A bit of nostalgia!

[Silver]

I came across this article today while going through some old papers.

It's from the Evening Press, dated Saturday, 22nd January 1983............



"Army 'copters to cost £14m.
THE FIVE NEW helicopters being purchased by the Department of Defence are to cost an estimated £13.8 million. Two of the helicopters will be deployed to the Navy and the others are to replace the outdated Alouettes.

The contract for the Dauphin-2 craft has been placed with the French national aerospace group Aerospatiale. They will not be delivered for at least two years with supply dates ranging between December 1984 and Feb. 1986. "



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How times have changed ! ....... at least Air Corps helis are only rarely referred to as 'Army 'copters' nowadays.

And, "outdated Alouettes" ? ........ kinda ironic that the AIII's have outlasted the Dauphins !

[Lurk]

Hi Silver.

Here is some more nostalgia concerning the runways for jet aircraft the Air Corps didnt't hav at the time. Now that was forward planning!

http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D....20.html


Lurk

[Silver]

Interesting, Lurk.

Air Corps operations must have been very limited in Winter before the building of the concrete runways ??!!

Incidentially, can anybody confirm if the Naas dual carraigeway was built around the same time as the concrete runways in Baldonnel ?

[Lurk]

Silver.

I remember the carriageway being built. It was during 1965/68, and was officially opened in 1968.

[Lurk]

Just for info, the first major revamp of runways at Baldonnel was during the Emergency. Between 1940 and 43 the Construction Corps worked on runway 29/11, and extended it towards Newcastle. A castle was removed to accommodate the extension at the Newcastle end.

[Buran]

When you say castle, was this a castle castle, with turrets, and a mote, and a few knights, and maybe a round table? Or was it a few old blocks and a bunch of crusties with placards and no jobs?

[Flyboy]

Crusties did not exist then, and if they did they would have received a good kicking, and ended up in the foundations of the runway.

[Silver]

'crusties'  '> ......'good kicking'  '>

[Historical-avi-irl.i8.com]

Interesting... I'm Interested In Irish History & Irish Aviation History... What A Conflict- No more will I have even the (very, very) slightest bit of "Stop The M50" in me, Besides, knowing the Irish Government, If the Air Corps didn't get rid of the castle, the new Outer ring road would have probably destroyed it!!!

[Silver]

Hey, Historical-avi-irl, can you put up a link to your site.
I have tried your username with no success.