Castlebar

[OSCAR BRAVO]

evening all,i know its a long shot but if anyone has photos of castlebar airport could they post them up.it was a great spot for light aviation but im finding it near impossible to get photos off EI-ATK,EI-BKF,even EI-BDK.also the bi-plane that was painted in the "guinness" colours.(i recall it at a fly in at EICB in the mid 90s) all long shots i know.

[j3cub]

Post Removed

[bendown]

Me too as a fellow Manulla Man just outside Castlebar and a keen flyer I would also like a few picts. It's so hard every time you pass in now and it just one big shopping centre

[hugoj_air]

EI-ATK at Castlebar 30.07.1983


EI-BDK at Abbeyshrule 15.06.1984.


a repainted EI-BKF also at Abbeyshrule 23.01.1991
see EI-BKF Castlebar photo below.

As I only paid a couple of visits to Castlebar, so I didn't get to see many
of the based aircraft. My biggest disappointment was missing EI-BJL the Cessna 550 by about 10 minutes on one of my infrequent visits. I was in a B&B near the station finishing breakfast when i heard the roar of the jet
on take-off. It passed directly over the house I was staying in.

Hugo.

[hugoj_air]

EI-BKF at Castlebar 02.03.1984

This one didn't show with the others above.
They must have been expecting a bit of wind, but I doubt those tie
downs would have made much difference in anything other that a light breeze.

Hugo.

[OSCAR BRAVO]

Hugo,thanks very much for posting up them photos,there superb, and like all old photos they bring back other fond memories of castlebar. if it only had been built a few more miles outside the town,castlebar airport would be still going.

[hugoj_air]

You'er welcome OB. Managed to dig out a couple more pics from
Castlebar all on the 30.07.1983.


EI-AVB was the Aeronca based here?.


EI-BDS seemed to be derelict when I took the photo. Seen it dumped at
Weston 10.09.1984


EI-BIE was blowen over here during the winter of 1984.

Hugo.

[OSCAR BRAVO]

shame EI-BIE was blown over in 84,as she was well tied down in the photo u posted.can anyone shed some light on EI-BDS AND EI-AVB?

[cessna 210]

Thanks very much hugo for them great pictures, They bring me back to the good days in castlebar

[hugoj_air]

My final Castlebar photo and the sadest of the lot taken July time I think in 2002.

No problem C210.

shame EI-BIE was blown over in 84,as she was well tied down in the photo u posted.can anyone shed some light on EI-BDS AND EI-AVB?

I think the best you can say is that BIE is tied down!!. A strong wind would
lift those concrete tyres with ease. The safest tie down is to a hook conceted into the ground. I remember many years ago at Biggin Hill south of London
watching a cessna 150 actually dancing in a gale force wind. It was tied to
concreted hooks.

Hugo.

[OSCAR BRAVO]

i remember the last sunday EI-AVM left EICB for knock,very sad. knock airport was never really the mayo flying clubs scene,i think the chipmunk went to sligo.

[OSCAR BRAVO]

I didnt know where to post this so here is the best place i suppose.Should of posted it earlier but with one thing and another this week i hadnt the time.One of Castlebar's/Mayo's finest pilots,Donal McEllin sadly passed away last Sunday after a boating incident along with his long time friend Ger Feeny.Donal ran the airport in the 1990s until it was sold,which he then bought hes boat, and would of flown in nearly all the planes pictured above espically EI-BKF(first C172 i saw doing a loop) and EI-BIE(a few stories behind that one!!)R.I.P Donal. And thanks Hugo for shareing once again.

[hugoj_air]

I never met Donal but obviously had heard of him. I knew he was deeply involved with the airfield although I wasn't sure in what capacity. May he rest in peace.
Sadly my few visits there were always mid-week, so no chance to meet any of the people involved with the flying.

Hugo.

[Hayden Lawford]

Very sad news, Donal RIP. I first landed at Castlebar in a Rallye ex-Coonagh about 1964 and was met by one of the original directors of the Airport, Michael Heverin - there wasn't even a terminal building there at the time. In later years I flew in many times with the Aer Arann Islanders on all sorts of charter work and was well looked after by the late Jim Ryan. The annual Mayo Flying Club Fly-In was legendary and I rarely missed one as Aer Arann did the Pleasure flights and Para drops there for many years.

Here's EI-AYN getting airborne from Castlebar about 1974.

Castlebar, you are sorely missed!

Hayden

EI-AYN Castlebar 1974

Ei-ayn1.jpg (44.44 KiB) Viewed 4300 times

[jonkil]

Always sad to see the demise of an airfield.
On a positive note there is 2 small private airfields which will be active in Mayo once again.
One very near Ballina and one just north-west of Castlebar near the town of Ballivarry.
Been in both and its wonderful to be able to make use of them in Mayo once again.