New Lear Jet arrives

[Victor]

Originally posted by Goldie fish
I se in Ireland on Sunday that the G4 which was on its last legs all year is now being used all the time by bertie..

They replaced the legs and reupholstered the interior - Bertie thinks he's flying in the new plane.

The specification of the new aircraft looks very impressive.Perhaps it could be fitted with a vickers and used in a air defence role.

[Bailer]

WSAS = White Shiny Aeroplane Syndrome, It's bound to have that lovely white paint scratched almost immediately!!. Probably by one of the Pilots scraping off the doorway on the way in!!

I heard at the weekend that they have damaged the plane already in the hanger?? is that true?

[Goldie fish]

I se in Ireland on Sunday that the G4 which was on its last legs all year is now being used all the time by bertie..

Surely this cannot mean that he was lying...

[faughanballagh]

Sweet, the Learjet's first pilot has my last name. :xlol:

[sledger]

Cabinet split will not be physically possible in our new jet

Cabinet split will not be physically possible in our new jet
Frank McNally
Irish Times

It has no jacuzzis, no gold taps, and hardly enough room to swing a cat. In fact, after months of speculation about the excesses it might involve, the downsized Government jet was a downright disappointment when it was formally unveiled at Casement Aerodrome yesterday.

Almost everything about the new plane speaks of modesty, up to and including the fact that ministers will have to bow their heads while standing in it.

Even at that, it will be a tight fit for some.

At €8 million, it cost €1 million per seat, which makes it more expensive than any general election. But its cramped aisles will be unkind to any minister who exceeds the quota, as it were. On the plus side, the plane has insufficient space for a Cabinet split, either.

The LearJet 45 stood side by side yesterday with the official Government jet, the mechanically troubled 10-year-old Gulfstream IV. And from a money-conscious Government's point of view, the two aircraft complemented each other nicely.

The new jet looked tiny compared with the older plane. But the Lear's gleaming leather and wood surfaces make the Gulfstream's interior look like a railway carriage on a bank holiday special between Mallow and Killarney.

The cockpits too provide a stark contrast. The Lear's is all computer graphics, while the Gulfstream's has more knobs and dials than a 1950s Sputnik. So in placing them side by side for media inspection, the Government may have been subtly restating the case - suspended since July - for a long-term replacement for the bigger jet.

In the meantime, it has opted to replace only the secondary State plane, the five-seater Beechcraft turbo-prop used since 1980. But apparently expecting a media onslaught about the extravagance involved in the LearJet, the Minister for Defence was in fighting form when he arrived to inspect it.

This was not a day for "chickening back" or "begrudgery", Mr Smith declared. Ireland was not some "half-baked" country. It had a €40 billion economy, and if politicians were "nervous or afraid to do what needs to be done for Ireland, they shouldn't be there".

A few journalists might complain about the "luxury", he added, but it was the Government's job "to lead".

When it was put to him that, on the contrary, the plane seemed a bit on the small side, and ministers might be embarrassed getting out of it on upmarket foreign airstrips, he was equally unabashed. The LearJet was "used by governments all over the world", he said.

Among the welcoming committee yesterday were three of the flight attendants (there's only room for one at a time on the new plane), their blue uniforms matching everybody's face colour at a bitterly cold Baldonnel.

Also present was Comdt Séamus McCormack, who flew the plane from the US last week.

In keeping with its short-hop capacity, he had to take the long way around the Atlantic, putting down in Newfoundland and Iceland en route. But he praised the new plane's fuel efficiency and all round handling, which was "far more advanced" than the Gulfstream.

Mr Smith also suggested that the jet was a symbol of ever-growing North-South co-operation, with "more than 50 per cent" of it made in Belfast.

Critics would say that a majority of the Good Friday Agreement was made in Belfast too. No doubt the Government will be hoping that at least one of them can stay in the air.
:xlol:

[Bailer]

It's time to step out and not have Ireland chickening out and being afraid to show itself off."

Well whup de doo, How about some JETS that are combat capable and some MLH's to show ourselves off!!

