Air Corps SAR

It's long been said that DAA would like to be rid of executive jet movements also. They can account for fifty movements a day, often park for days at a time and also the aircraft themselves are getting ever larger. The western ramp area that most now use could probably be better utilised but there's no alternative at the moment. I think the SAR base issue has to be looked at in this context. It's not a completely standalone issue.

They just highlighted the fact they're a pack of lazy f***s.

Roughly 1.5 busts per month currently. Using this as a basis for extrapolating future busts (forgetting Weston is a leisure/teaching airport, busts go hand in hand with these locations, and then comparing it to professional pilots).

They usually have 2 controllers there, similar to Solent Radar in the UK, which deals with roughly 100 busts per year, while deconflicting departing and arriving traffic from Bournemouth and Southampton, liaising with Farnborough, and coping with numerous private airfields and 3 military areas. My heart bleeds for them when they have to deconflict a helicopter from 2 or 3 aircraft in touch and go pattern.

They complain the wrong ref map was used, as the IFR "touches" their (not always active) R zone airspace.

Why isn't this highlighted for the numerous private jets in and out recently.

The same airspace is transited for mountain and some west coast ops, why is it not an issue now?

Majority of OPS are along the coast (i.e. away from Bal restricted airspace).

If they are that concerned, simply liaise with ATC over the phone before take off, contact Bal tower for direct deconfliction, or use Dublin tower to allow radar service around the restriction zone.

Bal Tower are notorious for not answering the phone though… "too busy"

Nothing more valid than the speculation you see on here too.

Ultimately the Dept of Transport will have a word with all concerned and say 'the decision has been made here, now make it happen or face the consequences'

Did they? Well colour me shocked.

The Dept of Transport will pay the planning contribution, and there can't be any more objections, only the Court challenge you mention to seek a judicial review. And that judicial review will only be granted if there is strong prima facie evidence that An Bord somehow erred in law in its granting of the decision.

And given that this is a relatively simple grant, compared to some of complex public infrastructure An Bord deals with, I don't expect such a review to take place.

The TUPE process is clear and mandated in law.

There is no obligation to resign from anything. A new contract will supercede their CHC one.

What party/parties is appealing to ABP, do you know?

The appellant and any documents pertaining to it must all be listed online. They'll be on either or both the ABP and SDCC websites.

The first actual AW189 for the Irish contract arrived at Weston a short while ago. EI-IRR is the registration.

Not much ground clearance there.

Shocker…

In today's Indo, one of the objectors is throwing in the recent Bell 505 fatal crash in Westmeath as a factor causing him concern. Nothing that people won't add in if they think it might add weight to their appeal.

Shes small.

S-92 was still included in the CHC proposal.

The Sindo has a report that Stripe billionaire John Collison is injecting 40 mil into Weston to improve its attractiveness as a Biz Jet hub. The investment will install ILS and otherwise upgrade the airfield and accommodations.

That'll give the SAR objectors something to really be concerned about.

My thoughts precisely.

Given there has been a lot of talk around here the last few days about folk being "asleep at the wheel", it occurs to me that there are a number of crises building in Irish civil aviation that could certainly be attributed to the IAA being similarly ineffectual.

Though thats for another Forum I guess.

Actually, reading the article in the Indo, it refers to Weston currently working through a process with the IAA to reinstate instrument landing procedures that lapsed during Covid. Also, it quotes Bristow saying that while Weston does not have an ILS, the airport is currently developing instrument procedures which will be in place prior to the commencement of operations by Bristow from Weston in June 2025. The Weston Airport website mentions a VOR based instrument approach on runway 25, pending IAA approval. So it doesn't sound like an ILS is being contemplated.

Back to bed there good lad.

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-03-04/resurgence-sikorskys-helibus

It's hilarious… when I first joined, I went through:

-You know nothing

-My best mates in the Coastguard so knows everything, you're wrong

-See this link from a year ago, you're wrong

-You work for CHC what are you giving out contract info for, you're wrong

As someone in the industry, you drop a few facts and it gets these unqualified experts rightly riled up, it's quite hilarious.

The amount of incorrect information through the thread is comical.