Where did you first hear about the Air Corps ?

[Silver]

Well guys and gals,

Where did you first learn that we had an Air Corps ?

For me it was while on a visit to the Flying Boat Museum in Foynes (in 1997) I picked up the booklet "The Irish Air Corps Today" by Capt Kevin Byrne (for the pricely sum of £2 !) and learned that we had an Air Corps.
Prior to this I had only seen a pair of Fougas fly over my house and the occassional Alouette in the air, but I thought (as most Irish people still say/think) - "they are Army planes/helicopters".

That booklet (still have it - great little book !) sparked off my curiosity to learn more about the AC.
Now I nearly have a small library of AC books, magazines and Videos !


Silver.

[Orion]

The first time I remember seeing IAC a/c was when at least three Vampires did a fly-by down O'Connel St. It was either a Paddy's day or an Easter ('16) parade sometime in the mid '60's. This was back in the days when these events were rarely missed and had massive attendances.

The first time I saw the 'new' Fougas was at Collinstown. This was either '72 or '73. On the dame day a light aircraft crashed at the airfield.

O'R

[Irish Marine]

I first learnt about the Aircorps back in 1980. I got to see an Alouette  land at NASS Hospital. It was the first ever helicopter that I had ever seen also.  As a kid growing up in Ireland I would see them flying around, and was always in awe just looking at them.  As I got older I started going to the Air Spactaulars held at Baldonnel.  Great memories indeed!!!! '>  

[batafada]

first time would have been in the early sixties
with the vampires ripping up the skies over o'connel st.
as a kid it was something long remembered.

[Lude]

I first learned about and became interested in the air corps many moons ago when the dauphin helicopter used to refuel and conduct training flights arond the local airport,I've been woken many the morning by a dauphin on finals!!
And thats about it,snowballed ever since,airshows,books,magazines and websites!
Now hopefully if I get my cadetship I'll be able to buzz some other peoples houses!

[IAS]

Speaking of the Easter (Sunday) Military Parades, does anyone remember the last one, it only seems like yesterday, 1972 I think, it had the largest Air Corps participation, 3 Vampires, 3 Alouettes, 3 Provost and a Dove!

It was great publicity for the DF and should be reinstated immediately both as a spectacle and as a tribute to the men and women of 1916!


IAS

[FiannaFail]

I was introduced to the Irish Air Corps in the early 1960's as a young nipper when my fater would bring me to the Easter Sunday Defence Forces Parades down O'Connell St.  Anyone else remember those great events? We would always have seats in the platform outside the GPO near our great leader and Patriot Eamon DeValera.  The high point of the parade would always be the fly past over the Street by 6 D/H Vampire Jets.  I always thought then that no country would ever interfere with us least we would send out our Vampires!! Little did I know that I would be flying the Air Corps second generation jets - the Fouga Magisters a number of years later!!!

[sealion]

Last one was in 1966....You're old FF!
Sometime in the very late 70s I remember seeing a thing on some childrens programme(Youngline perhaps) about Allouette doing SAR..I was drawing pictures of tadpole shaped helicoptors forever after that with odd shaped windows..(never did get the spelling right tho)

About 1982 when there was much fuss around here over the new "Helicopter Carrier" being Built in verolme.. Had to see what mighty aircraft our air force would be flying from it.Got my hands on the Defence forces handbook that came out around then,read it from cover to cover. had a nice pic of the Gazelle ,A3 and Puma inside..stirring stuff..saw the Cessna Flying display in Farranfore around 83..must have been about then,but as it was a dublin thing,never saw much of them up to recently.
Didnt get my hands on an aircraft till 1988,when there was a few fougas,a kingair and the HS 125 sitting on the ramp in Cork airport. I was just coming back from a pleasure flight in an S61 then(EI BHO) and managed to go astray and pore over these fine craft.
Met one of the fine air corps photographers there. cant remember his name..I think it was Daly..

[Imshi-Yallah]

Found a page from a three year old newspaper celebrating its anniversary or something, it was blowing down Harcourt street...?

[Frank (Admin)]

Hi Guys,

I first found out about the Air Corps in 1985 when I was on a big camp (called a Jamboree?) with the Scouts in Portumna.  

There was a flypast of 3 Fouga's (pre Silver Swallows days) to open the event and during that week there was a Search And Rescue demo by an Alouette III, I've been hooked since then.

I went to my first airshow in 1989 at Baldonnel, where I took this picture, one of my first ever pictures at an airshow:



My photographic "career" started with this one photo, and it has now grown into the website you are looking at.  

Thanks for looking! '>


Regards,

Frank.

[Silver]

That must be one of the few photos of an "armed" Fouga !
Nice shot Frank.

To think - we haven't even got a Fouga now  '>

[irishsamourai]

for me the first time ,in 1988 , in the french air magazine , and the tittle was " service of ireland" .
but in french we have some time news about the iac and i  read airforcesmonthly too   '>
the website is very good and give news about iac

thank's franck