Site Developments

Since its foundation the Royal County had been flying from a piece of land at Coolronan near Ballivor which the club rented from the landowner.  Over the years the club outgrew that site and in July 2011 it was decided to approach Bord na Mona with a view to procuring a piece of used bog for use as a flying site.
The Bord’s representatives suggested a number of sites all of which were considered unsuitable for different reasons.  However in March 2012 one of the club members identified a section of used bog at Ballyhealy, beside a large area of uncut peatland.  Bord na Mona were approached again and they agreed that the club could develop and use the site as long a specific conditions were complied with.  These included clarifying our insurance cover and successfully obtaining the necessary planning permission for the site.
Planning permission was applied for in December 2012 and was granted in March 2013.  Finally, in August 2013 Bord na Mona issued a licence to the club for the development and use of the site.
The following slideshows show how the field has progressed since 2012.

This is how the site looked in 2012.

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_65461-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6548-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_65512-450x250.jpg

  The Entrance

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6552-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_65471-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6549-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6550-450x250.jpg

 

In December 2012 the Planning Permission notice was posted.

 

In December 2013 work started on the site.  The roadside ditch was piped and an entrance created.

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013-12-18-11.14.13-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013-12-18-11.14.16-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013-12-18-11.14.25-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013-12-18-11.14.46-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013-12-18-11.14.591-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013-12-18-11.16.02-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013-12-18-11.16.44-450x250.jpg

 

The site was found to be very waterlogged and in January 2014 work started on creating some drainage.  The existing drain on the perimeter of the site was cleared and directed to the existing outflow pipe.
This work fulfilled two purposes, it drained the flying site and also redirected the water flowing from the higher, uncut bog.

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013-12-22-10.25.07-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-01-16-11.16.25-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-01-16-11.19.33-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_7806-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_78101-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_78121-450x250.jpg

 

When the ground had dried out, the real work of clearing the runways began.  We had to wait until May 2014 for suitable weather conditions.

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-05-04-11.56.01-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8017

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8017-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8019

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_80191-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8020

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_80201-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8021

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8021-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8022

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8022-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8024

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8024-450x250.jpg

• The Long Runway

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_80381-450x250.jpg

• The Cross Runway Takes Shape

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_80401-450x250.jpg

• The Car Park

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_80411-450x250.jpg

• The Car Park

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_7999-450x250.jpg

• IMG_7996

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_7996-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-05-04-11.56.05-450x250.jpg

• http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-05-04-11.56.58-450x250.jpg

• 2014-05-04 11.57.19

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-05-04-11.57.19-450x250.jpg

• 2014-05-04 11.58.07

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-05-04-11.58.07-450x250.jpg

• 2014-05-04 11.58.09

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-05-04-11.58.09-450x250.jpg

• The Entrance

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-05-04-12.00.40-450x250.jpg

• IMG_7992

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_79921-450x250.jpg

• IMG_7994

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_79941-450x250.jpg

• IMG_7995

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_79951-450x250.jpg

• The Path

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8048-450x250.jpg

 

June 2014 was spent rolling, feeding and seeding the runways and car park.

• IMG_8053

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8053-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8058

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8058-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8059

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8059-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8060

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8060-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8055

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8055-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8054

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8054-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8121

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_81211-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8118

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8118-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8107

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8107-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8092

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8092-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8091

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8091-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8090

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8090-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8089

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_80891-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8057

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8057-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8056

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8056-450x250.jpg

• Preparing For The First Flight In Ballyhealy

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8061-450x250.jpg

• Ready For Take Off

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8068-450x250.jpg

• ... And Away

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8078-450x250.jpg

• And A Safe Return

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8079-450x250.jpg

 

Over the following weeks the ground conditions continued to improve and now the runways can be clearly seen from the air.

• f6.png

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/f6.png-450x250.jpg

• f5.png

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/f5.png-450x250.jpg

• Our Name Is On The Site....

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-08-13-13.33.19-450x250.jpg

• f4.png

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/f4.png-450x250.jpg

• f3.png

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/f3.png-450x250.jpg

• f8.png

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/f8.png-450x250.jpg

• Screenshot from 2014-07-07 21_06_20.png

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-from-2014-07-07-21_06_20.png-450x250.jpg

• Screenshot from 2014-07-11 09_48_53.png

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-from-2014-07-11-09_48_53.png-450x250.jpg

• Screenshot from 2014-07-11 09_50_31.png

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-from-2014-07-11-09_50_31.png-450x250.jpg

 

By the Autumn, the grass had started to appear.

