When the decision was made to get the Dauphin, I remember flying over Haulbowline and Cork harbour and seeing the Eithne being built, I remember thinking how small it looked. that's when I decided I'd had enough of Air Corps life, 3 weeks out in the Atlantic in that little tub? Some of the lads went down to Cork and had a guided tour, they found out that the Air Corps lads were to be billetted right up in the pointy end! Enough said! Now, I've encountered plenty of bad weather on the Ferries across the Irish Sea, maybe for 3 hours or so, but I joined the Air Corps, not the Navy, and 3 weeks of bad weather......As it turned out the heli crews didn't spend that much time at sea, I joined British Airways and so the story goes.... anyway I showed a photo of an air Corps dauphin on the deck of the Eithne to one of my workmates who was in the Fleet Air Arm, on Frigates (he served in the Falklands campaign) he made the comment .."that's quite a large heli. deck!", well the Eithne isn't as big as a Leander Class Frigate so maybe that's why the Dauphins didn't spend as mich time at sea as was first thought! (Incidentally, on that visit to Haulbowline I met up with an old schoolmate who was the Bowsun on the LE Aisling, I had a great day, guided tour of his Ship and now I've got a daughter called Aisling in memory!)
