An Cosantóir

history | 29 pass checks were required to keep the directional gyro (DG) set accurately, it was necessary to lean forward in your seat, line up the lubber lines with the magnetic lines in the armature itself and then read the heading and transfer the results to the DG. All this while still retaining control of the aircraft - or nearly! Doing this at night using the light from a small red bulb to illuminate the show wasn't good for morale at all. The night-flying stage was also a big challenge given the nose-high attitude during the take-off and landing phases, seemingly setting the clock back to the first days of the course when good landings and straight roll-outs were difficult to achieve. In formation it was an exhilarating challenge and the crisp controls rewarded effort and concentration. Not quite in the Red Arrows or Silver Swallows speed range, the Chipmunk got across the basics of station keeping and changing and flying on the leader's reference points. The results were most impressive to behold when a section or vic would return to the circuit for a run-and-break. Towards the end of this phase we even flew formation circuits in pairs and vics! There were some other Chippy characteristics that were not so endearing, such as not having a cockpit heater - I still recall the piercing cold of night flying in mid-November at 5,000 feet conducting a QGH (homing and controlled descent) to Baldon- nel. The Chipmunk did have a ram air intake for cockpit cooling but alas I never experienced the necessary high temperatures to warrant its use! I do recall it leaking cold air into the cockpit during flight and not contributing to the comfort levels at all, especially during the winter months. Another trial awaited the would-be Chipmunk crew, also due to the damp Irish weather. First flights on Monday morning were always marked by damp starter cartridges, which had been left in the engine over the weekend in the hangar. These never fired but instead burned slowly and gave the unfortu- nate first crew of the new week no engine start, a cockpit full of smelly smoke and a mandatory and interminable three-min- ute wait before having a second attempt! This early morning gassing seemed to make Monday a bit more wearisome than any other in the week. The Chipmunk was one of the last trainer types to emerge from the de Havilland factory and it has firmly established it- self as one of the all-time great training aircraft. To have flown it and cut one's aviation teeth on it was a great privilege and a great start in one's career. It was a difficult aircraft to fly well but this demand on the student challenged for results which, in the case of my cadet class, enabled confident transition onto the CM170 Fouga Magister. But that's another story… Restored De Havilland Chipmunk 'AC 169' in its original colours is pictured flying during the historical and heritage event in Jan 2012 to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Chip- munk's arrival into service with the Air Corps. The aircraft was restored and brought back to Ireland by Declan Curtis. www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE

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