Airbus C-295 to replace Casa C-235

Grassy Knoll

You can be sure this aircraft will provide great service to the state over the next few decades, like the current CASAs it will be run virtually into the ground (or is it the air??) … indeed it will probably be the case we could use more, and perhaps with a greater military utility, but you have to start somewhere

Dohvolle

3 is 50% more than what we currently have. It may also underline the usefulness of having 4, as we do with the PC12. Even numbers are good.

An old military logistics phrase says "2 is 1, and 1 is none".

When an aircraft is down for inevitable maintenance, you need an alternative.

Grassy Knoll

West coast maritime surveillance should in a rational world is already, and should become even more important for us in the years ahead … obviously the current fisheries, drugs, coast guard activity piece, but if all the big talk about off shore wind and sub sea cables and their strategic impact for the EU etc comes to pass, a lot more time will or should be patrolling those assets … pulling what is already a limited number of aircraft off to do other (albeit important) taskings in terms of transport etc elsewhere is a load of cod … we either do the thing right and put the resources into it or just do as we have done for ever -hope we get lucky and the Brits out of their own national keep an eye on ours … so I agree buy two, even a decent second hand craft could be picked up for handy money.

getoutadodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120292428#Comment_120292428

Why not do all of these tasks with drones. A lot cheaper and more effective. No?

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120304432#Comment_120304432

no

roadmaster

Well its a good job the 295s are not to far away

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/2023/03/04/two-air-corps-aircraft-out-of-service-following-crash-at-casement-aerodrome/

Sierra Oscar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120312033#Comment_120312033

Terrible. How long are the repairs likely to take?

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120312337#Comment_120312337

Repairs won't begin until the investigation is complete.

roadmaster

I would say who ever took the photos that are floating around online will be looking for a new job shortly

thomil

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120312337#Comment_120312337

I saw some of the images over on another website. Looks like the PC-12 involved, 283, is going to need a completely new horizontal stabiliser. The electronics/sensor pod on top of the vertical stabiliser seems to be undamaged though, at least to my untrained eye. The CASA seems to have come off lightly by comparison.

EchoIndia

At least with a fleet of four PC-12s, disruption to operations should not be too significant. The IT's use of the term "crash" is inappropriate in an aviation context, IMO.

roadmaster

Would there be insurance on the aircraft or does the repair bill just come out of the O&M Budget?

Larbre34

Somebody needs their ****in ass kicked.

And I don't just mean the crew performing the tow. Somebody needs to get in there and see if staffing is affecting safety margins. I make no accusations, I have heard no such stories and I have no information on the collision, but simply driving a plane under tow into another plane, just should not be happening if procedures are tight.

EchoIndia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120313472#Comment_120313472

The State self-insures, i.e. it picks up the cost from the public purse.

jonnybigwallet

Lucky they bought the 4th one. Should minimise the effect on operations until repairs are carried out.

Larbre34

This former Member probably got somebody disciplined or worse by sharing internal photos, but sure seeing as they are now in the public domain...

https://twitter.com/patrick39477065/status/1631945868537372673?s=19

Dohvolle

Question needs to be asked why was it going into the hangar in the first place on a friday afternoon/evening.

The weather is pretty settled at present, if it was for maint, who in the Air Corps does maint at weekends?

EchoIndia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120313877#Comment_120313877

That's immaterial, surely, unless there was insufficient space in the hangar for the PC-12 to be safely towed in.

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120313941#Comment_120313941

On the contrary, it is very much material. Nobody else insists on putting all their aircraft in a hangar every night. What was the reason the aircraft were being towed in there in the first place?

It's a secure ramp.

EchoIndia

Drive by any RAF base (barring where the largest types are based) at the weekend and see how many aircraft are left outside.

jonnybigwallet

Well..that's the government's excuse for not buying any F16's or Gripens. They'll say the AC haven't got the wit to operate such a pricey and powerful bit of kit.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120313877#Comment_120313877

Best time to do maintenance is when there is scheduled to be less operational demand for the airframe. The same in every airport the world over. Might have been work that required a hanger.

taxpayers hit with a significant bill, negligence of the highest order is correct. There should be wing walkers / guides persons used for any manoeuvre that involves an aircraft being towed into a big, medium or in this case, small hangar.

the tug driver should inspect the facility that he is bringing the aircraft to ensure the area is free of obstacles or crash hazards.

Larbre34

Thats exactly my concern. Were there the requisite number of crew working the repositioning and if not why not and if so, how did this happen at walking speeds?

What fell down, the training, lighting, equipment failure, human error?

Manic Moran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120314045#Comment_120314045

Oh, I don't know. I was hanging around an Apache battalion the other day, and at close of business, they had pulled all the aircraft into the hangar. Indeed, to get them all to fit, the rotor blades had to be detached and placed on the ground next to them. Weather was fine. I asked about all the extra effort of pulling the blades off, the response was to the effect of "It's easy, doesn't take much time" (Hangar has an overhead traveling crane)

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120314390#Comment_120314390

That's for a different reason though.

roadmaster

It was pretty low my the person to post the photos talk about throwing lads under the bus

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120314576#Comment_120314576

We don't do weekends here. Not enough techs. If you did need to bring it indoors for maint, you wouldn't be squeezing it under the wing of an aircraft already indoors.

roadmaster

If they want to hanger all aircraft would they just not build extra Hangers. They are not that hard to build

EchoIndia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120317873#Comment_120317873

Hangars are a bigger proposition than hangers.

Grassy Knoll

When are the new planes arriving, I thought the first was in March … if so I presume they are imminent?