• IMG_8381

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_83811-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8380

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8380-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8382

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8382-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8383

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8383-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8384

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8384-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8386

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_83863-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8387

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8387-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8388

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_83881-450x250.jpg

 

The entrance looking a bit sad in December 2014.

 

When the weather improved work started again in February 2015.

• The Retrival Bridge is put in place

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-02-14-11.23.52-450x250.jpg

• 2015-02-14 11.24.21

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-02-14-11.24.211-450x250.jpg

• Clearing scrub where the pits will be located

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-02-25-11.14.431-450x250.jpg

 

April 2015, some more scrub is cleared, the entrance takes shape, the pits are ready and the members move in.

• 2015-04-14 16.06.50

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-04-14-16.06.50-450x250.jpg

• 2015-04-14 16.06.56

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-04-14-16.06.56-450x250.jpg

• 2015-04-14 17.06.29

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-04-14-17.06.29-450x250.jpg

• 2015-04-18 12.23.56

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-04-18-12.23.56-450x250.jpg

• 2015-04-18 12.24.05

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-04-18-12.24.05-450x250.jpg

• The pits are ready for action.

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/20150729_143545-450x250.jpg

• First club day in ballyhealy.

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-04-19-12.46.47-11-450x250.jpg

• and the real business starts.

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-05-30-12.14.541-450x250.jpg

 

June and its back to levelling, rolling, feeding and seeding.  The long runway gets extended.

• 2015-06-04 11.12.19

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-06-04-11.12.191-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8662

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_86621-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8661

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_86611-450x250.jpg

• 2015-06-029

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-06-029-450x250.jpg

• 2015-06-028

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-06-028-450x250.jpg

• 2015-06-026

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-06-026-450x250.jpg

• 2015-06-25 15.26.43

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-06-25-15.26.43-450x250.jpg

• 2015-06-25 15.25.58

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-06-25-15.25.58-450x250.jpg

• 2015-06-25 15.25.53

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-06-25-15.25.53-450x250.jpg

• 2015-06-25 12.28.33

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-06-25-12.28.33-450x250.jpg

• 2015-06-04 11.12.29

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-06-04-11.12.29-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8665

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_86651-450x250.jpg

 

By August the surface was well established.

• Fullscreen capture 17082015 215533.bmp

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/Fullscreen-capture-17082015-215533.bmp1-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8829

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8829-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8835

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8835-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8831

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8831-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8841

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_88411-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8862

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8862-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8863

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8863-450x250.jpg

 

And Declan moved the trees back …

• After

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_88331-450x250.jpg

• Before

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015-06-25-12.28.331-450x250.jpg

 

In the interests of safer flying the committee decided in October that some of the high scrub should be cleared in order to improve visibility from the flight lines and make the cross runway more usable.

• IMG_8956

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8956-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8986

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8986-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8983

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8983-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8982

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8982-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8979

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8979-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8977

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8977-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8973

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8973-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8972

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8972-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8971

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8971-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8970

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8970-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8959

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8959-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8958

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8958-450x250.jpg

• Fullscreen capture 18102015 174557.bmp

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/Fullscreen-capture-18102015-174557.bmp-450x250.jpg

• Fullscreen capture 18102015 174359.bmp

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/Fullscreen-capture-18102015-174359.bmp-450x250.jpg

• IMG_8987

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8987-450x250.jpg

 

On a cold wet Saturday in November a group of members started work on a weather shelter in the pits.

• An early start

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9050-450x250.jpg

• Laying out the base

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9051-450x250.jpg

• the base units are welded together

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9053-450x250.jpg

• the uprights are welded into position

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9056-450x250.jpg

• a welcome break in the weather

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9059-450x250.jpg

• time to call it a day

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9062-450x250.jpg

 

Bad weather delayed the completion of the structure until late January 2016.

• Early Saturday the roof panels are put in place.

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9146-450x250.jpg

• The roof panels are secured with 100 high tensile screws.

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9147-450x250.jpg

• The side sheeting is put in place.

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9149-450x250.jpg

• Taking shape.

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9150-450x250.jpg

• IMG_9152

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9152-450x250.jpg

• Philip and Gerry working hard with the nail gun.

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9154-450x250.jpg

• Finished at last.

  http://www.royalcountyflyers.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9155-450x250.jpg

 

The finished product…..