Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Ministerial Air Transport Service

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    If the seats are coming apart obviously thats a safety issue but if they are just a bit worn I doubt it is a serious safety issue.

    Comment


    • #17
      Originally posted by Goldie fish View Post
      Has bertie lost the plot? Replace the Lear because it has no toilet?
      Odd considering a HS 125 is far smaller and is equipped with a toilet.

      Comment


      • #18
        Huge difference in cabin dimensions. The HS125 has a "walk in" cabin, the Lear has a "crawl in" cabin. It is surprisingly cramped. The HS has a max take off weight 3 metric tons greater than the Lear.

        Comment


        • #19
          The Four(skin's) interior, decorated with embossed islands of Ireland, was made to special order(allegedly by someone with very,very close connections to the Don), so it was a one-off.Gulfstream are quite right when they stated that it would be very expensive to recreate.If, as one of the newspaper pictures show, a small cabinet door is hanging off, then the techs are being absolute wasters in not fixing it.Given that I know that they work very hard in keeping it in top shape, then it smells to me that someone is engineering a desire to replace the aircraft, given that it has more flight hours than it's contemporaries.One of the papers today stated that the GIV used E5 Million in maintenance alone in 2007/08.Now, I suspect that this is lumping the fuel and other sundry consumables into the actual cost of servicing, which wouldn't cost that much unless you changed the engines.I guess the GIV will, in time honoured fashion,be sold off for small money and a replacement will be found.
          regards
          GttC

          Comment


          • #20
            Did you include chocolates and plonk in your consumables costs?


            Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

            Comment


            • #21
              perhaps if they're upset about it clocking up more hours than its contempories it shouldn't be used as a "drop me home" service by the government. In fact, why not have them use scheduled flights and trains instead? A lot of other countries send their heads of state around by scheduled flights, what's so special about our government?
              Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
              Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
              Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
              Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

              Comment


              • #22
                Originally posted by johnny no stars View Post
                perhaps if they're upset about it clocking up more hours than its contempories it shouldn't be used as a "drop me home" service by the government. In fact, why not have them use scheduled flights and trains instead? A lot of other countries send their heads of state around by scheduled flights
                Good point JNS.

                Over here 32 Squadron are flying the Royals less and less these days.

                Comment


                • #23
                  If the government had any brains they would use this oppurtunity to get rid of the gulf and buy an airbus , which airbus said would be sold to the don at a good price and have it fulfill the role of governemnt transport and also transport for the AC in a quick change configuration and come to an agreement to have it serviced along with aer lingus airbus' aircraft to save money.2birds 1 stone, it makes sense which is exactly why it wont happen.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Originally posted by pilatus View Post
                    If the government had any brains they would use this oppurtunity to get rid of the gulf and buy an airbus , which airbus said would be sold to the don at a good price and have it fulfill the role of governemnt transport and also transport for the AC in a quick change configuration and come to an agreement to have it serviced along with aer lingus airbus' aircraft to save money.2birds 1 stone, it makes sense which is exactly why it wont happen.
                    Eh...

                    Do you not remember the original "Bertie jet" debacle from a few years back?

                    The government wanted a new and larger jet

                    The media ridiculed them for it and there was public outcry, cue the "bertie jet" term, and such wonderfully witty statements as "air farce one".

                    The BBJ and an Airbus A320 deriative were mooted, but in the end they were forced to get something a lot smaller.

                    The controversy over the Cabinet decision to buy a new government jet has been raised in the Dáil.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      If they're spending €5 million a year keeping the Gulfstream flying, would it be more cost-effective to spend that money leasing something like the Airbus A319 - which could also be used as a long-range troop transport, as was mentioned earlier? Anyone know about leasing costs?

                      Could be an A319ACJ on the market in the near future: apparently the one operated by the French Air Force isn't big enough for Sarkozy (and his ego), so they're buying a secondhand A330. The DF are well in with the French, aren't they......



                      Just for comparison, this is what other countries do for VIP air transport: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_tra...and_government
                      Last edited by easyrider; 5 November 2008, 12:33.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by easyrider View Post
                        If they're spending €5 million a year keeping the Gulfstream flying, would it be more cost-effective to spend that money leasing something like the Airbus A319 - which could also be used as a long-range troop transport, as was mentioned earlier? Anyone know about leasing costs?

                        Could be an A319ACJ on the market in the near future: apparently the one operated by the French Air Force isn't big enough for Sarkozy (and his ego), so they're buying a secondhand A330. The DF are well in with the French, aren't they......



                        Just for comparison, this is what other countries do for VIP air transport: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_tra...and_government
                        My God, what a day?
                        First young BO gets elected President of the good ol' yewsssofa and then.. . . . . .
                        easyrider makes a post I can [almost] agree with.
                        "We will hold out until our last bullet is spent. Could do with some whiskey"
                        Radio transmission, siege of Jadotville DR Congo. September 1961.
                        Illegitimi non carborundum

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Originally posted by Turkey View Post
                          My God, what a day?
                          First young BO gets elected President of the good ol' yewsssofa and then.. . . . . .
                          easyrider makes a post I can [almost] agree with.
                          Oh s**t, where did I go wrong???

                          Or maybe it is the dawn of a new age.....

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Govt Ministers do use scheduled flights a lot of the time (including Ryanair). But thats less press worthy than stories about the Govt jet.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Originally posted by pmtts View Post
                              Over here 32 Squadron are flying the Royals less and less these days.
                              Only because the Royals have taken up flying themselves around

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Originally posted by Barry View Post
                                Only because the Royals have taken up flying themselves around
                                Yes and no to that question. :wink:

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X