"It's time to show ourselves (the Govt,) and show the rest of the world how to make a mockery of the Defence Forces."

Wonder what the 25m or so from Clancy will go on... a luxury Yacht for Bertie and Co? Sorry I meant to say minesterial Naval transport!!

[andy]

Santa comes early for State with delivery of new €8m jet

Santa comes early for State with delivery of new €8m jet
Melanie Finn
The Irish Independent
23-Dec-2003
*******************************
Defence Minister Michael Smith meets chief pilot on the Government's new jet Comdt Seamus McCormack yesterday when it went on show. Below, the old and the new jets. Pics: Donal Doherty

THE Government proudly showed off its latest purchase yesterday - delivered just in time for Christmas.

Costing €8.4m, the new Learjet 45 aircraft drew much approval when it was unveiled to the Irish media on a bitterly-cold day at the Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.

The state-of-the-art eight-seater executive jet will form part of the ministerial air transport fleet and will be primarily used by government ministers and their guests for quick hops to Europe.

Although surprisingly snug, the lavish interior boasts cream leather seats, fold-out tables and comes complete with three female flight attendants - all corporals in the Irish Air Corps.

Designed to replace the 23-year old Beechcraft aircraft, it is certified to operate at altitudes of up to 51,000ft. It travels above civilian traffic and can fly for 2,000 nautical miles in one trip.

Defence Minister Michael Smith defended splashing out on the aircraft and said it was an "essential tool" for leaders of a thriving country about to assume the EU presidency.

"This will help the Government run its business much more efficiently. It's very much in the public interest," he said.

Clearly irked by suggestions it was nothing more than a government extravagance, he said it was a "symbol of a changing Ireland. It's time to step out and not have Ireland chickening out and being afraid to show itself off."

For those who have not looked on Franks site.... Pic taken by Tony Kearns

[Johnny2Stripes]

faughanballagh that russian guy is Mickeal Vladislav. He has been working with the IDF for several years now to perfect our nuclear program...but dont tell anyone - its top secret!:xlol:

[faughanballagh]

My guess was that it was designed to whisk Bertie and crew away when outnumbered Gardai succumb to the protestors and whatnot, but yeah that works too goldie. :xlol:

[Goldie fish]

The minister tried to explain it all here

For the next six months, Ministers, Ministers of State and their officials will be obliged to attend literally hundreds of meetings across Europe, while at the same time, trying to manage their Departments and deliver for Ireland.

Replacements for the Kingair were due,and capacity wise the Lear is about the same,if slightly smaller. I think the idea was to have something for the short hops to London,Brussels etc,for the more Junior ministers,while the G4 is "needed" for the More senior departments...
I would prefer they use the lear than the Casa though. And the lear is still much better than Berties original plan of a BBJ(737) or A319

Its the lesser of 2,or 3 evils..
Now that the Government are happy with their shiny new air taxi,the rest of the air corps can get back to rebuilding itself as a proper Military air arm....
It could happen...:xlol:

[faughanballagh]

Is it just me or did the army (well I'm guessing since it's green) guy in the video look like he was wearing a USSR uniform?

Ya know, with the 8.5 mil spent on that, you coulda gotten a second hand F-5. And tell me why it's "necessary" when you already have an airworthy Gulfstream parked at the ramp.

[Goldie fish]

(16:45) The new €8m Government jet has arrived at Baldonnel and will go into full use in the New Year. The Minister for Defence, Michael Smith, said it was not a luxury item, but a necessary tool for the EU presidency.

The new eight-seater Learjet 45 flew into Casement Aerodrome over the weekend, and was inspected this afternoon by the Minister and the Chief of Staff, Lietenant-General Colm Mangan.

The Learjet replaces a 23-year-old Beechcraft.


The main Government jet, the 14-seater Gulfstream, remains in operation.

50% of the new jet was made in Belfast by Bombardier Aerospace.

The new aircraft can operate at 51,000 feet, has cruise speeds of over 500mph, and flies 2,000 miles without refueling.

It cost €8.5m, but the Government say it will not cost the taxpaayer a penny extra as it is being funded by savings from the Defence budget


See the clip

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