CONNAUGHT (KNOCK)   EIKN

Date of Visit = May 2000

Pilot: = Chris Belton

e-mail = chris@yarboo.freeserve.co.uk

Field Report =

We arrived from the Isle of Man, and flew the whole width of Ireland without talking to anyone (apparently the only Flight Information Service over most of southern Ireland is from the airlines frequencies (.....Control), and we didn't get anywhere with these, probably because we were too low.

Not that this was a problem: we soon picked up Connaught VOR as a confidence booster, and eventually Connaught TWR, who couldn't have been more helpful. Knock airport is famous for its position, smack on top of a hill: even if there are no clouds anywhere else, there could well be one there, so be sure to get a METAR as well as an area forecast. They were just closing when we got there, and we had a problem dragging all the luggage to the terminal until we found a trolley, which shouldn't have been there.

A recently unveiled statue of Jesus Christ stands at the side of the apron, blessed by the Archbishop. Knock is a well-known pilgrim destination, so presumably this modern facility owes its existance at least in part to its holy patron. Not sure about the position of the statue: it's a bit close to the edge...

God is my co-pilot....OR: how long before he loses his head!

We stayed a few days with English friends in the area who had bought a small farm there a few years ago. It was idyllic (in the summer at least), on the edge of a stream with crayfish in, but a lot of work. Half of their land is bog, for peat cutting.

Peat cutter. Most of the work now is done with machines. The compressed, extruded peat is lying in strips on the verge.

When we were preparing to leave Knock airport, things started to get complicated in the briefing room: the weather forecaster wanted notice to get the weather info, which would eventually be sent down. Eventually though, when we spoke to him on the phone he simply told us to go back through security and up to the weather office, and immediately prepared us a complete dossier of information. Long may this wonderful facility continue!