Dauphins to go to the US?

[SousaTeuszii]

I have just heard that the Dauphins have been sold and will be going across the water to the US. Anybody got any info?
ST

[Silver]

My two guesses -

A - The U.S. Coast guard bought them (apparently they expressed a keen interest in aquiring any 'surpulus' Dauphins which may come available?!)

B - A private U.S. heli company : who will rebuild them and put them up for sale.

My 2c!
 

[IRL227]

While we're on this topic of the fleet, I was talking to a friend yesterday who met up with a CASA 235 captain over the weekend and he was telling me that the IAC plan on buying new CASA 235's for troop carrying. Has anyone got any info about this?

[SousaTeuszii]

Hi IRL227,
I do not doubt it but why and what for. The CN235 does not have the capacity or range for troop rotations in all but the closest operations and the Irish Army do not require airfield to airfield transport within Ireland.
They could use it for Para ops but then again the small numbers that are trained would be better served with a C208 or PC6.
I have however heard the rumor that CASA have confirmed that the FITS upgrade for the 235s can go into a more forward station, ie where the pax seats are now. This would allow for troop carrying and para ops from the rear. The upshot is that the flare dispenser and SAR racks in the rear will probably be removed. Considering that the Air Corps never ever provided a proper SAR top cover service it wont be much loss.
ST

[FMolloy]

Maybe he meant a CN-295?

[Fouga]

Got any pics of a Casa "poppin" flares?

[SousaTeuszii]

Hi Fouga,
Unfortunately it is something that I have never seen, nor have I seen any photos. Its my understanding that the CASA no longer carries any flares on standard missions, I dont know why.
I have seen the Dauphin dumping flares. When they came up to their expiry date the pilots blew them off over the airfield or over the ocean. If there is a photo of either knocking around Id love to see it.
ST

[pym]

am i to understand that the flares were carried internally on the casa?

if that's probably why they arent carried anymore, sounds potentially dangerous  

[SousaTeuszii]

Hi Pym,
I am not sure where they were stored but they were certainly launched internally through a big orange tube in the rear of the machine. It is possible that they were in the tube all along thereby reducing the risk of any problems. The Dauphins were fitted to fire horizontaily from the left side of the tail but no spares were carried inside.
ST

[Frank]

Fouga,

I suspect you are thinking of the flares that fighters and the likes fire to distract missiles. The flares that the CASA's carried (and I'm open to correction here) are the parachute kind used for SAR missions.

[Fouga]

Frank,

Im aware of "those" flares, im looking for the ones the Casa uses!

[Old Redeye]

Let's hope the intent is to buy a couple C-295's - even they are not ideal, but much more capable.  Have to agree with Sousa on this one.  235's would be useful for supporting RW training around Europe and EU battlegroup training in Scandanavia, etc., but would only be useful as intra-theater airlifters for international missions.  i.e. flying routes inside an operational area such as Sierra Leone, Darfur or Afghansitan, as opposed to delivering cargo and pax to/from Ireland.

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi all,
In my time, the flare tube and the dinghy-dropper were used for training with the RNLI and other Marine agencies.There was a story going that there was a disagreement over the handling of pyros by the "cabin" crew,(we won't drop 'em unless you give us money, 'cos they're dangerous,etc).It was said that some bods didn't mind dropping them and saw it as part of the job, where others felt that they needed more pay for handling pyros so the Bosses decided that the flares would only be used in extremis.It was tied into a long-running dispute about flying pay.......
regards
GttC

[SousaTeuszii]

Hi GTTC,
The last time that I heard that kind of issue being discussed it ended with a civil company doing the operation. Could this happen again? Whos to say. If the Air Corps do not provide the required service then perhaps they dont deserve the job!
There has to be accoutability for Joe Bloggs tax Euros.
ST

[sealion]

This demarkation shite is not worthy of a nations defence force.
So far we have an air Corps that
(a) Won't go to sea with the Naval service
(b) Won't do SAR in a big heli(for reasons unknown)
© Won't drop flares out of a tube designed to drop flares from an aircraft.
(d) Won't let Non Air Corps people Fly or maintain Garda aircraft.

Its gread to see that PDFORRA/RACO have such clout. Any other unions in the ICTU would have had all their membership unemployed long ago if they operated the same way.