Casement Aerodrome
| Casement Aerodrome Baldonnel Aerodrome |
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| IATA: N/A – ICAO: EIME | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Owner | Department of Defence | ||
| Operator | Irish Air Corps | ||
| Location | Baldonnel, Ireland | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 319 ft / 97 m | ||
| Coordinates | 53°18′06″N 06°27′04″W / 53.30167°N 6.45111°W | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 05/23 | 4,800 | 1,463 | Asphalt |
| 11/29 | 6,001 | 1,829 | Asphalt |
Casement Aerodrome (Irish: Aeradróm Mhic Easmainn) or Baldonnel Aerodrome (IATA: N/A, ICAO: EIME) is a military airbase to the south west of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole base of the Irish Air Corps, and is also used for other government purposes. It is the property of the Irish Department of Defence.
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[edit] Weather
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2010) |
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Casement experiences less fog than Dublin Airport. Snowdrifts were experienced in winters during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The strength of the wind, when coming from a south-westerly direction, is stronger than in other areas near Dublin because of the location of this station in relation to the Dublin Mountains.
[edit] History
The airfield was first laid out in 1917 and was used by the Royal Flying Corps (soon to become the Royal Air Force). It was part of the RAF's Ireland Command.
The aerodrome was originally run by two pilots from the Royal Air Force. The airfield was the one from which the first successful east-west Atlantic crossing by a Junkers W33 aeroplane, the Bremen, took off on 12 April 1928 with Baron Hünefeld, Hermann Köhl and Captain James Fitzmaurice as co-pilot,[1] as well as the first Aer Lingus flight took place on May 27, 1936.[2] It was also the destination at which Douglas Corrigan landed on his famous 'wrong way' flight across the Atlantic.[3]
In February 1965 Baldonnel was renamed Casement Aerodrome in honour of the Irish nationalist Roger Casement, executed for treason by the British in 1916.[4]
In 1995 it was suggested that it be used as a second commercial airport for Dublin, especially for low-cost carriers such as Ryanair.[5]
Anti-war activists have accused the Government of allowing the Aerodrome's use as a US military air base, with recent protests leading to four arrests [6] and in March 2002, Michael Smith, the Minister for Defence, confirmed that since September 2001, 22 US military aircraft had landed at the aerodrome.[7]
Queen Elizabeth II landed at Casement Aerodrome on May 17, 2011, beginning her state visit to Ireland.
[edit] Other uses
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2011) |
Baldonnel Aerodrome is also the home of the Garda Air Support Unit where two Eurocopter EC 135 T2's are based. The Eurocopters are on constant alert 24/7 and are on always on-call. Both are fitted with Turbomeca (T2) engines. Garda aircraft are maintained on the Irish military register. Irish Air Corps personnel pilot all aircraft and provide maintenance facilities on behalf of the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform. All aircraft in service with the Unit are selected to meet stringent operational policing requirements. The aircraft are fitted with the latest police role equipment including 'state of the art' daylight and thermal image cameras mounted on gyro stabilised platforms, search lights, extensive communication suites and microwave downlink/uplink technology. The aerodrome is also home to a Britten-Norman Defender 4000 BN2T-4S series which is operated for the Garda Air Support Unit on behalf of the Irish Air Corps
[edit] References
- ^ "Flying in the slipstream of a great adventurer". Laois Nationalist. 2003-04-18. http://archives.tcm.ie/laoisnationalist/2003/04/18/story14238.asp. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
- ^ "Aer Lingus Group plc - Company History". FundingUniverse LLC. http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Aer-Lingus-Group-plc-Company-History.html. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
- ^ Sears, Stan (March 2005). "Corrigan’s Way: Right or Wrong, He Made His Mark on History". Airport Journals. http://www.airportjournals.com/Display.cfm?varID=0503005. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ Comdt Peter Tormey & Capt Kevin Byrne, Irish Air Corps: A View from the Tower, Defence Forces Printing Press 1991
- ^ McConnell, Daniel (2007-01-14). "Minister Kenny rejected plan for second airport". Irish Independent. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/minister-kenny-rejected-plan-for-second-airport-120895.html. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
- ^ (Irish Times, 18/4/06)
- ^ Healy, Alison (2003-03-19). "TDs call for free vote on Shannon issue". Irish Times. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2003/0319/1047089440690.html. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
[edit] External links
- Airport information for EIME at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
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