Clifden Air Show and GAAW

Aerohead

Its gas when you think about this the GAAW were having panic attacks last week protesting about the Red Arrows displaying at Salthill and the fact that some of the pilots have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Clifden Air Show is on tomorrow and not a word about the pilots of the Blades display team which was set up by ex members of the Red Arrows and some of them have served in the above war zones. They only protest about anything to do with Salthill because it gets them in the news, you will not hear a word from them until next year when they will go ranting on again about military aircraft thats if any show is on next year.

Most pilots of civil display teams around the World have military service.

BillyGoatGruff

A fighter type jet just flew over me there. Anyone else see it. It was quite low. :pac:

toiletduck

GAAW being illogical?! No way! :pac:

I haven't even heard about this airshow, any more details of who'll be there?

happyoutscan

Sure how would they (GAAW) get there?

gary82

First I've heard of this too... they kept that quiet!

Found this: http://www.connemaraairshow.com/

happyoutscan

Just took some pics of that cool (bi-plane?) that went overhead, trying to figure out how to add them here if anyone can drop me a hint. Have them in a folder on my laptop.

toiletduck

Create an account on http://photobucket.com/, upload them there and put the links/images here.

Or more easily, you attach them to your post. Click on the "Manage Attachments" button beneath the text box when replying and add them from there.

gary82

Go to wthax.org , pick your file, it'll upload and give you the code to put here...
(no registration required)

happyoutscan

I've created an album on boards (I think?) so maybe this will do it. I didn't edit or zoom pics because I wanted to see if I could get them up first. If anyone wants me to zoom in etc etc etc let me know and I'll see what I can do.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/album.php?albumid=645

These work but are quite tame, i'll do the upload to photobucket or whatever.

http://omg.wthax.org/IMG_5848.jpg
http://omg.wthax.org/IMG_5854.jpg
http://omg.wthax.org/IMG_5860.jpg

Steyr

There is a Vickers Vimy out at Carnmore now, yet no protest she was a WW1 Bomber.

There are also some folland gnats part of a display team there too, these are also ex Military aircraft...

I wonder if i displayed an F15E after she had been disbanded or WFU would they still protest?

skelliser

Steyr would you know if and when that plane is returning to carnmore today or tomorrow, would love to get a pick of it

Sponge Bob

Vickers Vimy replica flew over the town a while back , cool.

happyoutscan

Hitting the surf so can only put up the couple that are above in the thread. Enjoy.

jenno86

The GAAW should fúck off and stop annoying everyone, shower of moaning cúnts. Seriously, have they nothing else to do? Do they have a website or anything?

Sponge Bob

The Vimy Bomber was deployed in Iraq AFAIK , that makes it a war machine like all the others .

skelliser

i dont think they have a site, probably cause the internet/networks were developed by the american military "war machine" back in the sixties, they also dont use computers cause they were pioneered by code breaking machine/number crunching by the british "war mongers" during/after ww2

You see nearly all inventions we take for granted these days have they're routes in the military, something the gaaw ignore.

topper75

Oh Yes! Delighted. :D

Was unaware of this but I'm going to Clifden tomorrow anyway by coincidence.

Should be great.

The GAAW have so few friends really. For the most part I am a 'mind my own business' type of guy, but on my way back to town in the sun after the Red Arrows, I saw these guys' balloon setup at Spanish Arch and heard the ranting in the megaphone. I muttered something in annoyance under my breadth and a guy standing on the Claddagh bridge spoke up and wholeheartedly agreed with me. Two other passersby said something even more vitriolic (and one of them even looked a bit hippyish ironically!). The GAAW bring out the worst in people and are an embarrassment to the city. The Red Arrows were fantastic free public entertainment and these guys pull out this ludicrously tenuous link with a morality issue. Get a life.

BTW they can tell you a lot about wars waged by UK, US, Israel. But little about any of the 30+ wars going on right now on the continent of Africa. They are a sham and should disband.

Zzippy

happyoutscan wrote: »

Sure how would they (GAAW) get there?

Hot air balloon??

dloob

There is a clifden air show?
They advertised that well.
I won't be able to make it, shame The Blades are pretty good.

I bet this would be the GAAW's favourite part http://www.connemaraairshow.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=160

Anyway I'm off the RIAT in July, the worlds largest military airshow

Aerohead

Jez GAAW really f...ked up on this they must have left Galway (Hopefully)
check out Team Viper Pilots and the Blades.
The Pilots

36,000 hours flying experience including: Over 500 displays

Red Arrows
RAF front-line fast-jet
Extensive vintage jet experience
Commercial airline operations
Chris Heames - Age 57, Squadron Leader

11,000 hours
5,500 fast jet hours
EE Lightning
F4 Phantom
Tornado
Hawk
Hunter
Gerald Williams - Age 40
1,000 hours
Hawker Hunter
Aero L-39
BAC Strikemaster
DH Vampire
DH Venom
Phil Millward - Age 39 Squadron Leader

2,600 Hours
Tornado
Hawk
Tucano
Hunter

And The Blades Pilots

The Pilots
Including the five full-time display pilots, there are eight ex-RAF, fully-qualified commercial pilots who fly passengers during The Blades' corporate flying events.

