Cartoon-based artwork seems to be a recurring theme when it comes to Irish Air Corps aircraft. The Fairey Battle, SIAI Marchetti and Cessnas all carried artwork based on well-known cartoon characters. The character most associated with the I.A.C. is the Pink Panther. It seems the Pink Panther was adopted by the helicopter crews and stickers and artwork appeared in various forms on the Alouette III and also on Gazelle 241 for the final years of its service. Can anyone detail the history of the connection between the I.A.C. helicopter crews and the Pink Panther? Who was responsible for its adoption as the unofficial mascot of the helicopter squadron and when did it first appear in Baldonnel?
I have heard two stories about how the association started.
The first story claims that Aerospatiale released some promotional literature in 1963 or thereabouts and it featured The Pink Panther. This literature made its way to Baldonnel and because of this, The Pink Panther character was adopted as the unofficial mascot of the helicopter unit within the Irish Air Corps from that time onwards.
The second story states that the arrival of the Alouette III at Baldonnel coincided with the release of the first Pink Panther film and such was the film's popularity that the helicopter crews decided to adopt the pink cat as the unit's mascot.
I don't know which of these stories are true but I'd love to know the full story. Maybe it's a combination of the two. The connection between the I.A.C. Alouette III and its crews and The Pink Panther was obviously quite strong though. After all, A196 nearly flew at Baldonnel on the 21st of September 2007 with a giant Pink Panther figure adorning the length of its tailboom! But that's another story. Hopefully the Pink Panther will reappear on the AW139 or EC135 at some point in the future. Thanks.
BM.
