A former Air Corps commanding officer has urged the Government to give "some direction" on the future of the air wing, and has said the Dauphin helicopter fleet must be replaced by aircraft more suited to the Atlantic margin.
Lieut Col Ken Byrne, who retired last month after more than 30 years of service, said larger long-range helicopters would allow for a safer "manoeuvre envelope" on search and rescue missions. The Dauphin helicopters had served well for 13 years, but did not have the endurance or reserve power for the job required on the south and west coasts, he told The Irish Times.
The Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, is awaiting submissions on a replacement for the Dauphin lost in the helicopter accident which killed four airmen in Co Waterford on July 2nd. Mr Smith said last week he accepted the
Air Corps did not favour the same model as a replacement.
The Price Waterhouse review of the Naval Service and Air Corps, for which implementation plans are now being prepared, had recommended purchasing four medium-lift helicopters as part of an extensive air fleet renewal.
Currently, medium-lift cover is being provided on contract to the State by Bond Helicopters at an annual cost of about £4.5 million. Lieut Col Byrne said excessive bureaucracy and lack of a clear direction from the Government on the future of the Air Corps was having a very detrimental effect on morale.
He said the Air Corps could only maintain its high standard of flying through search and rescue - with night-time rescues being the most challenging - but was trying to compete with the Sikorsky S-61, used by the contractors at Dublin and Shannon.
"The Dauphin has been described as state-of-the-art but this only relates to its navigational systems and avionics. There is no point in having this equipment if the craft itself is short on endurance and reserve power," he said.
This coastline was known for its particularly varied and localised weather conditions, which made certain weather changes very difficult to forecast. "When such conditions change without warning, a bigger helicopter with greater endurance and bigger power/weight ratio increases the safety margins," he said.
Lieut Col Byrne said that he did not wish in any way to pre-empt the official inquiry into the Air Corps accident, which is being conducted under civil regulations with the involvement of the Department of Public Enterprise's air accident investigation unit.
He retired, coincidentally, on the day of the accident at Tramore, which claimed the lives of his colleagues, Capt Dave O'Flaherty (30) from Tullamore, Co Offaly; Capt Mick Baker (28), from Enniscorthy, Co Wexford; Sgt Paddy Mooney (34), from Stamullen, Co Meath; and Cpl Niall Byrne (24), from Killiney, Co Dublin.
All four died instantly when their Dauphin crashed into a sand dune near the beach after returning from a successful rescue mission - the first call out on the new 24-hour service at Waterford. Dense fog had prevented them from landing at their base at Waterford Regional Airport.
The results of the inquiry are expected to be made public. Several international experts have been asked to assist.
