Air Corps receive first AW139

[mark]

Hi guys,

The first of four Agusta Wesland AW139 was handed over to the Air Corps in Italy yesterday. The photos of the new machine can be seen in the photo gallery by clicking http://www.flyinginirelandmagazine.com/ ... p?album=11

[Akerosid]

Thanks Mark; what are the serial numbers of the new aircraft going to be?

[ei6265]

Serials are to be 274, 275, 280, 281 as far as I know..

[corkspotter]

Evening all,

Anyone out there know what date they are been delivered to Bal. Whats the chances of a fuel stop in Cork on the delivery flight???

Regards,

Paul

[Heliops]

Prob a fuel stop at RNAS Yeovil like the EC135's and its the first two AW139's are not due for delivery until November 2006.

[squigs]

thats one sweet lookin whirly bird...... whats it got performance and equipment wise that its predecessors didnt??

[Akerosid]

The delivery of the first AW139 is reported in this week's Flight.

http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/20 ... AW139.html

Interestingly, the article also looks at the next priority on the IAC's shopping list, the replacement of the C172s; the Caravan and PC6 are being looked at (I guess the PC6 makes sense, given that there must be commonality on some level with the trainers). Next after that is the need for access to strategic airlift capacity to support its international peacekeeping activities. Well, that can wait for a moment, since we're not going back to Beirut yet! However, I have heard of interest in the C-27 Spartan, although I think that the C-295 is probably more likely (or less unlikely, given that the Dept of Finance will have to have the funds prized from its cold, dead hands ...)

[casper]

Next after that is the need for access to strategic airlift capacity to support its international peacekeeping activities

Unfortunately it'll not be C-17s and KC-10s

[dirk]

Or C-130's

I heard the RNaF is selling it's Fokker 60's maybe they should look at that.

[mini]

Given our commitment to EU battlegroups and the recent announcement as to the Goverments intention to ramp up humanitarian aid - and the establishment of an emergency response roster, I would be very suprised if the Aer Corp couldn't make a decent case for a C130J (A400 too far away)

Case in point... the Danes had one such machine operating in the Aceh Tsunami response. The finance is there, will the mandarins have the vision?

We'll leave strategic airlift to someone else for the time being...

[dowlingm]

mini

C-27J would be a good idea if you had a plan to have C-130 down the road given commonality of engines etc. - best to ramp up from the CN-235s rather than scare people with a Herky bird - imagine what the antiwar crew would make of it!

[Heliops]

imagine what the antiwar crew would make of it!

Fcuk em twats.

[dirk]

i'm with you on that one heliops, screw em!!!!

[Heliops]

Alot of them are not even Irish and they dont work for an honest days wages so why should i listen to those free loaders?

[Alex SP]

Hello,

2 AB-139 during rufuelling at Marseille Airport the 20th November














@+ Alexandre