outside of the Don will be as Forward Operating Bases using such Army Installations for periods of ATCP back up,Natural Disater Relieve,Army,Navy or Air Corps Training Excerise using e.g Barracks such as                  
Limerick-Sarsfields ,Dundalk,Cavan etc for primaarily Rotary Operations or Civil Airports such as Kerry, Waterford or Sligo etc.. for fixed wing operations. These are the most likely future places will operate from and are alot more likely than the construction of full Air Base to any decent military standard the use of current military/Civil Installations will be the way forward.

[202]

OK, Shannon has some advantages eg. plenty of airspace, apronspace and land for new facilities. A good location too for the Casas and other maritime type operations. Also, crucially given the building plans for Gormanstown, it should be possible to locate a range area in the Shannon estuary.

However all that said the majority of the Air Corps taskings (apart from training) involve co-op exercises with the Army at the Curragh and the Glen of Imaal and also the MATs, all of which require a location near Dublin. In addition given the almost impossibility of getting planning permission for a new aerodrome anywhere the Government should be loathe to shed the asset at Baldonnel.

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
With regard to a new base, the simple answer, as I see it, is Why Bother? There are loads of airfields, large and small, a lot of which are not operating at full capacity, not to mention the many private airfields that are adequate for short-term use.If a major accident ever occurs, that might require a lot of ramp space for medevacs,etc, there are enough existing ramps and barracks to cope with any amount of helicopters and airlifters.I could see the new AC helis spending more time overnighting on Army property rather than always returning to Baldonnel.It really doesn't take much to keep a heli operating in the field and it wouldn't be much of a stretch to see a heli based at the Curragh.
regards
GttC

[The Blue Max]

I agree the future of aircraft being based outside Dublin will be them two form personnel I would like see

CORK AIR STATION>101sqn Casa Detachment being in Cork Airport a hangar similiar to the new one bulit in the Don in about 1999/2001 could be used to house and maintain these aircraft and possible have excess room for future Naval Support Helicopters I would like them locate in Cork (For Many reasons such as proximity to Naval Services main Area Of Operation (AO) being off the Soth Coast and of curse it would be close to Naval Base for training reasons and I reckon the Leftie parties would have a field day in this country if the IAC located aircrarft in Shannon due to fact that America is using it im sure the Greens would have something negitive to say.

FINNER AIR STATION> I would like to the facilities there upgraded so that if the rumour come through that Air To Air/ Air To Ground Shoots would move to Donegal either in the case of Gormanstown closing or the Defence Forces wishing to expand such excerises to new locations in purpose of developing training.

GORMANSTOWN CAMP> Would Primarily stay in Army Control (as it is at the momment) but the Air Corp a larger role the Camp would become a dedicated Training Centre in development of Helicopter Drills (Embarkcation,Abseiling etc..)
And could be used for landing troops in urban situations and not just in fields etc.., Also I belive that the Future Army UAVs should be locted here as there is already some decent infrastructure in place such (Runway,ATC Tower,Hanger, Ramp Space,Repair Facilities,Accomadation etc..) and would only need small investment and could become the Home of UAV Training-Operations in this Country.

I have not inculded Military Barracks-Camps in this Reply as most Army Installations are easily able to cater for Air Corps Helicopters and would only small investment to rectify any problem. This Gentlemen Is Only Food For Taught and personnaly is teh only real options the Air Corp will operating from outside of Baldonnel-Casement Of Course that is.