GetWiki

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

factoids

| website = Air Corps| metric-elev =| metric-rwy =| r1-number = 04/22| r1-length-f = 4,800| r1-length-m = 1,463Asphalt concrete>Asphalt| r2-number = 10/28| r2-length-f = 6,001| r2-length-m = 1,829Asphalt concrete>Asphalt| stat-year =| stat1-header =| stat1-data =| stat2-header =| stat2-data =| footnotes =}}Casement Aerodrome () or Baldonnel Aerodrome {{Airport codes||EIME}} is a military airbase to the southwest of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole airfield of the Irish Air Corps, and is also used for other government purposes.The airport is the property of the Irish Department of Defence. Baldonnel Aerodrome is also the home of the Garda Air Support Unit.WEB,weblink Air Support Unit - An Garda Síochána - Ireland's National Police Service, 2013-06-30, 2014-04-16,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140416080503weblink">weblink live,

History

The airfield was first laid out in 1917 and was used by the Royal Flying Corps (soon to become the Royal Air Force). It was part of the RAF's Ireland Command.In 1919, civilian flights commenced, with a service from London.The aerodrome was originally run by two pilots from the Royal Air Force. The airfield was the one from which the first successful east–west Atlantic crossing by a Junkers W33 aeroplane, the Bremen, took off on 12 April 1928 with Baron Hünefeld, Hermann Köhl and Captain James Fitzmaurice as co-pilot;WEB,weblink Casement Aerodrome: History, Met Éireann, 2011, 7 February 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120306040724weblink">weblink 6 March 2012, dead, and the first Aer Lingus flight took place from here on 27 May 1936.WEB,weblink Aer Lingus Group plc - Company History, FundingUniverse LLC, 2010-11-06, 2012-10-20,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121020100219weblink">weblink live, It was also the destination at which Douglas Corrigan landed on his famous 'wrong way' flight across the Atlantic on 18 July 1938.WEB, Sears, Stan, Corrigan's Way: Right or Wrong, He Made His Mark on History, Airport Journals, March 2005,weblink 2016-11-16, 2016-11-17,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161117064155weblink">weblink live, In February 1965 Baldonnel was renamed Casement Aerodrome in honour of the Irish nationalist Roger Casement, executed for treason by the British in 1916.Comdt Peter Tormey & Capt Kevin Byrne, Irish Air Corps: A View from the Tower, Defence Forces Printing Press 1991In 1995 it was suggested that it be used as a second commercial airport for Dublin, especially for low-cost carriers such as Ryanair.NEWS, McConnell, Daniel,weblink Minister Kenny rejected plan for second airport, Irish Independent, 2007-01-14, 2010-11-06, 2016-11-17,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161117064245weblink">weblink live, Anti-war activists have accused the government of allowing the aerodrome's use as a US military stopover hub, with protests in 2006 leading to arrests.(Irish Times, 18/4/06) In March 2002, Michael Smith, the Minister for Defence, confirmed that since September 2001, 22 US military aircraft had landed at the aerodrome.NEWS, Healy, Alison,weblink TDs call for free vote on Shannon issue, Irish Times, 2003-03-19, 2010-11-06, 2016-12-20,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161220124012weblink">weblink live, There has also been speculation since the early 2000s that Casement Aerodrome is used as an airport by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for their extraordinary rendition programme. Similar claims have been made with regard to Shannon Airport, but as Baldonnel is a military airport, it is impossible to verify.NEWS, Norris: CIA 'using Baldonnel airport',weblink 10 May 2014, Breaking News ie, 20 December 2005, 17 November 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161117063235weblink">weblink live, Queen Elizabeth II landed at Casement Aerodrome on 17 May 2011, beginning her state visit to Ireland.NEWS,weblink Queen begins first state visit to Republic of Ireland, 17 May 2011, BBC News, 12 September 2022,

