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  • Originally posted by DeV View Post
    UN has banned troop rotations for the time being
    The UN's C34 committee have requested countries to delay them for 3 months. Legally speaking the UN cannot "ban" a sovereign state from undertaking troop repatriation if it so decides - though it would be pretty irresponsible to withdraw troops at the moment.

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    • Originally posted by DeV View Post
      Planes aren’t grounded (by authorities) there is no demand

      UN has banned troop rotations for the time being
      That's why I said four months, however it could also be used to demonstrate a need to government.

      Regarding crew, I was thinking along the lines of Jetjock's comment, there may be some Cityjet personnel (ex-IAC) willing to take temporary appointments.

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      • For the next year it will be possible to get at short notice much more suitable and modern aircraft than the RJ series. Remember the RJ series does not have the legs needed to return troops from UNIFIL. There are plenty of A320/B373's available which could do the trip and if you want there will be a large number of wide body aircraft available. No need to get temporary appointments, no need to keep rating current etc.

        As for the RJ series there were very few still flying before Covid-19 as the youngest still around is 20yrs so even the parts value is low.
        Last edited by EUFighter; 18 April 2020, 16:06.

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        • Originally posted by ias View Post
          That's why I said four months, however it could also be used to demonstrate a need to government.

          Regarding crew, I was thinking along the lines of Jetjock's comment, there may be some Cityjet personnel (ex-IAC) willing to take temporary appointments.
          If we were going to take on hand an aircraft destined for hammond lane, and fly it to demonstrate a capability first, surely there are better surplus aircraft available? Early A319 or A320? Early version B737 Aer Lingus recently even retired its B757.
          I personally always found the Avro RJ to be a piece of crap. A wide body airliner jammed into the fuselage of a narrow body commuter aircraft. Nobody is comfortable. Window seat has head jammed against the window cowl, aisle seat has only room for one elbow, if there happens to be an unfortunate sitting in the centre seat (who can only do so with arms folded). Take off and flight is an experience, as you watch the various cowls and trailing edges flutter their life away in flight. And cabin noise is something that I only slightly better than what I experienced in a AB212.
          For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

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          • Originally posted by na grohmiti View Post
            If we were going to take on hand an aircraft destined for hammond lane, and fly it to demonstrate a capability first, surely there are better surplus aircraft available? Early A319 or A320? Early version B737 Aer Lingus recently even retired its B757.
            I personally always found the Avro RJ to be a piece of crap. A wide body airliner jammed into the fuselage of a narrow body commuter aircraft. Nobody is comfortable. Window seat has head jammed against the window cowl, aisle seat has only room for one elbow, if there happens to be an unfortunate sitting in the centre seat (who can only do so with arms folded). Take off and flight is an experience, as you watch the various cowls and trailing edges flutter their life away in flight. And cabin noise is something that I only slightly better than what I experienced in a AB212.
            The BAe146/RJ was design as a 5-abreast aircraft (3-2) but a lot of airlines put 6 abreast into it and this was a tight squeeze.
            The B757's that were used by Aer Lingus actually were owned by the lessor ASL Airlines. The last B757 they have which is now stored at Shannon is 26.9yrs old so ripe for scrapping.
            There are plenty of 15-20yr old A321's stored at the moment, these have the range to easily do most missions we would require and if it is just for a demonstration then later a P2F conversion could be done to give a multi-role capability: everything on pallets- seats, medvac system or just cargo.

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            • In the May issue of Airforces Monthly page 12, there is a news article on the latest PC12 for the Irish Air Corps to break cover has just arrived in the US for modification with ISR equipment carrying the serial N281NG.

              On a separate note the Air Corps Twitter page has shared a few photos of casa 252 which this morning returned home to Dublin from Madrid, after picking up Irish troops returning to Ireland from Mali.



              The Spanish Air Force flew them out of Mali. What is the possibility of a CN235 being retained to use in a utility role such as this flight? What is the CN235's service life? Given there are C130B/E models in service that where built in the 60's it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to imagine retaining a Casa. We already own the aircraft and perhaps overhauling/replacing certain parts it would be a cost effective means to acquire a new capability.

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              • Originally posted by pilatus View Post
                The Spanish Air Force flew them out of Mali. What is the possibility of a CN235 being retained to use in a utility role such as this flight? What is the CN235's service life? Given there are C130B/E models in service that where built in the 60's it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to imagine retaining a Casa. We already own the aircraft and perhaps overhauling/replacing certain parts it would be a cost effective means to acquire a new capability.
                We could re-configure them, and we could do a cockpit upgrade to replace future obsolete equipment. Chile did a cockpit upgrade on their CN-235 a few years ago.

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                • Originally posted by EUFighter View Post
                  We could re-configure them, and we could do a cockpit upgrade to replace future obsolete equipment. Chile did a cockpit upgrade on their CN-235 a few years ago.
                  Aren't ours just back from a full upgrade?
                  For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

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                  • Originally posted by CTU View Post
                    Why do the DAA have an old B737 outside the Fire Station in Dublin Airport (in addition to the fire plane)?
                    Also it may also be useful to other DF units outside of the Air Corps.

                    Its was used by the ARW, my son was there a few years ago & got inside it. Its an old Ryanair aircraf from when they used the whole fuselage to advertise.

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                    • Don Lavery on Twitter says that 146/RJ85 at Baldonnel now will be used by the ARW to practice assaults on hijacked airliners.

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                      • Good idea. It's probably one of the smallest airliners in service. Get into that undetected and an A340 will be simples.
                        For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by EUFighter View Post
                          We could re-configure them, and we could do a cockpit upgrade to replace future obsolete equipment. Chile did a cockpit upgrade on their CN-235 a few years ago.
                          You mean Chile did a cockpit upgrade on our CN235. The one we should have kept!
                          Last edited by Jetjock; 19 April 2020, 09:12.

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                          • Originally posted by Jetjock View Post
                            You mean Chile did a cockpit upgrade the on our CN235. The one we should have kept!
                            Yes, that got upgraded with a complete new cockpit and other avionic systems recently.

                            And their Navy is still flying "our" Dauphins as well.
                            Last edited by EUFighter; 19 April 2020, 08:55.

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                            • Originally posted by na grohmiti View Post
                              Aren't ours just back from a full upgrade?
                              They did get a sensor and mission system upgrade a few years ago but I do not know if it included the cockpit and the mods need for future ATC.

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                              • Since there isn't a dedicated thread, here are pics of the RJ85 arriving at the Don.

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