Finner Camp runway status?

[Silver]

What is the current situation re Finner Camp runway ?

Is it being utilised nowadays since the Dauphin ops finished ?

Has any PC-9M landed there ?

[Fouga]

i know a cessna can land there but PC9M?

[Frank]

The runway in Finner, as far as I'm aware, was never designed to handle anything much bigger that a Cessna, it's not a very long runway.  The runway, along with the strip in the Curragh, were built to operate Army Co-Operation flights (open to correction here).

I don't have the runway length of Finner or the landing / take off distances of the PC-9 to hand, any one out there able to help?


Regards,

Frank.

[FiannaFail]

Frank is 100% correct on this one.
FiannaFail

[Lude]

The runway at Finner is now out of use, it has two large white crosses painted on it to signify this.And yea, it's tiny!!

[Silver]

What a waste !

Defies logic not to keep it operational, if only for occassional use by the Cessna's for para or border patrols, for the GASU Defender or the PC-9M when on cross-country missions.

IMHO, It should even be extended if necessary.

BTW, can't the PC-9M land on grass strips as well ?
(I recall, during the tendering process, that the Super Tucano definitetly could do so)

[Guinness]

To my knowledge the Slovenian AF together with the Swiss did some testing with grass-strip landings.

I know the PC-6 and PC-7 can, so why not the PC-9?

Guinness

[matt_k]

The runway at finner was only upgraded a few years ago. It was re surfaced and new lighting was installed. It does seem like an awful waste.. Although, DF personnel serving there use it as a race track believe it or not  '>

[pilatus]

if its any help there have been cessnas flying over letterkenny alot recently.the last flight over was yesterday at 1.30pm and there were 2flights last week!maybe they land in finner for fuel?perhaps?as the runway is for the cessnas and they flying about up here then maybe they using it?

[nibog]

Runway's ok- but.... No Fire crew, No Landings

(except in emerg)

[Guinness]

Nibog,

welcome on board !!!

No ATC---------------> No landings
No technical support--> No landings
No fire-crew----------> etc, etc, etc

What is the operational status of Finner Camp anyway?

Is it an army barracks or totaly deserted?

Guinness

[Frank]

Finner Camp is a fully operational army barracks, it was there long before the Air Corps arrived, the runway & helipad were built on available land.  

The runway & pad are right beside a firing range, it's on more than one occassion I & my unit had to suspend firing while the heli landed or took off.  Unfortunately I never saw a 172 operating from the strip.

[Silver]

I didn't know that you were once in the Army, Frank ?

....or was it the FCA ?

[Frank]

Hi Silver,

I'm with an RDF unit based in Galway, that's how I managed to get the pictures of the Dauphin's last day in Finner, I was on annual camp there at the time.


Regards,

Frank.

[John K]

We used to use the runways at Baldonnel as a racetrack! We got chased by the RIV (very fast Fire truck!) once for not getting permission during lunchtime for an ad hoc 350cc 2 stroke v 400 4 stroke burnout, well how were we to know that a Beechcraft was coming in to land? Very inconsiderate, spoiling our fun! We hid the 'bikes in Flying Wing block but they'd got my reg (yeah, I was slowest!) and I got summond to the tower for a bollocking! A week later Mo was killed. RIP