An Cosantóir

36 When helicopter flying is mentioned in Ireland, one must always reminisce of the venerable Alouette III and its long history in the service of the State. The many people who crewed them, who lovingly maintained them & who operated alongside them (and in them of course) will always recount with fond memories and great tales of their vast & various experiences with the helicopter. After a serious of unfortunate events in the 1950s & 1960s, that included several fatal maritime accidents & harsh winters, the Irish Government were called upon several times to support the Irish Lifeboats with a helicopter rescue service. There was now evidence that the intervention of helicopters in a rescue role would help lessen the fatalities in such matters. The Irish Government realised the importance to the Irish people and creat - ed the first helicopter unit for the State. Having only flown as a prototype in 1959 for Sud Aviation in France, The Irish State took delivery of the first 3 helicopters in 1963. In total, 8 Alouette helicopters would be procured for service to the state. Initial training for the first cadre of pilots was conducted in Baldonnel on an older Alouette II helicopter and then training was completed in France on the Irish Air Corps' By Comdt Jarlath Heneghan, OC 302 Squadron THE ALOUETTE III own Alouette III helicopters. These workhorses were put to task almost immediately in the Search and Rescue role with the first SAR coming about in December of 1963. Quickly followed by Air Ambulance taskings, the versatility of the helicopter in the Irish landscape quickly became apparent to all involved. It is not that long ago that there was not the Motorway infrastructure in place that we can take for granted today. The Alouette was a cavernous aircraft for its time, with a cabin that could seat 7 persons, or 8 depending on who is telling the tale. The layout was quickly interchangeable and the aircraft could be re-rolled from troop transport to Air Ambulance or Search and Rescue in very little time. As I sit in A195 in the Air Corps Apprentice School hanger, reminiscing of my own experiences in the Alouette, I now appreciate the magnificent visibility and views afforded to the crew and passengers. Now, the intricate nature of the mechanical operations of a helicopter compared to that of an aeroplane became apparent quite quickly. This was a bold new venture for the Air Corps. Helicopters require a lot of maintenance and care for all those many moving parts. But the Alouette was a tough but simple helicopter for its day, I doubt for an instance that a modern helicopter could be jump started from an army diesel truck or the ice removed from the starter relays with a borrowed 'lump hammer'! One such instance occurred in the 'Big Snow' of '82 when a crew sent to Rathdrum to retrieve a pregnant Woman requiring hospitalisation, ran into an unusual problem. After shutting down the engine to allow the patient to board the aircraft safely, the crew discovered that the electrical relay An Alouette III A213 training in the snow. Crews prepared for all conditions. The first Alouette II aircraft utilised to train Air Corps pilots in Baldonnel in advance of the delivery of the Alouette III A195 landing for the last time in Sept 2007 THE ALOUETTE III

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