Am I insane? :D

Duffman · 24-05-2003 2:22pm #1

Hrm... just sitting here staring out my skylight to escape study-related boredom....

Something odd just happended... 6/7 fighter jets flew low overhead in formation.... They were moving very, very quickly so I couldn't see any markings but they were grey.... not Irish anyway..

in Dublin btw... anyone know what's going on... or am I insane..? Anyway... back to productive study... yes....

[Iramus] · 24-05-2003 2:26pm

could be the study gettin to yer head?

...or the red coats are a comin':ninja:
You on northside or southside?

Duffman · 24-05-2003 2:28pm

southside.... lol no, other ppl heard them....

PhilipMarlowe · 24-05-2003 2:35pm

Could they have been the silver swallows? Like did they look like they were fighting type planes or aerobatic?

Duffman · 24-05-2003 2:39pm

Hrm... they were moving very, very fast so it's hard to say.... I didn't notice any of the orange/red markings that they usually have.... I'd say they were sort of like those Mirage jets....

It's a wonderful excuse to take a break from the LC Irish course anyway... methinks

Mixie · 24-05-2003 2:41pm

I was sure I heard something similar on the Northside earlier, but by the time I got to a window whatever it was was long gone...

[Iramus] · 24-05-2003 3:15pm

yeah obviously some airshow, went out for a look, didnt hear or see anythin tho

Amz · 24-05-2003 3:37pm

There was some air display above Lansdowne Road today for the Heineken Cup final apparently... I reckon that's where they were headed.

Gordon · 24-05-2003 4:17pm

Yeah, the exact same thing happened to me and my mate, we heard a whoosh and looked up and missed them, just off Oconnell St. They were really low judging by the smoke trail, so low in fact I was curious if they were close to the top of the dirty needle. dirty needle, thats my new name for it now.

I went up to a woman standing on the street and asked her if she saw or heard them and she didn't. Got us more confused when she said that!

ferdi · 24-05-2003 4:21pm

yeah i heard something of the kind earlier

honeymonster · 24-05-2003 4:23pm

I live beside Lansdowne and I heard something aswell, thought I was goin crazy from all that study

Pigman II · 24-05-2003 4:25pm

Originally posted by Amz
There was some air display above Lansdowne Road today for the Heineken Cup final apparently... I reckon that's where they were headed.

Yep, I can confirm that. The dude doing commentary on RTE said there was seven of them doing a flyover to celebrate the final.

aidan_dunne · 24-05-2003 4:46pm

Well, it wouldn't have been the Silver Swallows because those planes (Fouga Magistars) were taken out of service by the Air Corps years ago. They currently don't have any jet fighters/trainers in service.

Seeing as they were French teams playing in the rugby final, I'm guessing that it might have been the French Air Force putting on a display with their jets. Their display team used to use Alpha jets (French equivalant of the Hawks that the British Red Arrows use) but I'm not too sure if they still do. If not, it was probably Mirages or some of their new Dassault Rafales.

Pigman II · 24-05-2003 5:06pm

RTE-dude said it was the red arrows.

aidan_dunne · 24-05-2003 5:31pm

Well, if the original poster said the jets were grey that means the RTE commentator was wrong because the Red Arrows jets are, well, red!

Hence the name.

Gordon · 24-05-2003 10:29pm

I mentioned to my mate that it could have been the red arrows and he guffawed at the thought of the British air force flying over Oconnell St!

Calibos · 24-05-2003 10:45pm

Well, it wouldn't have been the Silver Swallows because those planes (Fouga Magistars) were taken out of service by the Air Corps years ago. They currently don't have any jet fighters/trainers in service.

And wont either seeing as we've just decided to arm our entire air force (Well 6 planes has always been our entire air force) with Czech Turbo Prop trainers (like the germans had in WW2!):rolleyes::rolleyes: .

"None a dem new fangled jet plane thingies for de oirish Air Corps No Sir! "

They definatley haven't a hope of intercepting even a 737 heading for Liberty Hall. (Irelands 12 storey equivelent of a 112 storey skyscraper) We'll still have to rely on the UK to defend our airspace just like the RAF already have to save half of those in distress off our coasts with their Seaking Helicopters cause....

"A jaysus, sure were a small country with a small population and we can't afford de helicopter pilots and de ground crews, and sure didn't we find out wit de Garda Copter dat cause of a law from 1898 or sometin', dat only military pilots can fly dem and we can pay dem peanuts loike, but der aren't enough of dem cause we pay dem peanuts and de civilian pilots cost too much loike.............

Yes I have a big chip on my shoulder!!:D

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I guess this post should be in the "If you could, would you leave Ireland" Thread!!

phoenix2181 · 25-05-2003 1:29am

I could have sworn i heard a supersonic boom about 3.30 today.... i was sittin at the computer & heard a deafing boom overhead...i thought it was illegal for planes to go supersonic over build up areas

SantaHoe · 25-05-2003 2:53am

That's the second surreal thing that's happened today...
Earlier I was watching a program on Discovery channel about air-force pilots, g-forces and so on... next thing I hear a loud rumbling, and look out the window... a tight 'V' formation of show-planes goes pi5sing over the house.
Thought I was focking losing it, seriously.
Must have been an air-show on somewhere.