The eight Blades’ pilots have two OBEs, a Distinguished Flying Cross and a ‘Mentioned in Dispatches’ between them. With over 20,000 hours of military flying between them, their heritage is outstanding. Two of them commanded RAF Harrier Squadrons in the most exacting of circumstances (in Iraq and Afghanistan) and one of them led the Red Arrows. Six of the Blades were Harrier pilots, two were Jaguar pilots, all were RAF instructors and Blades 1 to 4 are all former Red Arrow pilots.



Display Pilots

Myles Garland – Blade 1
Dave Slow – Blade 2
Andy Evans – Blade 2/3
Andy Offer - Director/Blade 3
Mark Cutmore – Blade 4



Corporate Pilots

Chris Norton - Director
Chris Margiotta
Richard Mackintosh

Wompa1

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The Vimy Bomber was deployed in Iraq AFAIK , that makes it a war machine like all the others .

So were Hummers..I've seen one going around town without a group of protesters trying to block it. Hrumph!

vulcan57

Steyr wrote: »

There are also some folland gnats part of a display team there too, these are also ex Military aircraft...

Think you maybe mistaking the folland gnats for the Strikemasters of Team Viper.

As far as the vickers vimmy, sorry I missed that. Can't get up to Carnmore and have been keeping an eye out in case it flew over but obviously missed that as well. Shame, it was suppose to be at Biggin Hill last year but did'nt turn up on the day I was there, so this thing is jinxed with me.

Nice to see something aviation wise going on in the west and best of luck to them. Lets hope we get our own back next year.

As far as the GAAW are concerned, well, this is a very small air show but packed full of the stuff that they would be mouthing about if it was Salthill.

Steyr

skelliser wrote: »

You see nearly all inventions we take for granted these days have they're routes in the military, something the gaaw ignore.

Shhhhhhhhhh I wonder have any of them protested at Boeing or Mc Donnell Douglas or Airbus for their Military Aircraft???

Steyr

vulcan57 wrote: »

Think you maybe mistaking the folland gnats for the Strikemasters of Team Viper.

My mistake, i thought they were due.

vulcan57

Steyr wrote: »

Shhhhhhhhhh I wonder have any of them protested at Boeing or Mc Donnell Douglas or Airbus for their Military Aircraft???

Or SAAB, Ford, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Rover, etc etc for providing vehicles to armed forces all over the world.

Chris_533976

I'd have gone to Clifden for this if they'd advertised the bloody thing. I mean come on, I live in Galway, get all the free papers in the door and yet I only find out the date the day before on a forum? Ridiculous.

vulcan57

Chris_533976 wrote: »

I'd have gone to Clifden for this if they'd advertised the bloody thing. I mean come on, I live in Galway, get all the free papers in the door and yet I only find out the date the day before on a forum? Ridiculous.

I'm sorry about the fact that you didn't know about this show. I've known about it since the beginning of the year I had'nt really considered posting it. Maybe I will start an Irish airshow thread on Aircraft and Aviation and let others post any they know about.

Fracture

i think boards.ie needs an anti GAAW forum. It would be well deserved anyway!

JackyJoe

No show for the Gaaw as it might rain in Clifden, also local politican O Cuig claims to
be a proud member of the Gaaw, and that the organiser should be congratulated, as
they have kept out planes of mass descruction. Double standards or what. I'd say that
he may have had a quiet word to stop them going as Clifden and that area could do with
an injection of tourism and flag waving ballon releasing jerks will give it a bad name.Also
it is a 90 year anniversary of Alcock and Brown so it may be just a once off show.

vulcan57

JackyJoe wrote: »

No show for the Gaaw as it might rain in Clifden, also local politican O Cuig claims to
be a proud member of the Gaaw, and that the organiser should be congratulated, as
they have kept out planes of mass descruction. Double standards or what. I'd say that
he may have had a quiet word to stop them going as Clifden and that area could do with
an injection of tourism and flag waving ballon releasing jerks will give it a bad name.Also
it is a 90 year anniversary of Alcock and Brown so it may be just a once off show.

Don't they make you sick:mad: I suppose the Red Arrows are planes of mass destruction? Vickers Vimmy's were bombers in the first world war. Total double standards and selective condemnation depending on what suits them at the time.

I thought I heard jets all right - this wasn't widely advertised as far as I can see.

Fair play to Alcock and Brown.

Some of the line up:

Steyr

Deleted User wrote: »

For the benefit of people here and Niall Farrell if he is looking:pac: those tanks are actually fuel tanks and not bombs on the Hardpoints on the wings of that Strikemaster the same applies to the wingtip tanks at the end of the wings like our Fouga Magisters had.

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh god what an old pic of an Irish PC9M, that was taken in Switzerland when they were undergoing engine tests as you can see the clamp around the nose gear.

gordongekko

I saw 4 planes flying in formation near clarinbridge at around 2pm. No pics im afraid i was driving at the time.

