Call Sign Question, LHR This Morning.

[ukdean]

About 05.00 this morning aircraft with the call sign "Irish" departed 9L. Simple question who uses this call sign.. HD your the man for LHR questions any idea on this one... THANKS IN ADVANCE>>>:ok:

[EchoIndiaFoxtrot]

The only time I've ever heard IRISH in a callsign from ATC / ac is Irish Trans for Irish Air Transport.

And I haven't heard it for ages around Irish airports to be honest.

[beamwidth]

This callsign is used by the Irish Aer Corps, when doing transport flights. This is normally VIP (Head of State/Government Ministers etc). The 3 letter is IRL and the callsign is Irish

[EchoIndiaFoxtrot]

I did consider that beam but the time given was 5am this morning.

I can't imagine Biffo or any of his acolytes being up and about at that time in Ireland let alone Heathrow.

[ukdean]

Cheers chaps. Can confirm it was 05.00.

[Just a spotter]

"Irish" is the call sign for the Irish Air Corps (not Aer Corps, unless you prefer the gaelic Aer Chor na h'Éireann).

Normally it's only used on flights that will pass through non Irish controlled air space (flights remaing inside Ireland use a type identifier as their call sign) and the tail number of the aircraft is used as the flight number.

Most likely the AC you'll pick up using the callsign in the UK will be one of the three Ministerial Air Transport Sqn aircraft, # 240 (Beechcraft Kingair 200), #251 (Gulfstream G-IV), or #254 (Learjet 45), identified as "Irish240", "Irish251" or "Irish254" respectivly. They will, most likely, be transporting Irish cabinet level politicos (unless they append Victor to the end in which case they have either the Taoiseach (pronounced "Tea-shock", Prime Minister) or Uachtaráin (pronounced "ook-tear-on", President) on board).

These aircraft, along with the AW139's of 301 sqn also carry out patient transfer roles between hospitals in Ireland and the UK. The AW139's carry tails #'s 274-279 inclusive and will use "Irish" callsigns on those missions.

JAS

[EchoIndiaFoxtrot]

Thanks for that JAS, very interesting.

Will keep an eye out for them around Baldonnell airspace in future.

[Just a spotter]

Borrowing your pedant hat for a moment ... take a look at what's painted on the side of the aircraft ....

Link (http://www.worldairpics.com/photo/1007787/L/Beech-Super-King-Air-200/240/Irish-Air-Corps/?&sid=3168641128&sp=24)

:)

JAS

[dubh12000]

Martin Cullen was dropping D'Arcy down to South Africa.....stopped off in LHR for 200 Major.



Possibly.

[DaveM]

Just a spotter.......... "Irish258" is the Learjet not "254"
just to be clear :ok:

[Just a spotter]

Whoops!
:\

JAS

[Rhys S. Negative]

The Heathrow movement in question was a CASA CN235, serial no. 253, callsign IRL253.

HTH, Rhys.