Inishbofin Airfield

ned14

It appears someone in Dublin has remembered they build a runway on Inishbofin and another near Clifden. Now they want the coastguard to buy them.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/more-than-9m-spent-on-unused-inishbofin-airstrips-1.2084109

notharrypotter

Got to ask the question but what would the coastguard need them for?

From the article they were the product of an era that is gone and will not be back anytime soon.

Looking to hide the cost in someone else's budget?

irishgeo

ned14 wrote: »

It appears someone in Dublin has remembered they build a runway on Inishbofin and another near Clifden. Now they want the coastguard to buy them.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/more-than-9m-spent-on-unused-inishbofin-airstrips-1.2084109

that airstrip looks in shocking shape.

_dof_

irishgeo wrote: »

that airstrip looks in shocking shape.

That's not the airstrip though. Thats a feature on the beach on the east of the island.
The airstrip can be seen on the satellite imagery on google maps. A fine looking runway
completely wasted in the middle of the island. Complete with 3 large Xs painted on it.

Shame its not available (officially at least) for use by private aircraft, surely it would be good for tourism to allow private aircraft owners to fly in.

Same for the runway built near Clifden.

jimbis

notharrypotter wrote: »

Got to ask the question but what would the coastguard need them for?

From the article they were the product of an era that is gone and will not be back anytime soon.

Looking to hide the cost in someone else's budget?

Probably come in handy for refuelling on taskings that are a good distance out. But for the amount of times that's needed it wouldn't be feasible.
Pity to see such a good runway go to waste.

pepe the prawn

Would be nice to see it being used for something. I suppose it's a handy place for general aviation to "practice" forced landings too........

Dolphie

I had a look at the Inishbofin Airfield on Google Maps. Is it just me or are the numbers on the runway painted the wrong way round?

_dof_

Dolphie wrote: »

I had a look at the Inishbofin Airfield on Google Maps. Is it just me or are the numbers on the runway painted the wrong way round?

haha yeah, hadn't noticed

notharrypotter

Don't think so I make it Runway 02 and runway 20.
What do you see?

By the way who was minister for the gaelteacht when the decision was made to construct the airfields?

_dof_

notharrypotter wrote: »

Don't think so I make it Runway 02 and runway 20.
What do you see?

but 02 should be on the northerly runway and 20 on the southerly one, i.e. the opposite ends to the way they are now..

notharrypotter

Will look again at map on the computer tomorrow.

FWVT

_dof_ wrote: »

but 02 should be on the northerly runway and 20 on the southerly one, i.e. the opposite ends to the way they are now..

Correct, they got them the wrong way around.

sjb25

notharrypotter wrote: »

Don't think so I make it Runway 02 and runway 20.
What do you see?

By the way who was minister for the gaelteacht when the decision was made to construct the airfields?

Éamon Ó Cuív

pepe the prawn

Anyone know what or who would be involved in having it opened for use to the GA community?

ned14

pepe the prawn wrote: »

Anyone know what or who would be involved in having it opened for use to the GA community?

I'm guessing but it would probably need to be a privately owned unlicenced airstrip to open it to the GA community. As long as the state owns it, it would likely need a licence.

barnapilot

It is costing the state €123,000 a year to maintain the controversial Galway airstrips at Inishbofin and Cleggan – on top of the €9 million it cost to construct them in the first place.

Figures revealed to The Connacht Tribune this week show that it is costing €122,754 per year to maintain the two airstrips at ‘Bofin and Cleggan.

Breaking news in the local Galway papers.

Aer Arann get this money.

How much does it cost to run Weston a year?

ned14

http://connachttribune.ie/state-pays-over-e120000-a-year-for-galways-two-e9m-idle-airstrips-098/

notharrypotter

Aer Arann get this money.

??.
Aer Arann Islands have a PSO contract from Connemara to the Arann islands.
Is there some thing published linking them to the disused airfields other than as a potential user/operator?

Only thing I can find is that its currently costing the state about €1.5 million a year to subsidies the Arann Islands service.
IRL GOV Arts Heritage and Gaelteacht.
Independent.ie 28/3/213

How much does it cost to run Weston a year

You are not comparing like with like.
Weston has over a million people on its doorstep.

Consequently a number of aviation related ancillary activities occur there.

The population in the vicinity of Inishboffin and Cleggan is never going to support anything of a similar nature.

L1011

I can find the link later, but Aer Arran Islands operate those and at least one of the Arran island airfields under contract for the state.

notharrypotter

It's my understanding that the Aer Arann Islands contract is exclusively Connemara to the 3 Arann islands only.

L1011

notharrypotter wrote: »

It's my understanding that the Aer Arann Islands contract is exclusively Connemara to the 3 Arann islands only.

Their PSO flight contract is. Their airstrip management isn't.

http://www.ahg.gov.ie/en/Islands/Subsidisedtransportservices/Subsidised%20Transport%20Services%20and%20Airstrip%20Management%20for%20the%20Islands.pdf

"Aerodromes on the Aran Islands,
Inishbofin & Clifden Bainistíocht Aerphoirt Teoranta 091 593034"

That's Aer Arann Island's phone number, and Bainistíocht Aerphoirt Teoranta is 100% owned by Galway Aviation Services Ltd which is Aer Arann Islands.

1.554M for the PSO flights and 373K for airstrip management.

Markcheese

So is it security that is their main running cost ? What exactly are they securing ? It's a strip of Tarmac ?

afatbollix

Boy racers going in for a drag strip.