Foynes Flying Boat Festival

Limerick Radio Club participated in the Foynes Flying Boat Festival last weekend.

As part of the festival, a re-enactment of the original 1937 flying boat flight from Botwood, Newfoundland to Foynes was planned, using a Canso A C-FPQM flying boat.

However because of mechanical problems with one of the engines the flight had to be postponed at the last minute. The pilots did travel to Foynes for the festival and assured everyone that the re-enactment flight will be completed at a later date, once the aircraft is repaired.

Limerick Radio Club operated two HF stations and one VHF Station over the three-day festival, using the special call sign EI7ØFOY. Despite band conditions a large number of stations were worked, mainly on 20 metres. The transceivers in use were an Icom 756 Pro 2 and a TenTec Jupiter and the antennae a Cushcraft A4S beam at 60 ft and a G5RV.

The following participated in the event:
EI2GT, EI8EM, I2AW, EI0DJ, I2IX, EI6IW, EI7ALB, EI9IY, EI3AL, EI0CZ, EI8GY, EI9AL, EI9CI and SWL’S Breada Cronin EI896 and Damien Brown. The QSL Manager for the special event is Alan Cronin EI8EM at QTHR.

The Club would like to thank Ms Margaret O’Shaughnessy,
Museum Curator, for the invitation to participate in the festival and for providing the necessary facilities to the Club members.

Source: IRTS