Current status of the Fougas?

[Snapper]

What is the current status of the Fougas?

How many are still at Baldonnel and are any in airworthy condition?
I believe that 2 or 3 have been loaned as instructional airframes to various RTCs around the country.

cheers
Snapper '>

[Lude]

I remember on the old board there was some posts about one of the old fouga's being parked outside the gate at cork airport or something,loaned off the local I.T. I believe,but Im not sure.

[sealion]

Saw Fouga 216 today in Cork Airport,and what a sad sight it was.
It sits with a tarpaulin over the cockpit,engine exhausts plugged,tip tanks gone,on the edge of the airport perimiter.
It appears the aircraft was given to St Johns College in cork as an instructional airframe,on permanent loan as it were. However once the Air Corps learned that the college intended to dismantle this aircraft they withdrew their offer,and its future at the moment,while unknown,is at least remotely positive.
It is good to see that somebody up in the Don realises the historical value of these aircraft.

[Irish Marine]

Fougas-I miss them, they are very much part of the Irish Air Corps.  If I was in charge at the Don, I would place at least one of them in front of the gate as a display. You see this a lot in front of major air bases over here in the States. '>

[John K]

It would need a decision to be made for a gate guardian to grace the entrance to Baldonnel, the last one was the Vampire that a select few of us in the 40th appt. class painstakingly reassembled from a pile of bits in RAF colours, parked it up in front of the appt's. hostel where it stayed until there was a 'do' at the officers mess and they had it dragged around there. Over here in the UK every RAF or USAF base has a gate guardian, on the A1 there's a Harrier mounted outside RAF Wittering and very impressive it looks too. Of course it wouldn't take much to get a Fouga set up on a plinth at the main gate, just keep plugging away at the senior officers. RAF Benson has got a very impressive photo-reconnaisance Spitfire out the front. Maybe the last flight for one of the Allouettes could be the 30 second flight from the ramp to beside the flagpole!

[Lude]

Have you seen the entrance to the Don IM??!!
I don't know,I might be wrong but I doubt you could put a magister on display there,I could be wrong though.

[Lude]

I think may have over-emphasised the fact that i might be wrong!