Friday
21st September 2007 was a sad day for Irish avation as the Irish Air Corps
formally retired their Alouette III helicopters, bringing an end to a
remarkable era of Irish aircraft history.
The Alouettes
were first delivered in 1963, and shortly after the fleet grew to 8
airframes. In the intervening 44 years, they have been the backbone (and
most of the vital organs) of the Air Corps inventory, and have given
sterling service
to the Defence Forces and the country as a whole. Roles as varied as
SAR, air ambulance, army support, army co-operation, troop transport,
Border patrol, security, policing, customs, VIP and even naval
support have been tasked. If it can be done by helicopter, the Alouettes
delivered.
If there was
just one aircraft that has epitomised the Irish Air Corps in it's entire
history since 1922, it has been the Sud Aviation/Aerospatiale Alouette
III. To most Irish people, the common Irish TV News term 'an Air Corps
Helicopter' MEANS the Alouette. A senior Defence Forces Officer commented
recently that during a run of a TV documentary show called
'Reeling in the years' (newsreel/TV news clips married with contemporary
popular music from the years 1960-1999, divided into 4 series one for each
decade) the only item/person/vehicle/thing that was common to and appeared
in all four series was the Alouette, usually playing a prominent role in
whatever story it was involved in. Such was it's importance.
Click on
images below to see larger images
They have
outlived all their replacements and succesors. The Puma, Gazelles and
Dauphins are gone before them, along with the fixed wing Fougas and
Siai-Marchettis. They are not really being replaced as the Air Corps
now has only 2 Eurocopter EC-135s and 2 AW-139s. The improving
security situation in the North as well as the outsourcing of SAR to
a contractor means the old timers are no longer needed (apparently!) Of
the eight, none were lost in the 44 years, although one did ditch in
a lake, and although recovered, now lives in the Air Corps Museum. I
can only think of one other helo that has had a similar service life, the
H-46, but I don't know if the current airframes are of similar age. Of
it's fixed wing counterparts from that time, only the B-52 springs to mind
of still being around.
I have one model built using the
Heller kit and Max Decals, but it was done many years ago when I was just
getting back into the hobby and is not of my current standard. (I also have no
decent picture of it). I intend to strip it and build it again, but
after I start the one in the stash, which will happen this weekend.
Incidentally, the Pink Panther/RIAT badge is included on the Max Decals Sheet
72-16, and the Irish Alouette also features on their sheets 72-01 and
72-04. Instead I present some pictures I have taken of the Alouettes over
the last couple of years. Some were taken at the Salthill Airshow 2006 and
others at the Air Corps Families' Day in 2007.
Just my little tribute to what is
to us a very important piece of this country's fabric.
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Cheers,
Roy.
(aka roym)
Click on
images below to see larger images
|
|