De Haviland Dove

[Jetjock]

What Dove is retained? I'm assuming it's incomplete. I haven't seen that on any of my visits to the museum.

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
I think it might be a hulk that the Civil Defence used for evacuation training.
regards
GttC

[Turkey]

Hi there
I think it might be a hulk that the Civil Defence used for evacuation training.
regards
GttC

As far as I know that particular Dove was never in the Irish Air Corps....

[Jetjock]

Thanks lads, something about that vaguely rings a bell alright.

[Tony Kearns]

Hi there
I think it might be a hulk that the Civil Defence used for evacuation training.
regards
GttC

Hi GttC
The Dove held by Civil Defence is 176. the Dove ( stored, dismantled and in bad condition ) is the former civil Dove which had suffered a nose wheel landing failure at Cork many years ago. It lay out in the open for a long time.
HTH
Tony K

[Jetjock]

thanks for clearing that up Tony

[Slacker]

Interesting........
Could it be put to use by existing groups?

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
there were two Doves at Cork Airport, down where the Flying Clubs are and one of them was a drug runner's aircraft.The aircraft bellied in and the pilot legged it.Both Doves were there for years, rotting away.176 was in rag order when I last saw it.Hardly worth keeping, really.
regards
GttC

[Test Pilot]

Thanks lads, something about that vaguely rings a bell alright.

I remember that Dove. It was mounted on the roof of a building in the training area at Rathra House in the Pheonix Park. You are correct in saying that it was used by the Civil Defence for evacuation training. But I could never get it right in my mind, as to why it was on top of a house.

Come to think of it, I was short two PL259's for my ham radio once, (1979?) and located a pair in that Dove one night while waiting to be 'Rescued'! They ain't getting them back!

[Silver]

Hi there
there were two Doves at Cork Airport, down where the Flying Clubs are and one of them was a drug runner's aircraft.The aircraft bellied in and the pilot legged it.Both Doves were there for years, rotting away.176 was in rag order when I last saw it.Hardly worth keeping, really.
regards
GttC

Drug runners aircraft???

This is the first time I have read/heard of such a situation in Ireland. I have no doubt that it did/does happen...but it's rare that it ever comes to the attention of the authorities/public.

Any more info on this story? Or other such similar stories?

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
The Doves were dragged to a spot alongside what was then Joyce Aviation, on the Kinsale Road side of the airport.The Kinsale road was little more than a third-class road then and access to that side of the airport was easy, as the fence was only a little thing.The story, as I heard it, was that the drug-runner was forced to belly the aircraft in, as the gear wouldn't extend correctly.He slid to a halt on the grass and legged it, as the firemen approached, much to their dismay.they initially thought he was getting clear incase the Dove caught fire, but when he continued to run, they realised something was up.The aircraft was said to have been full to the gills with hash.
regards
GttC

[Jetjock]

Just wondering does anyone know where the Civil Defence Dove is stored? They decentralised from the Phoenix Pk HQ to my neck of the woods about a eighteen months ago.

GTTC, Joyce aviation, would they be in the region of the old Munster Club house on the Club Ramp at Cork? Possibly what is now the CHC hangar?

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
down where Southair is.
regards
GttC

[Jetjock]

Know it well. Southaer was actually taken over this week by another Cork based school. It is as they say, no more.

[Goldie fish]

The tenants of that site seem to change on a weekly basis.