Transport Aircraft

Lovely piece of kit. Could do with one or two more of them in my opinion.

Well there we are then. Sure the wind of the word was enough for the scholar !

Not to worry they have 3 more.

If only there was some sort of aircraft that could be bought that could get there in less than 5 stops or could fly non stop!

Not if they're sitting on the tarmac in Africa 😎

What's the range of the new casa's ?

Going back to collect gear…..What equipment needed to be repatriated I wonder.

From my rough maths…

the aircraft can carry approximately 2,700 lbs of fuel. A 10 leg return trip if what I’m interpreting is correct ?

so roughly 27,000 lbs of fuel say… you are paying for fuel plus it’s uplift each time.

would it not be cheaper and safer to buy the gear again ?

As mentioned its their weapons, ammo, comms gear and such, remember last time we had this situation we left the equipment with a "friendly" nation to hold onto/whatever with them, guess this time that was deemed the wrong approach but someone forgot to ensure clearances for the return leg with weapons onboard.

In terms of usage, between the flights for Covid and everything else we are certainly putting hours on the fleet, which again makes you wonder why the fifth one was turned down? And of course highlights the gap of anything with "strategic" reach.

Ah sparky do you not remember they had no where to park the 5th PC12!!

So we had to leave this beautiful piece of kit in the capable hands of the Ugandan Air Force!

"In due course"

This 'due course' has been identified for decades, ever since the Government began committing the DF to ever more dangerous peace enforcement and training missions in conflict zones, where being dropped off and picked up by an Aer Lingus 757 every six months, simply does not cover the logistical and military needs of such missions, specifically unforeseen emergency departures from unsecured locations and / or with live fire in the area.

The utter failure by the civil and military authorities to address this glaring need, amounts to negligence in my opinion.

There should be a tactical military transport on-stand in Baldonnell, today, and every day there is not one, is one more indictment.

That wouldn't really solve the problem, even on an interim basis.

Both examples are very old, not strengthened and protected for tactical operations and have only 75% the range of a modern twin lifter like the C-27J or 60% the range of the C295 successor.

Too much money, for too little utility.

In fact, if I were the Air Corps seniors, I wouldn't give the DoD monkeys the satisfaction of suggesting it as a stop gap, they'd surely seize on it and consider it solved.

Are the pair of former Jordian 295s still sitting in seville?

Not sure you can compare the situations, I mean the P60 class procurement started well before he was CoS from memory and P64 had mixed reasons for procurement. While as you say the AC limitations have been exposed, is it enough to nudge the politicians? Given some of the mixed comments in some of the reporting so far I’m going to wait and not get any hopes up.

I imagine the first thing Sean Clancy wants out of the Commission report, is the position of Chief of Defence.

Something that a) I wouldn't hold against him in the slightest and b) the Government should not kick down the road as has been indicated.

Interesting day out for the air corps piliots

https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3139404/irish-air-corps-visits-20th-air-force/