Attention Irish Media !

[Silver]

I think it's high time we spelt out a few facts here for the Irish media regarding the Air Corps !


- It's "Air Corps" NOT "Aer Corps".

- The Air Corps operates 2 x CASA aircraft. Please stop refering to "...the Air Corps CASA.." in news reports.
It should be "...one of the Air Corps CASA's.... ".

- The Air Corps Pilatus PC-9M aircraft are NOT capable of intercepting jet airliners (unless said airliners slow down drastically to allow an intercept !).


(Other board users - Please feel free to add to the above list).

[Irish251]

At one time the King Airs were usually referred to as the "Beech King" aircraft.  References to "the Government jet" rather than bothering to specify the type are another example of lazy journalism.

In fact, in my experience almost all aviation stories in the mainstream media should be treated with a healthy suspicion.  They invariably contain inaccuracies - "a Hercules jet" is one of the regular ones, even when acompanied by photos showing the prominent propellors on the type.

[sealion]

Quote (Short finals @ 29 Oct. 2004,20:22)

At one time the King Airs were usually referred to as the "Beech King" aircraft.  References to "the Government jet" rather than bothering to specify the type are another example of lazy journalism. In fact, in my experience almost all aviation stories in the mainstream media should be treated with a healthy suspicion.  They invariably contain inaccuracies - "a Hercules jet" is one of the regular ones, even when acompanied by photos showing the prominent propellors on the type.

I remember in the 80s regular mention of the "Army Beechcraft Helicopter"

[futurepilot]

Quote (Short finals @ 29 Oct. 2004,20:22)

They invariably contain inaccuracies - "a Hercules jet" is one of the regular ones, even when acompanied by photos showing the prominent propellors on the type.

'> I love that one.

[Irish251]

Another regular one is referring to any paved part of an airfield as the runway, as in "we walked across the runway to board the plane", which could be rather dangerous if it was accurate! '>

[FMolloy]

Most journos get very lazy when it comes to reporting on the the DF & matters of defence. I know of two articles which used comments in IMO as the basis of their stories!

[Silver]

In the Sunday World magazine today, there is a feature article on women in the defence forces.

Naval Service is spelt - "navel service" and an AC Lt. is quoted as having flown "Dauphin 245...Marchetti 226 and a Gazelle" - as if she had only ever flown these specific aircraft (245 and 226) ??!!

......but, for a change, "Air Corps" is spelt correctly !!  :'>

[202]

A sharp sub-editor would say ' an Air Corps CASA' rather than ' one of the Air Corps CASA's' which is a tad clumsy.  

The 'Government jet' is a perfectly adequate description of the aircraft in a non-technical publication -- whether its a Lear Jet or a Gulfstream is of no importance in a statement such as ' Mr Ahern flew at short notice to Brussels in the Government jet'.  

Obviously if the type of jet is in some way relevant to the story then the type should be mentioned; eg. 'the Government's Gulfstream executive jet broke down at Shannon today delaying the Minister for Defence for two hours' etc

As regards typographical errors among the funnies is a misprint in a mid-Leinster newspaper which, in giving a report of an Army shoot, used the title ' Sub-machine buns' ...

[sealion]

I see Ireland on Sunday excelled itself yet again in dragging up an old story(Probably from IMO or Here) about the RAF Puma that was "daubed with Graffiti" in baldonnel(I believe it was done in crayon or chalk,or maybe even just written in the dust..) back in March.
What kind of editor approves a "news article" from an unnamed source?

[John K]

Just a little aside, about the RAF Puma that got defaced, my mate used to be in the Fleet Air Arm and he said that if a visiting helicopter was unguarded for any length of time they used to set to it with paint spray! Letting the visitors know in no uncertain terms whose unit had done it!