More hide and seek at Shannon.

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday March 12, 2003 13:47 by Tim Hourigan - Refuelling Peace

New airlines in, Gardai pretend not to notice.

I'm getting less computer time these days. Don't take the lack of reports as lack of planespotting. We're still out there, cos THEY'RE still out there.

In the past few weeks I've been stopped loads of times and searched TWICE while obviously NOT on airport property and not heading towards the airport.

I won't go into all of them. You'll have to wait for the book or the motion picture.

So anyhow, just two examples for you.

Myself and Graham went to the airport to keep an eye on the illegal activity (the cops don't want to do it)

We were there quite a while, in the industrial estate watching the airfield for flights.

besides the usual ATAs we notice that FedEx have started using the airport on a regular basis.

FedEx have hundreds of aircraft and a huge delivery business, but they don't usually come to Shannon.

stranger still, they parked their CARGO plane at the PASSENGER terminal.

This happened night after night with no sign of cargo being unloaded or unloaded.

I'm sure this has nothing to do with a recent call up of aircraft from the Pentagon Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF)

FedEx has 28 of the 212 commercial planes committed to Stage Two of CRAF, which was enlisted on a voluntary basis during the Gulf War, and 111 of the 684 planes in Stage Three, which would be activated only during a major global war.

FedEx flew 576 flights in support of the military during the Gulf War, carrying a third of all the cargo hauled by commercial airlines.

Originally it was thought FedEx might not see a lot of use, but perhaps the FedEx Md-11s are replacing the WORLD MD-11 aircraft no longer using Shannon.

Anyhow, we saw this and then started to walk home.

as we were walking back through the industrial estate a big silver UNMARKED 4 wheel drive came out of the airport at first it drove past us, then turned and sped up and screeched to a halt.

a Garda with a ski-mask/ hood jumped out and told us to stop walking. There was an Airport Police dude with him. Neither of them gave their name.
The garda displayed no numbers, but I subsequently saw him at Ennis garda Station
(CL 293)
The Garda removed his mask and demanded our names.
Graham and I were well used to this routine so it was no sking off our noses.
politely we gave our names.
Then our passports.
CL 293 asked where I was from.
I said I was from Limerick.
"Limerick is a big place" he grunted.
"Well I'm from Kennedy Park originally but I'm living in Shannon now if that's what you're asking"
"Don't get smart now. I asked you where you are FROM"
I'm not getting smart, I am from Limerick, and I live at 19 Inis Ealga."
he was thick like this for ages, just trying to assert himself. he could do with a conflict resolution course. recent trials of this in some Garda divisions have seen a 25% drop in complaints against Gardai.
next thing APO inspector Lynch pulls up in the AP 10 squad car (by the way we are DEFINITELY NOT in the airport)
then a Garda calling himself only Michael arrives in a van. Mike is normally stationed in Galway.
He asks for my ID. I tell him that his colleague has it.
After a search and more grunting from CL 293 we get to walk home. 20 minutes standing in the cold and listening to Mike say that he doesn't agree that the flights are illegal.

Last week, thursday night going into Friday.
wer had more company, Mayo Gardai and locals.

We saw ATA, FedEx and an antonov 22 working for the military.

So don't think they've gone away.

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