An Cosantóir

23 IRISH AIR CORPS NO 3 OPERATIONS WING Dauphin II (now the Airbus AS365 Dauphin) was chosen to fill the SAR role. Aérospatiale SA342L Gazelle was purchased to work as a training aircraft for the pilots who wanted to move onto the Dauphin. It was the first aircraft with a full glass cockpit introduced to Ireland's fleet. However, rapid advances in technology meant that the Dauphin was found to be technologically lacking and heavier than more modern helicopters with lighter avionic equipment. Another leap forward was marked by the introduction of the crew resource management (CRM) system, known well in civil aviation. It was designed to include all staff working both on the ground and in the air. This project was, and still is managed by Lt. Col. Phillip Bonner, who until recently was the commanding officer of No. 3 Operations Wing. The main idea was to give everyone in and working with the Air Corps, from flight attendants, engineers, and flight crews all the way to janitorial staff, responsibility for the safety and performance of its operations. The Air Corps has provided pilots for Ireland's National Police Service (An Garda Síochána) since September 1997. This joint operation – using pilots from the Air Corps and mission system operators from An Garda Siochána – began using a Eurocopter (now Airbus) AS355N Twin Squirrel helicopter. This aircraft was supplemented by the addition of a Eurocopter EC135 T2 in the early 2000s. Between 2005 and 2008, both aircraft contributed to over 1,300 arrests and assisted the ground forces in locating 14 missing persons. All crew members are fully CRM trained and they can assist the single pilot in a variety of tasks, such as verifying checklist items or assistance during an emergency operation. The AS355N was replaced in 2007 by a second EC135 T2+. After nearly 20 years of cooperation, both the Air Corps and An Garda Síochána have developed a perfectly balanced service to the public, operating on a 24-hour basis. While being attached to the No. 3 Wing, each pilot is working under orders from their commanding officer. In GASU, the pilot in command (PIC) makes the final call on whether the mission, tasked by the dispatcher, is flyable or not. And CRM shines when there could be significant pressure involved in the decision-making process — especially with high-risk arrests, or the pursuit of armed criminals. The EC135 had proven itself to be such an effective tool for day and night operations, that two more aircraft were fielded by the Irish Air Corps in 2004. Soon after, a search commenced for a new medium sized utility helicopter platform, which can achieve a wide variety of military roles. The AgustaWestland (now Leonardo) AW139 was chosen to replace a veteran fleet of Dauphins. The AW139 was meant to be a true Swiss army knife, capable of undertaking a full spectrum of missions including HEMS, firefighting, troop insertion and patient transport. Floor sections of the aircraft can be modified for carriage of not only a specialised stretcher base, but an advanced neonatal unit, and can be reconfigured between roles in less than an hour. Additionally, all of the AW139 pilots have extensive EC135 experience. With a very intense training regime, the Air Corps prepares each pilot for their future roles. The training program is tailored to prepare the cadets to operate on multiple aircraft types in all weather conditions. The first step in becoming a fully qualified pilot with the Irish Air Corps is passing a seven-month period of basic military training. Next comes fixed-wing ground school, during which CRM is imprinted into the recruits' minds after which crews are familiarised with the Pilatus PC-9M. There the Cadets accrue 130-150 flight hours and approximately 20-50 simulator hours. Upon completion of flight training, they then proceed to their advanced flight training; fixed wing pilots on the Pilatus PC-12, and helicopter pilots on the EC135. After passing the yearlong Helicopter Conversion Course, pilots are qualified on the EC135 to perform the full spectrum of military and air ambulance missions. Pilots then proceed to the AW139 and

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