Air Corps on Nationwide, 18th September

[Frank]

DF Press Release:

On Monday 18 September 2006 at 7.00pm on RTE 1 watch the Nationwide team take to the skies with the men and women of the Air Corps with a programme devoted to an extensive visit to Air Corps HQ in Baldonnel.

The programme will feature interviews with the General Officer Commanding the Air Corps, Brigadier General Ralph James and one of our operational maritime pilots Lieutenant Amy McKeown.  Mary Kennedy accompanies Amy on a fishery protection patrol over the Irish Sea.  She also learns how difficult it is to control the latest training aircraft the Pilatus PC-9 turbo-prop two-seat trainer with a test flight in the very high-tech PC-9 simulator.

The work and life of the Air Corps, careers available and the latest technology are all on display during the programme.  For any potential recruit the programme gives a very interesting view into life in the Air Corps.  And its not all about the pilots… there are a large number of careers available as aircraft technicians, crash rescue crew, air traffic controllers and a wide variety of other careers.

The successful path of former Air Corps personnel is also charted with an interview with Mr Geoffrey O’Byrne-White a former Air Corps pilot and now Chief Executive of CityJet as he brings a World War II vintage Spitfire aircraft back to Baldonnel where they were in service in the 1940’s and 50’s.  The programme also features a visit to the Air Corps museum with its display of past aircraft.

[John K]

Hey Frank, they didn't chart my 'successful career' did they?

[Frank]

I dunno, I guess we'll just have to watch it and see!

BTW, you'll be able to watch it online on the RTE website.

[sealion]

Air Corps at 7pm, Navy at 7.30. A nice evening in.

[pilatus]

so who all saw it?it was ok but it wasnt as good as i hoped it would be for example they devoted 6-7mins talking about city jet and how it was an ex aircorps man that made them what they are today!it was still good though.i dint know the AirCorps trains pilots from other countries,well you hear about RAF guys coming over every now and then but i thought that was just to show co-operation with our neighbour?

[RMR]

6-7 mins....20 mins out of the half hour more like !! Could have been a lot better

[Broc]

when you considder that RTE can get 3 half hour shows about the navy then i'm sure they can get a few out of the air corps too? after all, the subject matter in 'the navy' only extended to armed boardings, cooks and darts
with the variety of flying squadrons and ground support services in bal you'd get a quite interesting run of documentaries.

[RMR]

exactly,i'm sure they could've got more interesting footage than mary kennedy screamin her head off whilst sticking a pc9 into the ground

[RMR]

exactly,i'm sure they could've got more interesting footage than mary kennedy screamin her head off whilst sticking a pc9 into the ground

[Frank]

In my opinion they spent too much time with Mr. CityJet and they shouldn't have shown the stock video footage taken from the ad campaign where they showed aircraft that were withdrawn from service & depicted roles / taskings that the Air Corps no longer carries out.

I'm sure they could have thrown in some footage of the air firing or they could have gone out with the EC135's on a mission, show off some of the new gear, that's how you attract recruits.

I know Nationwide is not a recruiter for the Air Corps but I think it was a missed opportunity to show what we have & do seeing as PR opportunities on national television these days are few and far between.

That said, it was still good to see the Air Corps on tv, a bit more coverage would be nice.


Regards,

Frank.

[SousaTeuszii]

Hi all,
I seen the programme and watched somewhat in disbelief. The only proper heli footage was of a Dauphin doing SAR in an advert. No aircraft was shown doing its daily operation except the CASA which does a piss poor job on the best of days. My opinion only, although statistics do seem to follow through.
This could have been a great programme. More in flight footage, more air corps less cityjet etc.
I am sorry but this is not Nationwides fault. The PR section of the Air Corps should have been on top of this and got in flight footage or at least offered it. Air Corps PR has always been an embarassment. How many years were the Air Corps on SAR, how many times did jobs appear in the news?
It was great to see the Air Corps on the tele but what could have been a great show was bungled by PR to such an extent that I enjoyed 'The Navy' more.
ST

[Turkey]

well we had the slow-mo walk to the 'fighters' ['cuse me while I puke] air-superiorty from the 1930's.
I do know that rte can and do ruin things about defence...In SAR days this included non-reporting of some rescues, and stating others to have been done by the coast guard, while showing footage of a Dauphine in the background.
But the Air Corps probally did not help. They should have a PR dept there, but it certainly does not seem so.

SousaTeuszii, I am not tryin to pick a row here, cause I would be tempted, if I were in charge to give the NS the Casa's, and the Dauphin[they could be rebuilt, 2 for training work and 2 for ops]]s, and a free hand, and a large wad of cash, to see what they could do better.
But is it in the nature of the Casa's job that it never appears as anything other then pi$$ poor?

[SousaTeuszii]

Hi Turkey,
No fight, I agree. The Navy should get their own helis for offshore and liason work. Staffed and crewed by the Navy!
The CASA operation is not piss poor, the Air Corps application of the service is piss poor.
1200hrs on patrol from 2 airline class turbine aircraft.
Average 6 hr patrol thats only 216 patrols per year.
Thats only 108 patrols per year per aircraft.
Most patrols have at least 1 hr over land because of where it is based ie only 984 hrs on station.
No 24hr operations.
No on call service.
No top cover for SAR ops.

Sure, give it to the Navy, integrate the assets and put them in Shannon or Cork. God knows they cant do any worse.
ST

[Broc]

the navy responsible for the CASAs? what next? the equitation school driving MOWAGs?

[Silver]

I agree - the programme featured too much about City Jet ...and Mary Kennedy screaming!

It was very interesting to see that the AC are training Mexican pilots on the PC-9's!!

Come on RTE ......make a proper series about life in the AC/G.A.S.U !!