Snowball · 25-05-2003 6:50am

Dust, I would notmally have said yes but I botherd to read the post so no. I say them 2.

Licksy20, I dont think so. If I remember right they were pretty much all red

Dont Ban Me · 25-05-2003 1:54pm

That happened me before, was at home and heard a massive roar, like thunder ran outside to see fighter jets flying over, about 20 or so in the space of about an hour! It was class, got a few pics too.
That was a couple years ago in Waterford.

Barry Aldwell · 25-05-2003 2:28pm

Originally posted by aidan_dunne
Well, it wouldn't have been the Silver Swallows because those planes (Fouga Magistars) were taken out of service by the Air Corps years ago. They currently don't have any jet fighters/trainers in service.

I think that we still have a few Magisters in storage, that we wheel out when there's something important happening. I'm not sure about that, though. I could check, but I'm too lazy to make the phone calls.

aidan_dunne · 25-05-2003 3:13pm

Originally posted by Snowball
Licksy20, I dont think so. If I remember right they were pretty much all red

Okay, if they were red that probably makes them the Red Arrows but that wasn't a sonic boom that people heard because the Hawk is not a supersonic jet. They make a hell of a lot of noise but not a sonic boom. Besides, phoenix2181 is right. Jets aren't allowed go supersonic over built up areas (well, technically they are but they have to be flying really high to avoid causing any damage - you're not going to see them doing Mach 1+ at 500 feet!) because you'd end up with broken windows for miles around!

Originally posted by Barry Aldwell
I think that we still have a few Magisters in storage, that we wheel out when there's something important happening. I'm not sure about that, though. I could check, but I'm too lazy to make the phone calls.

Like you Barry, I'm not 100% sure myself on the current state of the Magistars but I do know they have at least 1 still in storage that they wheel out for static ground displays and that kind of thing. Like I said, they are no longer in active service but you could be right that they might have just that one or a couple still airworthy enough that they use for the odd display or "special occasion" kind of thing. I very much doubt, though, that it was them flying over Lansdowne Road yesterday. Besides, Pigman II said that the RTE commentator said there were seven jets and the Air Corps only ever had six Magistars.

What we really need to do is to buy a couple of old F16's off the US. They have a whole $hitload of the original A models out in that "airplane graveyard" out in the desert that are still perfectly airworthy. Then, at least, we might not have to employ the services of the RAF to defend our airspace. Christ, it's bad enough when half the time they have to call in RAF Sea Kings and Nimrods to do search-and-rescue for us! Bloody disgrace is what it is! :mad:

Calibos · 25-05-2003 3:14pm

They're in storage cause we've run out of parts for them. The French don't have any parts for them cause the french stopped making them in 1957! We used to get parts from other countries that used them like the Democratic Republic of Banania:D but they upgraded to F15's in the 70's. So we had to start cannabilising (sp?) the 8 we had for spare parts. ie mothball 2 or 3 to keep the other 5 or 6 going.:rolleyes:

NB Only one of the above facts is fiction.:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

ballooba · 25-05-2003 3:26pm

Originally posted by Calibos

They definatley haven't a hope of intercepting even a 737 heading for Liberty Hall. (Irelands 12 storey equivelent of a 112 storey skyscraper) We'll still have to rely on the UK to defend our airspace just like the RAF already have to save half of those in distress off our coasts with their Seaking Helicopters cause....

"A jaysus, sure were a small country with a small population and we can't afford de helicopter pilots and de ground crews, and sure didn't we find out wit de Garda Copter dat cause of a law from 1898 or sometin', dat only military pilots can fly dem and we can pay dem peanuts loike, but der aren't enough of dem cause we pay dem peanuts and de civilian pilots cost too much loike.............

Muppet. Half the Irish Air Sea Rescue is contracted to a Scottish company anyway.

Barry Aldwell · 25-05-2003 4:01pm

Originally posted by aidan_dunne
What we really need to do is to buy a couple of old F16's off the US. They have a whole $hitload of the original A models out in that "airplane graveyard" out in the desert that are still perfectly airworthy.

We could also buy a few old transports and refurbish them. We could get 4 decent jets for half the price of what the government want to pay for a BBJ.

Tiesto · 25-05-2003 5:20pm

i think i can settle this guys.

i was just taking the kid for a spin,
you know how it is

Calibos · 25-05-2003 9:18pm

Muppet. Half the Irish Air Sea Rescue is contracted to a Scottish company anyway.

Who are you calling a muppet and why???

ballooba · 25-05-2003 10:46pm

Situations where a British Navy helicopter are needed are generally not our responsibilty as the Irish Territorial waters only extend 200 miles off shore at most. The Sikorsky helicopter has a range of 200 meaning that our own aircraft can cover our territorial waters.

When we are contracting most of the Sea Air Rescue to a Scottish company what is wrong with renting a helicopter off the Brits when demand exceeds supply? Why would we waste money by having a helicopter sitting in a hangar that is idle most of the time?

ballooba · 25-05-2003 10:49pm

BTW the Dauphin helicopter based at Finner Camp has a range of 519 miles.

woosaysdan · 26-05-2003 10:53am

found this it might be of interest
irish air force

Divine · 27-05-2003 4:33pm

dublin knackers!:rolleyes:

Am I insane? :D

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