The two Air Corps Lieutenant Mohans with their grandmother Teresa (centre), parents Brian and Geraldine and brother Barry (left) and sister Aoife Swarbrick (right) at the ceremony in Baldonnel. Photo courtesy of Brian Mohan

HIGH FLYING MOHAN TWINS CELEBRATE AIR CORPS COMMISSIONS  

Northern Standard  Carrickmacross News Thursday 16th April

It was a proud moment for grandmother Teresa Mohan from Woodlands in Carrickmacross as she saw her twin grandson Frankie Mohan receive his Air Corps pilot’s wings and his commission as an army Lieutenant. There was a double reason for celebration at the Air Corps headquarters at Baldonnel in County Dublin. Frankie was joining his twin brother Eugene, who had been commissioned in February last year, and is already serving in the Air Corps. The two Lieutenants were accompanied by their parents, Garda Inspector Brian Mohan (based in Dundalk) and Geraldine, who is originally from Essexford, Killany.

Brian’s brother Niall Mohan, his wife Lorraine and son Barry, all from Carrickmacross, were at the ceremony, along with his sister Sadie Maloney, now living in Ennis. His brother-in-law Francie Thornton and his wife Anne, also from Carrickmacross, were there along with other family and friends. They included the twins’ sister Aoife, who is married to Dave Swarbrick, an airline captain based in Dubai, and their five months old son Harry.

Lieutenants Frankie and Eugene Mohan with Air Corps Chaplain Fr Jerry Carroll and their grandmother Teresa Mohan from Carrickmacross. Photo courtesy of Brian Mohan

The ceremony at Baldonnel began with Mass celebrated by the Air Corps chaplain, Fr Jerry Carroll from Carrickmacross. He is a former pupil of St Macartan’s College, Monaghan, which he attended along with Brian Mohan. Fr Jerry anointed the hands of the new pilots, who were presented with their wings by the General Officer Commanding the Air Corps, Brigadier General Paul Fry. In the presence of the Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Conor O’Boyle, they were then presented by the Minister for Defence Simon Coveney T.D. with their presidential commissions. The other four class members were

Mark Doyle, David Finnegan, Kevin Fitzgerald and James Northover. During the Wings ceremony, Brigadier General Fry congratulated the new pilots on their achievements and thanked their families and friends for supporting them throughout their cadetship.

Frankie Mohan was one of five in the 31st Regular Air Corps Cadet Class and began his cadetship in September 2012. The first ten months was the most challenging, as it was spent on military socialisation in the Curragh. It involved rigorous physical training, military drills, deportment, field craft and weapons handling.

Frankie went to Baldonnel to begin his flight training in July 2013. This lasted for eight months and involved instruction on fifteen diverse aviation related subjects, ranging from principles of flight to human performance and limitations. The class trained internally in the Flight Training School and externally with the Irish Aviation Authority, qualifying them to EASA Airline Transport Pilots License standard.

Eugene Mohan was one of three members of the 30th Air Corps Cadet Class and began his cadetship in September 2011. He went through the same arduous training and has recently completed his training as a helicopter pilot. Their parents Brian and Geraldine extended a huge congratulations to the twins, who they said had worked extremely hard to achieve their dreams. Eugene, who studied engineering at DIT Bolton Street had applied to join the Cadets on five occasions and never gave up hope that one day he would be an Air Corps pilot. Frankie, an engineering graduate of TCD, gave up a lucrative commercial diving engineer’s job to realise his dream of becoming a pilot. Now the Mohan twins are flying high together, in the service of the state.