Irish Air Corps Cessna 172s « Cessna Warbirds by Walt Shiel

The Irish Air Corps was established in 1922 and, over the decades, has operated a variety of combat, training, and transport aircraft including DeHavilland Vampires. The following information is adapted from T-41 Mescalero: The Military Cessna 172 by Walt Shiel, Jan Forsgren, and Mike Little.

In 1972, the IAC purchased eight Cessna FR.172 Reims Rockets. Although three have been lost to accidents, the remaining five continue to serve today. Interestingly, the IAC considered arming their 172s with the 37mm SNEB air-to-ground rockets mounted in under-wing Matra rocket pods. They did complete some testing but no records remain as to whether any live firings were conducted.

IAC photo via Kansas Aviation Museum/Robert J. Pickett Collection

Capt Eoin Marshall, who was Commandant of 301 Squadron, logged 500 hours in the IAC RF.172s in 1994-96. He described three typical missions flown by the IAC Cessnas.

“Top cover” for large quantities of cash transported by road around the country, serving as communications relay between headquarters and the ground escort.
Fishery patrols along the river and coastline in remote, scenic portions of Ireland, a mission that never lacked for volunteers!
Drogue towing for the Artillery Corps, a mission with few volunteers that involved winching the target drogue out to about a kilometer behind the aircraft while the arty folks shot at it (Eoin said all turns had to be made into the wind with a shallow bank to prevent the aircraft from striking the drogue or its connecting wire).

IAC pilots also flew their Cessnas for parachute training, organ transplant transfer, VIP transport, visual and photo recce, formation display, and radar calibration flights.

Eoin explained one of the FR.172’s most important advantages to the IAC:

It is a very forgiving aircraft to fly. The pilots who fly them are generally quite young and inexperienced. It provides them with an ideal platform with which to hone their piloting skills and is forgiving enough to allow them to build up their experience safely.