Climate

{{Weather box|width=auto|location = Dublin (Casement), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1958–present|metric first = y|single line = y|Jan record high C = 15.4|Feb record high C = 15.9|Mar record high C = 21.0|Apr record high C = 22.7|May record high C = 24.9|Jun record high C = 27.6|Jul record high C = 31.9|Aug record high C = 30.5|Sep record high C = 25.4|Oct record high C = 23.4|Nov record high C = 17.7|Dec record high C = 15.4|Jan high C = 8.0|Feb high C = 8.2|Mar high C = 10.2|Apr high C = 12.4|May high C = 15.2|Jun high C = 17.9|Jul high C = 19.8|Aug high C = 19.5|Sep high C = 17.1|Oct high C = 13.6|Nov high C = 10.2|Dec high C = 8.3|year high C = 13.4|Jan mean C = 5.1|Feb mean C = 5.1|Mar mean C = 6.8|Apr mean C = 8.2|May mean C = 10.9|Jun mean C = 13.6|Jul mean C = 15.7|Aug mean C = 15.4|Sep mean C = 13.3|Oct mean C = 10.3|Nov mean C = 7.2|Dec mean C = 5.4|year mean C = 9.7|Jan low C = 2.1|Feb low C = 2.0|Mar low C = 3.3|Apr low C = 4.1|May low C = 6.6|Jun low C = 9.4|Jul low C = 11.5|Aug low C = 11.3|Sep low C = 9.5|Oct low C = 7.0|Nov low C = 4.2|Dec low C = 2.4|year low C = 6.1|Jan record low C = -13.2|Feb record low C = -10.3|Mar record low C = -9.8|Apr record low C = -5.5|May record low C = -3.0|Jun record low C = -0.7|Jul record low C = 2.5|Aug record low C = 1.5|Sep record low C = -0.3|Oct record low C = -4.1|Nov record low C = -9.1|Dec record low C = -15.7| precipitation colour = green|Jan precipitation mm = 63.8|Feb precipitation mm = 48.5|Mar precipitation mm = 50.7|Apr precipitation mm = 51.9|May precipitation mm = 59.1|Jun precipitation mm = 62.5|Jul precipitation mm = 54.2|Aug precipitation mm = 72.3|Sep precipitation mm = 60.3|Oct precipitation mm = 81.6|Nov precipitation mm = 73.7|Dec precipitation mm = 75.7|year precipitation mm = 754.2|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm|Jan precipitation days = 12|Feb precipitation days = 10|Mar precipitation days = 11|Apr precipitation days = 10|May precipitation days = 11|Jun precipitation days = 10|Jul precipitation days = 10|Aug precipitation days = 11|Sep precipitation days = 10|Oct precipitation days = 12|Nov precipitation days = 11|Dec precipitation days = 12|year precipitation days = 130|Jan snow days = 4.1|Feb snow days = 3.9|Mar snow days = 2.5|Apr snow days = 1.1|May snow days = 0.1|Jun snow days = 0.0|Jul snow days = 0.0|Aug snow days = 0.0|Sep snow days = 0.0|Oct snow days = 0.0|Nov snow days = 0.5|Dec snow days = 2.3|year snow days = 14.6|time day = 15:00 UTC|Jan humidity = 82.2|Feb humidity = 76.7|Mar humidity = 71.8|Apr humidity = 67.7|May humidity = 67.3|Jun humidity = 67.9|Jul humidity = 68.9|Aug humidity = 69.0|Sep humidity = 71.8|Oct humidity = 76.6|Nov humidity = 81.6|Dec humidity = 84.1|year humidity = 73.8|Jan sun = 52.7|Feb sun = 70.6|Mar sun = 102.3|Apr sun = 153.0|May sun = 186.0|Jun sun = 159.0|Jul sun = 151.9|Aug sun = 148.8|Sep sun = 123.0|Oct sun = 102.3|Nov sun = 66.0|Dec sun = 46.5|year sun =|Jand sun = 1.7|Febd sun = 2.5|Mard sun = 3.3|Aprd sun = 5.1|Mayd sun = 6.0|Jund sun = 5.3|Juld sun = 4.9|Augd sun = 4.8|Sepd sun = 4.1|Octd sun = 3.3|Novd sun = 2.2|Decd sun = 1.5|yeard sun = 3.7|source = Met ÉireannWEB,weblink Casement Airport 1981–2010 averages, Met Éireann, 13 October 2016, WEB , WEB , }}File:Aerial travel for Business or Pleasure - Thos Cook & Son - 1919 - pp 16+ (map).jpg|thumb|upright|"Map of Air Routes and Landing Places in Great Britain, as temporarily arranged by the Air Ministry for civilian flying", published in 1919, showing the route between Baldonnel and Hounslow, near London]]

See also

• List of Irish military installations

References

{{reflist}}

External links

• On Golden Wings - YouTube video documentary history of the Air Corp

{{Irish Air Corps}}{{Irish Defence Forces}}{{Airports of Ireland}}{{Dublin transport}}{{authority control}}