Enda: Air Corps shortages ‘well known’
ENDA KENNY admitted yesterday the Air Corps staff shortages are ‘well known’ when asked about pilot shortages during yesterday’s White House visit.
He was responding to an admission by the Air Corps that it had been unable to provide ‘top cover’ support for an Irish Coast Guard evacuation from a ship off the Mayo coast because it didn’t have enough experienced staff.
Back in Dublin last night, his own staff were unable to explain what the Taoiseach has done in his capacity as Minister of Defence to stem an exodus of staff from the Air Corps.
Some 51 pilots have quit in the past six years and the Air Corps’s ability to provide ‘top cover’ in air-sea rescue missions has deteriorated as a result.
They include veteran skippers and co-pilots of the Casa, the fixed-wing plane the Air Corps use for providing ‘top cover’.
This is the safety and communications support role the downed Irish Coast Guard R116 had to fulfill because the Air Corps did not have skilled staff available to do it.
Of pilots who have either already retired this year or are due to shortly, they include two Casa pilots. One is a 48-year-old Wing Commander with 27 years’ experience, while the other has 15 years’ experience.
According to Defence Forces sources, ‘little or nothing’ was done to persuade either men to stay on.
The Wing Commander, for example, could have carried on flying for the Air Corps until he was 58 years old.
Sources also warned last night that of eight recruits due to graduate later this year, none will be able to co-pilot a Casa for another year.
It will take a ‘minimum’ of five years before they can skipper one.
And more staff are expected to retire later this year and early next year.
This is because both Aer Lingus and the Irish Aviation Authority are currently offering higher paid jobs to pilots at a time when there is also a general global shortage of pilots.