View Full Version : Celtic Helicopters shuts down
Celtic Helicopters have returned their operating certificate to the authoritites.
Mutt
firebird_uk
16th May 2009, 08:15
They should have kept it. A helicopter AOC certificate could be a valuable piece of aviation memorabilia in a few years time! :ugh:
JimBall
16th May 2009, 09:52
Does this mean they've shut down ? A lot of UK AOC Holders are thinking of handing back their Certificates to the CAA.........the words "leasing" and "operations management" are being used.
There's only so long that the regulators can keep milking the cow.
The gist of a genuine conversation with the CAA not two months ago:
Operator: "Do you realise that by putting up the charges that companies will go out of business?"
"Oh, yes, but it's less admin for us - we'll just put their share on to the remaining companies!"
Nor sure I want to be the last person with an AOC!
After next month I believe there will be only one person qualified to examine for Helicopter IRs
Phil
helimutt
16th May 2009, 11:30
Paco, ref IR examiners, is that cos no-one wants the job or because they are cutting back on staff? I thought they had at least 3-4 people who could do it?
They did. In fact,just recently they couldn't supply anybody at all for nearly a month. Good for your career, huh?
I hear one examiner submitted for a reapproval last November and still hasn't been sorted.
Phil
heliski22
19th May 2009, 18:22
Don't know what the future holds for Celtic now, hopefully the new arrangements at Knocksedan will keep them going for the time being. Certainly, keeping the mandated postholders in place for the volume of work that was there was not a sustainable situation.
Say what you like, but flying there, especially back in the nineties, was always fun. John Barnicle gave a lot of guys a "start" over the years. I, for one, will always be thankful for that!!
Pink Panther
19th May 2009, 20:30
H22,
I have to agree with you. It was JB who helped me get my foot through the door in the heli commercial world. Don't think it would have happened for me without him.
PP.
Bladecrack
19th May 2009, 22:58
I also have JB to thank for my first real full time commercial job, I seem to remember he wrote out my "contract" on a scrap of paper during my "interview"... (probably while playing online blackjack or something similar)
I really enjoyed the varied work I did flying the mean green machines, although they were very basic it certainly helped sharpen up my nav skills!
Someone should write a book about his career and life story, what a story that would be!!
BC
Savoia
22nd Feb 2012, 06:07
Charlie Haughey's son ends up in NAMA
CJ Haughey's son ends up NAMA | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2100012/CJ-Haugheys-son-ends-NAMA.html)
There's also a piece in the above write-up which has been recently inserted about John Barnicle.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4EMHvLqjotM/T0SDaoGMkHI/AAAAAAAAIAI/iosLDfPxvyc/s410/Ciar%25C3%25A1n%2520Haughey%2520b.jpg
Ciarán Haughey in a Celtic 206
Savoia wrote on 18th October 2011: "Barnicle had this routine worked-out of lighting a cigarette by leaning forward to the cyclic where his right hand held a match or lighter."
The Daily Mail wrote on 12th February 2012: "Some still recall his habit of doubling forward to light his cigarettes with the same hand that controlled the chopper."
What an obscure tidbit to mention in an article. Coincidence I presume.