Baldonnel: Should it become Dublin's second airport?

[FMolloy]

It might work well in other countries, but other countries tend to have a higher opinion of their respective militaries & give them greater consideration than that given to our DF.

I'd say business would get priority and the AC would be sidelined in their own gaff.

[ODIN]

Plus we wouldnt have to worry about lauching fighters in a n emergancy...because we don't have any!!

[average fridge door like]

no way should baldonnel become a public airport in dublin!! whats with the public wantin military ground? the same with bricins there was talk of that being sold to the public too..rubbish i think

[The Sultan]

I dont see the problem.

Plus we wouldnt have to worry about lauching fighters in a n emergancy...because we don't have any!!

Exactly. In reality, Baldonnel is just a flight school. I dont mean that in a slagging sense. I have utmost respect for the Aer Corps, its just the Govt who wont give them what they need.

So if there are no actual military fighters to scramble, whats the problem having a public airport there too?

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi all
there isn't one, except the empire-builders in the Don will stonewall it at every opportunity, despite international experience and evidence to the contrary.When it suits them, they can make it work, when it doesn't, they can bluff and duck and obfuscate with the best of them. After all, this is the organisation that brought you Larry Goodman's amazing invisible business jet...
regards
GttC

[pym]

I would assume learning to fly a high performance aircraft would be made all the harder if the pilots didnt have the airspace around baldonnel to themselves

It would also presumably mean the end of the military sector which goes up a few thousand feet - again making training operations harder

That said, alot of flying schools are based in busy airports

Personally I wouldnt be in favour of opening Baldonnel up if it was to stay the Air Corps main base

[Roger McGee]

yes but multidirectional runways are not uncommon...its worked out using the mean average of prevailing winds...but the cross wind componet of modern aircraft is high enough ..so its not really an issue

Did you make that up?
What do you mean by multidirectional runways?

Weston is probably the best option in my opinion invest a few quid and bob's your uncle.

[hedgehog]

I dont see the problem

You dont live on the flight path evidently

Personally I wouldnt be in favour of opening Baldonnel up

you dont live on the flight path

and before the accusations of NIMBY are flung at me, I bought a house, where there wasnt a civilian flight path,


anyway it is going to be a moot point

Baldonnel will be used for executive jets coming in for the Rhyder cup

Once that has been acheived successfully then Baldonnel will be used for the lucrative Commericail Jet market, this will take pressure of Dublin Airport etc etc

[DeV]

It may be a flight school, but there are weapons there, like it or not security is still a big issue.

Baldonnel would be best kept solely military as offers a secure landing site. Eg foreign heads of state and extradited prisoners (eg John Gilligan).

[Ex-soldier]

If the facility in Baldonnel was upgraded and used by civilian and military aircraft the air corps would in fact benefit the most. They would be located at the opposite side of the airport and would never come in contact with the civilian travellers. They would get all the benefits of modern airport facilities without having to pay for any of it. Their fire and ATC services would be free. The general condition of the airport would be maintained for them free. For the moron who thinks there are security issues because of weapons in the airport.....get a life. I probably have more weapons in my house than the Air Corps have in Baldonnel. There are F-16 fighters in many large US airports such as Washington Dulles, Springfield, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Chicago's O'Hare (busiest in the world) had it's own Air National Guard unit up until a few years ago. It is very common for military and civilian to be co-located. I personally taxied my Piper past a B-52 bomber in Seattle's Paine Field recently (that was interesting to say the least). Boeing builds military jets at that particular civilian airport....how about that B-52 bombers sitting at a civilian airport with no military around to protect them??

[Truck Driver]

Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv is another example of a civil/military airport...

[Ex-soldier]

Oh yeah it just dawned on me....Shannon airport originally had it's own army detachment, the remnants of which can still be seen in the small huts near the tower an area still known as "the camp". If that's not good enough how about the best example of how it can work in Ireland....RAF Aldergrove is in Belfast airport and I would imagine that they are quite secure. If there are no security issues in Belfast or Tel Aviv, I don't think Baldonnel need worry about security either!!

[Gunner Who?]

Baldonnell should be closed and the Aer Corps should be relocated to Dublin Airport.

This would result in significant financial savings in ongoing years.It would allow root and branch restructuring of the Aer Corps manpower levels. I am sure the various options were well researched by the people who prepared the PWH report so some one somewhere has the facts and figures.

Airports generally are vital installations , what better way to protect one than to have an onsite presence?

[futurepilot]

Baldonnell should be closed and the Aer Corps should be relocated to Dublin Airport.

Your taking the piss right?

[Rooster]

Oh yeah it just dawned on me....Shannon airport originally had it's own army detachment, the remnants of which can still be seen in the small huts near the tower an area still known as "the camp". If that's not good enough how about the best example of how it can work in Ireland....RAF Aldergrove is in Belfast airport and I would imagine that they are quite secure. If there are no security issues in Belfast or Tel Aviv, I don't think Baldonnel need worry about security either!!

Belfast International Airport/RAF Aldergrove = EGAA