I saw them heading east over Dunnes Terryland about 5.20?

Steyr

If it was Jets then it was the Strikemasters of "Team Viper" if it was Props then it was "The Blades"

Steyr

Steyr wrote: »

If it was Jets then it was the Strikemasters of "Team Viper" if it was Props then it was "The Blades"

They sounded like jets.

Discodog

Oh what fun & a great little airshow - well done Clifden !.

The GAAW would have been mortified !. Loads of kids trying rifles, bazookas, mortars, etc & worst of all - loving it !

The organisers clearly stated that they wanted to expand the show & suggested that it would be a regular event. They also ( are you listening Salthill ! ) had collection buckets at every escape route !

tiggergirl

Some pictures from the Connemara Air Show. Even with the rain Clifden put on a great show.

tiggergirl

more pictures

Aerohead

According to RTE News and a friend who was there there were only around a thousand people there which was very sad,

KevR

Deleted User wrote: »

I saw them heading east over Dunnes Terryland about 5.20?

Saw them flying over Westside a couple of minutes before that!

Deleted User wrote: »

They sounded like jets.

The ones I saw were jets from what I could see and hear.

Discodog

1000 spectators would be about right. It is an isolated spot that involves quite a walk. A lot of people turned back at the first shower as many didn't even have an umbrella - amazing how many don't check the weather forecast.

Chris_533976

Aerohead wrote: »

According to RTE News and a friend who was there there were only around a thousand people there which was very sad,

Again, fair play to them for putting it on, but its their own damn fault. If they'd have put any effort AT ALL into advertising it, they might have got more people. (Me for one)

I'm sure the GAAW didnt protest this because they DIDNT EVEN KNOW IT WAS ON.

Discodog

I heard an ad on the radio but that was by sheer luck. If I had not heard it I would not of known of the event. I get the impression that it will be every year & that will help spread the word. But the venue is pretty restrictive & the access road is long & narrow.

When the DF's left they met a bus - the bus gave way !. Given that heavy showers were forecast the organisers could of got the DF's to put up a couple of tents as shelters.

There were signs advertising park & ride - it's a good 20 min walk from town, but no signs directing you to the park & ride carpark. I parked in Supervalue & was surprised that the carpark was no where near full.

Like Salthill it appears that there are some local killjoys. One of the organisers told me that they do have some local opposition. Maybe they will recruit the GAAW as anti-airshow mercenaries.

Are you fed up with noisey, smelly airshows then you need the GAAW !.

PixelTrawler

Glad there is a thread on this. Went looking this morning to see if there was any mention of those idiots at the GAAW out with ballons over this show as well.

Just goes to show they are a joke

Was embarressed the day of the display with the fool with the megaphone ranting away.

You can read this article that was removed from indymedia but got cached by google - not sure why it was removed

Funny as i write these some jets just roared overhead. I guess its the strikemasters heading off.

This is the same GAAW who didnt say boo the last time a russian aircrat carrier with full complement of fighters passed very close to Irish wars

I guess its only US/UK who do evil...

vulcan57

Solyad wrote: »

not sure why it was removed

1) They don't like what it says
2) They can't take critisism because they are always right.
3) They have no decent answer to it

They remove almost everything that goes against their grain on that site.

Tzetze

A few more pics from the airshow. Click on images for larger version.

kippy

Aerohead wrote: »

According to RTE News and a friend who was there there were only around a thousand people there which was very sad,

Like many here, I didnt even know it was going to be on.
The weather probably didnt help, nor did the location but it seems more apparent that a relatively small amount of people knew about it.
Pity really as there would have been the same amount of organisation required no matter how many spectators.
Its good to see GAAW stayed away, shows them up for what they really are.

Das Kitty

Sorry peeps. I was out there last weekend and noticed this was coming up. I should have posted but didn't think to.

Clifden could really do with a bit of tourist cash.

We went down to the Marconi and Alcock and Brown site.

The Marconi was a bit of a joke, Just one wall with two plaques and a lot of sheep ****. The big egg thing that points to the Alcock and Brown crash site has an arrow with 500m on it. We set off in that direction only to be surrounded by bog and had to turn back, as we didn't have our trusty Bear Grylls dead sheep to get ourselves out of a bog hole with. Dunno why the arrow is there if there's not a safe way of getting to the site.

Fracture

The thing i dont understand about GAAW is how does stopping an airshow help the anti war movement? Maybe they should try protesting about a war instead of stopping a day out for people. Next thing we will see is them trying to stop war movies going into the omniplex :rolleyes:

biko

As I understand it they oppose the display of military weapons and planes that are piloted by men who have served in Iraq & Afghanistan. I think they equal this to families to see a marksman shoot playing cards in a distance or whatnot, a marksman who have used the same skills to shoot people.

GAAW would probably applaud a Red Bull Air Race in Salthill instead, although I haven't a clue about the RB pilots