Page 38 - Linkline Autumn 2015
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 their pilots! Turns in excess of 110 degress angle of bank seemed to be the norm, while nose-over “bunts” posed no problems at all, not mention  ying backwards at high speed.
An “under the radar” arrival was the Irish Coast Guard’s S-92 search and rescue helicopter based at Dublin Airport. It literally popped up at sea level and almost caught the commentary team unawares. This new high performance type replaced the stalwart S-61 in service and is capable of conducting searches for a full four hours at a distance of 275 nautical miles from base in order to rescue four survivors and then return home with a 30 minute fule reserve. By way of illustrating its capabilities, a demonstration winching exercise took place across the seafront using the local RNLI lifeboat as the vessel in distress, which proved to be popular with the many children present.
The  nale was a surprise and a welcome one at that! From the north
a strange gaggle of shapes began to emerge at low altitude and it soon morphed into a formation of an Aer Lingus A319 followed very closely
by six F-5E Tigers of the Patrouille Suisse. It was “Smoke on, Go!” as they crossed the display line. The most unusual formation seen for a long time, it was signi cant in that at long last, after a decade, Bray had seen its very own “First Division” national jet aerobatic team.
As the A319 broke away and climbed en route to Dublin, the Swiss visitors did not disappoint: from the very beginning  uidity, panache and
The capable S-92 of the Irish Coastguard has become a common sight around all of the coastline as four examples are in service for 24 hours SAR work
raw noise were the only watchwords. They performed precision formation manoeuvres with such charming names as the Tango, the Flirt, Synchro Rolls and lots more which involved aircraft inverted with extended undercarriage, opposition passes with smoke and  are discharges and noisy afterburners. The vertical bomb- burst  nale was especially well received as it involved multiple colourful  are releases leaving pyrothechnial traces across the sky.
It was agreed generally that Bray 2015 was a great success and entirely free thanks to the sponsorship of the Irish Aviation Authority as part of the Bray Summerfest. Let us hope that we see something similar in 2016; there’s not much free in Ireland these days!
Kevin Byrne FCILT
(All photo’s provided by Paul Kolbe)
    The CharTered InsTITuTe of LogIsTICs & TransporT 23
  braY aIrShOw 2015






















































































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