Limerick Flying Club

Limerick Flying Club congratulates our newest PPL Pawel Szlawski. He passed his flight test this afternoon at Coonagh under the watchful eye of IAA Examiner Gerry Humphreys. Well done Pawel

As the sun rises above a cold and frosty Coonagh Aerodrome this Christmas morning, we at Limerick Flying Club would like to wish all our members, including past members scattered across the globe, friends, suppliers and very importantly our neighbours in Coonagh a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas

We take pleasure in seeing the progress of our students through their flight training and on to bigger and better things. In February 2024 we bade farewell to Davida O'Brien and Rian O'Halloran as they headed off on the first leg of their journey as cadets with Aer Lingus in Jerez, Spain.

In June 2025 they graduated at Jerez. Since then they have both have undergone intensive training on Flight Simulators and in the Airbus 320.

In the past couple of weeks both have completed their training and Line Checks and are now qualified First Officers flying Aer Lingus A320's around Europe.

It was great to welcome them both back to Coonagh today for our Christmas Brunch which was attended by some forty members.

We extend best wishes to both Davida and Rian in their careers.

Article published on Flying in Ireland today. Sincere thanks to Mark Dwyer and FII team for recognition and support for Limerick Flying Club.

Limerick Flying Club Named Aviation Company of the Year at Industry Awards
Mark Dwyer
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Mark Dwyer
December 7, 2025
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Limerick Flying Club has achieved a remarkable milestone by being named Aviation Company of the Year at the prestigious Aviation Industry Awards 2025, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry on Friday, 28th November. The club also secured the General & Sport Aviation Award, making it a double win on the night.

The Aviation Company of the Year accolade is determined by comparing the aggregate scores of all 13 category winners, with Limerick Flying Club emerging as the highest-scoring entrant. Categories included diverse areas such as airport operations, technology, sustainability, and innovation, highlighting the breadth of competition across the industry.

Founded in 1971, Limerick Flying Club is based at Coonagh Aerodrome, just 2NM west of Limerick City. The club was established by aviation enthusiasts following the relocation of Shannon Flying Services to Galway, leaving Coonagh without aircraft or instructors. The founding committee, Foncy Hobbins, Brendan Beegan, and Bryan Carpenter, formalised the club and acquired its first aircraft, a Cessna 150E (EI-AOO), delivered on 6th February 1971.

Over the decades, the club has grown from a handful of members to a thriving community of over 100 members, operating modern Tecnam aircraft alongside privately owned planes. It offers flight training, aircraft rental, and a strong social dimension, hosting events and fostering aviation culture in the region. Coonagh Aerodrome itself is a unique airfield with a 416m hard-surface runway, requiring careful handling due to its narrow dimensions.

Limerick Flying Club’s recognition at the Aviation Industry Awards underscores the importance of grassroots aviation in Ireland. Clubs like LFC not only train future pilots but also preserve the heritage and passion for flying that fuels the broader aviation sector.

Limerick Flying Club is thrilled to announce that having entered the Irish Aviation Industry Awards some months ago we were announced as winners of the General and Sport Aviation Category at the Awards ceremony on Friday. However the biggest surprise was when we were also announced as the overall winners as Aviation Company of the Year.

This was determined by comparing the aggregate scores of each of the 13 category winner where we had achieved the highest winning score. The categories included multiple sectoral services including HR, Women in Aviation, airport operations, technology, environmental and innovation amongst others.

This is fantastic recognition for general aviation in Ireland and the members of Limerick Flying Club based at Coonagh.

We are delighted to share with the permission of the photographer John McDermott, this spectacular photo of our Tecnam EI-JPK . John uses his knowledge and love of aviation to create these shots. He took this one over a period of time from just before dusk into darkness using multiple shots of varying lengths of exposure. The technique is called Fine Art Light Painting

Today at Coonagh we held our bi-annual Safety Training day including first aid. fire fighting and emergency response procedures. Over forty members attended the event which is requirement for our Aerodrome Licence renewal. We are grateful for the support of Limerick Fire and Rescue Service, National Ambulance Service and our course presenters - STAC and AntiFyre.

The photos capture the attendance and the different aspects of the event. Another box ticked.

Following recent surface repairs and upgrades to our runway coupled with repainting the runway and taxiway markings, club member William Gaule took this photo using a drone.

All three Tecnams can be seen ready for another busy day of flight operations.

We wish to extend congratulations to one of our younger members Gavin Sheils on his first solo at Coonagh today. He is seen here with his instructor Neil Rankin after his flight. Well done Gavin

We at Coonagh are delighted to have gotten 2025 off to a brilliant start. Today we celebrate two First Solo flights. First up was John Drysdale followed a couple of hours later by James Hamilton. Congratulations to you both from everyone in the club.

The photos show John and James respectively being congratulated by their instructor Neil Rankin.