An Cosantóir

9 It is my great privilege to welcome you to this special edition of An Cosantóir Magazine to celebrate the centenary of Irish Military aviation. It is an honour for me to serve the State as General Office Commanding Air Corps & the Director of Military Aviation, 100 years after William "Jack" McSweeney, a veteran of the Great War, first took up the role in March of 1922, in the General Headquarters of the new National Army, located at Beggar's Bush near Ballsbridge. Months earlier, after the War of Independence and in the lead up to the Treaty negotiations in October 1921, a decision was made to purchase a Martinsyde Type Mk II aeroplane to assist the escape of Michael Collins and the plenipotentiaries from London, should the Treaty talks collapse. This aircraft, which of course wasn't required for its intended purpose, remained on standby in the UK throughout. A forward-thinking Collins, recognised the importance of aviation to the commercial survival of the new state, and so it was on his orders that in January 1922 McSweeney and his colleague Charles Russell, began work in GHQ, slowly establishing the concept of the Irish Air Service. That foresight of Collins, along with the leadership of Russell and innovation of McSweeney, has been continued throughout our history as the then Air Service set about establishing Irish military aviation and our subsequent service to the people of the State. The Irish Air Corps has come a long way since those first steps were taken, from establishing the Irish Air Traffic Control Service in Rinneanna (now Shannon Airport) to the introduction of the first jet powered aircraft into Ireland (Vampires), followed shortly afterwards with the first introduction of helicopters (Alouette III). The Air Corps has always carried on that innovative spirit of our forefathers and 100TH ANNIVERSARY MESSAGE TO THE IRISH AIR CORPS Brigadier General Rory O'Connor, General Officer Commanding Air Corps and Director of Military Aviation has always been at the forefront of technology and at the coalface of change. I don't think there's anything in our history that captures that spirit more than the flight of the Bremen in 1928. This aircraft, which carried out the first East to West crossing of the Atlantic, took off from Baldonnel with our own Commandant James Fitzmaurice as part of the three man crew. As the Air Component of the Defence Forces, the Air Corps has a wide variety of capabilities that it can call upon at short notice, and make available to the State on a daily basis. The Air Domain covers both land and maritime areas and recent and ongoing investment in equipment, will see the Air Corps continue to enhance and develop its capabilities in the coming years. From developing capabilities to monitor and ultimately secure our airspace, to developing a significant capability in the conduct of Maritime Defence & Security Operations as we patrol over one of the largest maritime regions in Europe, the importance of the Air Corps to the defence and security of the State is beyond doubt. None of the unique and demanding capabilities of the Air Corps can be brought to bear without our personnel. It is our people, our service personnel who have conducted themselves so honourably over the course of the past century of military aviation both at home and overseas, especially those who lost their lives in service to the State, who should feel the honour of the achievement of the centenary milestone. Few outside the sphere of military aviation will realise the level of professionalism, teamwork, coordination and support required to facilitate air operations: from technicians, engineers, air traffic controllers, crash rescue personnel, refuellers, safety equipment specialists and flight safety teams, to our staffs in charge of operations, training, administration, logistics and IT, as well as medics and chefs, the list goes on. And it is only through the retention of these personnel and their skillsets that we can continue to develop and grow as a technical organisation. Each and every person who has played any part in the history of the Irish Air Corps and has contributed to the organisation as it is today, should be rightly proud of their service. So too can their families and friends, who I believe are deserving of special mention: Mothers and fathers, husbands, wives & partners, sons and daughters, family and friends, all who have supported our Air Corps personnel and have been critical to our success as an organisation. Your support, patience, personal sacrifices and understanding have allowed your loved ones serve and have enabled the Air Corps to carry out its roles and serve the State and the Irish people. I have no doubt that McSweeney and his colleagues would be very proud of the organisation that the Air Corps has become, and of all that it has achieved over the course of its first 100 years. In this year of centenaries, we will continue to celebrate and commemorate their legacy along with everyone who has served since, whilst at the same time turning our focus towards the shaping and developing of the organisation for its next 100 years. This will ensure that Ireland's Air Corps, as we look forward to spreading our wings towards becoming an Air Force, continues to be relevant, and continues to serve the people of Ireland, and continues to be vigilant and loyal - Forfaire agus Tairseacht.

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