please look at this

[casper]

I would like to congradulate Frank on a great site that is dedicated to the Aircorps.I do not know you Frank but that doesn't matter.Congrats anyway.
Now I would like to speak to a few people that are posting their opinons on this site.
Opinions are fine, they are like ass***es,everyone has one, but do you really think that this is the place for them?'>?
It is very easy for someone to come on to this board and start talking s**t about the Aircorps just because you pick some nice picture or hellicopter to put beside your very millitary name and rank on your profile.....
Did you ever spend a day in the Don?'>??
Some off you I fear you didn't!!!!
For once and for all let the truth be told.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Was anyone off you in Tramore Beach after the Dauphin crash???
Did anyone off you Stand Post in the hanger in helli for 20 minutes at a time and watch a child trying to make you smile while your head was bowed.
If you did, then fair play, because I did and I'm not proud of it in any way, It was something I had to do, so I did it.
Did any one of you carry a coffin down to the chapel and because of the weight your arm was not able to bend afterwards.Well I did!!
Has anyone thought about building a web site in Memorial to those great men that died that day or of all the great men that have gone to rest since the Aircorps was founded.
I wish I had the computer skills to do that but I don't!!
I have long since gone from the Don but my heart is always very close.
Do any of you ever think, in the years to come, when some family member of either..Paddy Monney,Micheal Baker,Niall Byrne or David O Flatherty R.I.P...will put in their names on the w.w.w.??  What will it take them to find, just a paper cliping, about their loved one,You should be thinking about that,rather than bitching about which size plane will the goverment get next,
or what is the latest overseas aircraft to fly by the don, when I believe, most of you were never inside those gates .
Anyone that was, tell me otherwise, and maybe some of you are still there, but from what I read on this site and I have read everything on this site, there are  lot of people giving opinions that have only seen the Golf Ball from a roadside distance, but was never forced to run towards it or back!!!!!!!

I was there



Casper

[p.diddy.cool]

'>  while i think that casper had some very good points i think that he may have been too hard on the ppl who do not don a uniform, and while i agree with the sadness of any comrades death and the famillys sadness on foot of that i belive that such pll bring a certain balance to the site( may sound a little corny) but there ya go! its good to get outside opinions here and there depending on the topics! there are some topics that are just not woth disscussing on this site! but i will say one thing there are some who belive that the air corps (members in control) treated some of the tramore famillies ignorantly in some repects when they brought there cases to the high courts, ppl had to be forced into court to give evidance and to this day alot of the safety recomendations that came of the report have still not been addressed, i feel that the air corps are heading for another incident and the outcome will be the same.... notthing will be done till its too late.. i going to stop there cause im getting pretty annoyed now! and i feel like lashing out!... OH and on another subject anyone here about sligo and what's going on? have a dig gang! interesting stuff.

Regards as always
P.Diddy.Cool

[alpha foxtrot 07]

i've ran past that golf ball more times than i care to remember,
and yes i was at tramore on both sad occasions.

[P.Doff]

I'll openly admit that I cried that day! It was such a shock as well as being sad!! They looked for volunteers to go down to the site to help with the recovery but alas I couldnt do it, it was too much!! Your so right in your views, I myself get caught up in some of the s@#te on the board, its a good laugh sometimes,but your right in saying that these 'wannabe' civvies who live out their 'Aircorps' fantasies on this board should have some respect for the lads and lasses in the don as well as past and deceased members!
We might not have a great image, and god knows a lot of us put ourselves down at times for havin intrest in the place,but at least we have been there! We dossed and whinged our way through the hostel,we stood  guard on the the gate, we done the glen, we done our crews when every other sane person was tucked up in bed!
So as they say "Dont knock it till U try it", and if you havnt got the balls then shut up and get back behind your desk with the rest of them!!!

[Silver]

I for one really don't know where all this is coming from ?

I am not a member of the Defence Forces, but I am a SUPPORTER of the DF.
Surely that is not a bad thing, is it ??

I have nothing but respect for the crew who perished in the tragic Dauphin crash (and contempt for those in authority who didn't do more for the AC - before and since !).

While there are a couple of sad cases who post on this board, I believe the majority of posters (whether in the AC or not) only have the Corps best interests at heart.

Surely we should be encouraging more people to have an interest in the AC, rather than rubbishing those who do ?!?

Regards,
Silver.

[P.Doff]

Silver,
        I think being new to the board,Casper is reading through the usual bull and the likes from our old friend FF which is what has hacked him off! I can understand where hes coming from, so I say give him some time to settle in and get over the,excuse the pun,airheads!!!

[Imshi-Yallah]

I was actually in Tramore a few weeks ago I was walking past the memorial wondering what it was when I copped it, its a very sad thing to see four families deprived of a son or a brother.

Nonetheless as someone who does post a lot of codology about what the air corps should be I feel a little bit hard done by in Caspers post, sure I ask/waffle about what the IAC should or could do but bear in mind the reason I do it here is to get the opinions and expertise of military airmen, not because I think I'm going to be Tom Cruise in top gun and you're in my way or something.
Please don't forget that while our enthusiasm and ignorance may be irksome there is almost no bad will expressed towards the Air Corps, and some of us aren't so far into fantasyland as you might think, aviation or engineering mightn't be my area but I have strengths to go with my weaknesses as do most others, this is a forum for discussion, if you disagree with something that someone has said argue the point directly please don't defeat the purpose of the site by trying to quash all outside comment.

[John K]

Very eloquently put Imshi, Casper you've chosen one episode from the past 80 years or so of the Air Corps history. when I was there I had to participate in at least three funerals! I remember hearing Al Colleys' children crying behind me as we escorted the Coffin. And lord Mountbatten, I knew fliers and motorcyclists who were killed (and there but for the grace of God go I!) Do you think that If those chaps knew that the aircraft was to crash they wouldn't have gone on the mission? Mind you I do remember an Air Corps pilot on hearing the report of an SAR say "...let the RAF do it!"
Hey Casper, how did you get a moniker like that? We used to have a Casper who haunted the Hostel, remember him Claudel?

[Turkey]

I am no longer a member of the DF, in fact, it has been over 20 years,since I left the FCA.
But, I choose to remain a supporter of the DF in general, and the IAC in particular.
If I make a comment, or pass an opinion that is incorrect, or laughable or upsetting, that is not my intention, and I expect to be corrected, we are here to be informed and educated and entertained, as well as to air our veiws, the board belongs to Frank, it is his decision who should, or should not take part.
On the subject of the Tramore accident, I have personal reasons why I will not ever forget many details of that night and the weekend that followed it.
Casper, I understand why you have started this tread, but I am not sure that I approve.

[Bailer]

Again Casper what you say may be true and that most of the people here have never been through the gates of the Don. I grew up where all you had to do was look down the hill and you could see Gormanston Camp. I've always been fascinated by the Aircorps although flying has never intersted me. I've done security in The Don protecting US and Brit Planes while our own Fine Silver Swallows were locked away in a Hanger (1997) And I was one of an entire FCA Bn (500+) who paraded in the Glen the morning of the Tramore Crash to watch the Flag be lowered to half mast in respect for our fellow servicemen, most of these people had never been in an AC Helo or plane. Sure we might not have spent time in the Hostel or worked in the Don but we respect those who gave there lives for their country in the attempt to save others.

And you're right I've never had to do a funeral (apart from the "state" one last year or 2001) and I hope I never have to carry one of my Colleagues Coffins as long as I live.