Baldonnel visitor today

N7777G

A rare enough visitor to Ireland .....

Polish Air Force Casa 295 arrived early this afternoon

http://www.irishairpics.com/photo/1038721/M/CASA-C-295M/011/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eigjb/5157547193/

N7777G

A couple of other visitors to Casement ....

French Air Force Transall:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eigjb/3385846510/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eigjb/3493932023/

US Marine Corps Hercules:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eigjb/4411893949/

Italian Air Force C-27J:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eigjb/3469447380/

pm.

Whats the reason for using Baldonnel ??

Steyr

pm. wrote: »

Whats the reason for using Baldonnel ??

Stop overs/refuels/Nav exercises/courtesy visits the list is endless, the fact they are Military Aircraft and Baldonnel is a Military Base helps too.

xflyer

Without being flippant isn't it obvious? It is a military base. Our only military airfield. Most are training flights and it's more logical to overnight on a military base than a civil airport. Cheaper too I imagine with less security issues. I wonder does the Air Corps provide accomodation?

Often they are on a bit of a cross country tour across Europe. A perk of being aircrew.

Foggy43

xflyer wrote: »

It is a military base. Our only military airfield.

What about Gormanstown? I thought the Cessna's were still there. Come to think of it that would make these aircraft 30 years plus old now.

Steyr

Foggy43 wrote: »

What about Gormanstown? I thought the Cessna's were still there. Come to think of it that would make these aircraft 30 years plus old now.

Gormo is gone, closed in 2002. AAIU there now. Do they still have the Concrete strip/Hangers though??

Foggy43

Thank you for that info. I still shiver at the thought of the place in October November.

Absurdum

Steyr wrote: »

Gormo is gone, closed in 2002. AAIU there now. Do they still have the Concrete strip/Hangers though??

It's still an army base.

the runway is U/S nowadays, big white X's painted on it

Google Maps view

the AAIU use the hangars now afaik. Weren't they storing e-voting machines up there too? :pac:

edit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gormanstown_Camp

Camp Closure

In recent times the camp has been linked with the new deep water port at Bremore, as a possible site for container storage and or as a site for storage of construction machinery and goods to build the new port. The camp is to close in 2011 with B Company, 5 Infantry Battalion becoming B Company, 27 Infantry Battalion. Treasury Holdings Ireland Ltd are due to take control of the 261 acre site from the Department of defence in early 2012 after re-zoning of the lands by Meath county council for industrial usage in late 2011.

I'd say those plans have been knocked on the head by now

westdub

N7777G wrote: »

A rare enough visitor to Ireland .....

Polish Air Force Casa 295 arrived early this afternoon

http://www.irishairpics.com/photo/1038721/M/CASA-C-295M/011/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eigjb/5157547193/

Not so rare anymore it seems...

http://aviationireland2010.blogspot.com/2010/11/018.html

I wonder if Bal has been added to their Nav exercise route?

Steyr

westdub wrote: »

Not so rare anymore it seems...

http://aviationireland2010.blogspot.com/2010/11/018.html

I wonder if Bal has been added to their Nav exercise route?

Good site, just needs to change the Title from "Photos and news form Irish Airports" to "Photos and news from Irish Airports"

Steyr

westdub wrote: »

I wonder if Bal has been added to their Nav exercise route?

Could also be to do with the "EUFOR" markings on her, maybe doing some training with IAC/INS or Army.