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Displaying items by tag: FlightFest

#Festivals - If you enjoyed last year's FlightFest on the River Liffey, mark Sunday 20 July on your calendars - as organisers have announced details of this year's Bray Air Display.

The Hunter, the Sabre, the Yaks and the Vampires are all set to make their Bray aerial debut at Ireland’s largest free air show, organised in association with Bray Summerfest and the Irish Aviation Authority.

The free family event attracted a record-breaking 85,000 spectators last year, with similar numbers expected again this summer.

Team Yakovlevs - or the Yaks, as they are affectionately known - are among those making their Bray debut, having entertained millions of people around the world with their precision formation flying.

Their Super 52 two-seater planes will be followed in close formation by three single seater Yak 50 planes.

The Vampires, piloted by Kenneth Aarkvisla and Per ‘Smiley’ Stromme, will be flying their jet fighters from the Second World War, capable of reaching top speeds of 548 miles per hour.

Meanwhile, pilot Mark Linney will be roaring over the skies of Bray in the Sabre, an American fighter jet best known for its high speeds and loud engines.

And the Hunter, flown by Jonathan Whaley, is a British-made fighter from the 1950s, renowned for its loud engines, manoeuvrability and breakneck speeds.

Display director Sé Pardy from Simtech Aviation said: “Once again, Ireland is attracting world-class pilots and aircraft to Bray for the country’s biggest free air show on 20 July.

"For this year’s programme, we’re introducing vintage aircraft, extreme formation flying and search and rescue demonstrations, bringing excitement, aerial acrobatics and thrills to the East Coast.

"We have several new acts making their debut, but we will also be welcoming crowd favourites back to Bray, with aerial action to entertain the whole family.”

Introduced in 1949, the famous MIG 15 was developed by the Soviet Union and was the only aircraft to face the Sabre in combat. This loud, vintage plane will also be making its first appearance at Bray.

The S-92 helicopter, operated by the Irish Coast Guard, will also be welcomed for the first time to Bray. Equipped for dedicated search and rescue (SAR) operations, it services Ireland’s offshore islands and provides rescue cover from Cork to Galway.

Other aircraft making their debut in July include the Stearman 75 and the Decathlon, a two-seater sports plane.

The Bray Air Display is just one of the highlights in the annual Bray Summerfest programme, which runs from 5 July to 14 August 14 subject to licence.

Further aircraft will be announced for the display over the coming weeks, and due to the large crowds expected on the day, spectators are strongly advised to use DART, Dublin Bus and other public transport services as parking restrictions will be in place.

For more on the day's events visit BrayAirDisplay.com.

Published in Maritime Festivals

#FlightFest - Though the weather forecast isn't looking great for the day, organisers of FlightFest on the River Liffey say the full schedule is proceeding as planned for this Sunday 15 September.

The once-in-a-lifetime aviation celebration, in conjunction with The Gathering 2013, will see more than 30 aircraft - old and new - take part in a spectacular low-level fly past to dazzle onlookers in Dublin's Docklands

Thousands are expected to line the quays between the Custom House and Dublin Port for the event on Sunday afternoon from noon till 6pm - which is set to feature the world's largest commercial airliner, the Airbus A380. The full running order of displaying aircraft is available HERE.

As reported yesterday on Afloat.ie, Dublin Bay Cruises is offering a special sailing up the Liffey to get an even closer view of the fly past at the East Link Bridge.

FlightFest is also set to be the last 'farewell' for retiring Naval Service vessel LE Emer, which will be on official patrol duties on the day.

Published in Dublin Bay

Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Ireland Information

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity to save lives at sea in the waters of UK and Ireland. Funded principally by legacies and donations, the RNLI operates a fleet of lifeboats, crewed by volunteers, based at a range of coastal and inland waters stations. Working closely with UK and Ireland Coastguards, RNLI crews are available to launch at short notice to assist people and vessels in difficulties.

RNLI was founded in 1824 and is based in Poole, Dorset. The organisation raised €210m in funds in 2019, spending €200m on lifesaving activities and water safety education. RNLI also provides a beach lifeguard service in the UK and has recently developed an International drowning prevention strategy, partnering with other organisations and governments to make drowning prevention a global priority.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

Famous Irish Lifeboat Rescues

Irish Lifeboats have participated in many rescues, perhaps the most famous of which was the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork Harbour by the Ballycotton lifeboat in 1936. Spending almost 50 hours at sea, the lifeboat stood by the drifting lightship until the proximity to the Daunt Rock forced the coxswain to get alongside and successfully rescue the lightship's crew.

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895.

FAQs

While the number of callouts to lifeboat stations varies from year to year, Howth Lifeboat station has aggregated more 'shouts' in recent years than other stations, averaging just over 60 a year.

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

The Irish fleet is a mixture of inshore and all-weather (offshore) craft. The offshore lifeboats, which range from 17m to 12m in length are either moored afloat, launched down a slipway or are towed into the sea on a trailer and launched. The inshore boats are either rigid or non-rigid inflatables.

The Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland or the UK Coastguard in Northern Ireland task lifeboats when an emergency call is received, through any of the recognised systems. These include 999/112 phone calls, Mayday/PanPan calls on VHF, a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or distress signals.

The Irish Coast Guard is the government agency responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue operations. To carry out their task the Coast Guard calls on their own resources – Coast Guard units manned by volunteers and contracted helicopters, as well as "declared resources" - RNLI lifeboats and crews. While lifeboats conduct the operation, the coordination is provided by the Coast Guard.

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

RNLI Lifeboat crews are required to follow a particular development plan that covers a pre-agreed range of skills necessary to complete particular tasks. These skills and tasks form part of the competence-based training that is delivered both locally and at the RNLI's Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

© Afloat 2020