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A Journey to the Heart of Scottish Whisky Country

by | Mar 25, 2023 | Airport News, Aviation News, Spotting

Loganair’s Islay Flight: A Journey to the Heart of Scottish Whisky Country

For whisky enthusiasts, Islay is a must-visit destination in Scotland. Known as the “Queen of the Hebrides,” Islay is home to eight working distilleries that produce some of the most famous single malts in the world. Getting to Islay, however, can be a challenge, especially if you’re traveling from Glasgow. Fortunately, Loganair offers a convenient and comfortable flight service that connects Glasgow to Islay throughout the year.

Loganair is a Scottish regional airline that has been in operation since 1962. It operates a fleet of 44 aircraft and serves more than 40 destinations across the UK, Ireland, and Europe. One of its key routes is the Glasgow to Islay service, which runs multiple times a day and takes just 30 minutes.

The flight departs from Glasgow Airport, which is easily accessible by public transport or car. The airport has a range of facilities, including restaurants, shops, and lounges, making it a comfortable place to start your journey. Once you’ve checked in and passed through security, you’ll board your Loganair plane and take your seat.

Loganair’s planes are comfortable and modern, with plenty of legroom and overhead storage space. On the Glasgow to Islay route, you’ll typically fly on a Saab 340, which seats up to 34 passengers. The plane is well-suited to the short flight, and you’ll enjoy great views of Scotland’s west coast as you make your way to Islay.

Upon arrival at Islay Airport, you’ll be struck by the island’s rugged beauty. Islay has a population of around 3,000 people and is known for its wild landscapes, historic sites, and, of course, its whisky. The airport is just a few miles from the island’s largest town, Bowmore, and you can easily hire a car or catch a taxi to get to your accommodation.

Loganair’s Glasgow to Islay service is a great way to explore Scotland’s whisky country. Whether you’re a seasoned whisky drinker or a curious beginner, Islay’s distilleries offer something for everyone. From Lagavulin’s smoky, peaty malts to Bruichladdich’s experimental spirits, you’ll discover a range of flavors and techniques that are unique to the island.

In addition to whisky, Islay has a rich cultural heritage that’s worth exploring. The island is home to numerous historic sites, including the ancient Kildalton Cross and the medieval Kilchoman Church. You can also visit the beautiful beaches, go bird-watching, or take a hike in the hills.

Overall, Loganair’s Islay service from Glasgow is a fantastic way to experience Scotland’s west coast. With convenient flight times, comfortable planes, and stunning scenery, it’s a journey you won’t forget. So why not book your ticket today and discover the magic of Islay for yourself?

 

MH370 – Will it be found?

by | Mar 16, 2023 | Airport History, Airport News, Aviation News, Book Reviews, Spotting, Spotting News, Wrecks and Relics

On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The disappearance of the Boeing 777-200ER remains one of the most puzzling aviation mysteries of all time. Despite extensive search efforts, the wreckage of the plane has never been found, and the fate of the 239 people on board remains unknown.

The initial search for the plane focused on the South China Sea, where it was believed to have crashed. However, subsequent investigations suggested that the plane had flown off course and may have ended up in the southern Indian Ocean. This led to a massive search effort involving more than two dozen countries, but no trace of the plane was found.

The disappearance of MH370 raised many questions about the safety of air travel and the ability of modern technology to track planes. The plane’s communication systems were deliberately turned off, suggesting that someone on board had hijacked the aircraft. This has led to theories that the plane was intentionally diverted and may have been flown to a remote location.

The search for MH370 was one of the most expensive and extensive in aviation history, costing an estimated $150 million. The search involved advanced underwater search technology, including autonomous underwater vehicles and towed sonar systems. Despite these efforts, the wreckage of the plane has never been found, leading some to speculate that the search was not thorough enough or that the plane may have been deliberately hidden.

The disappearance of MH370 has had a profound impact on the aviation industry. It has led to increased scrutiny of airline safety procedures, including the use of satellite tracking systems and cockpit security measures. It has also raised concerns about the need for improved communication and coordination between airlines and aviation authorities.

In addition to the technical and operational questions raised by the disappearance of MH370, there have also been emotional and psychological impacts on the families of the passengers and crew. For many, the lack of closure and the uncertainty surrounding the fate of their loved ones has been devastating.

In conclusion, the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 remains one of the most baffling aviation mysteries of all time. The extensive search efforts have failed to locate the wreckage of the plane, leaving many questions unanswered. The incident has had far-reaching implications for the aviation industry and has led to increased scrutiny of safety procedures and technology. Despite the passage of time, the search for answers continues, and the families of the passengers and crew remain in search of closure.

RAF Coronation Review 1953

by | Jan 18, 2023 | Aviation News, Spotting, Website Review, Wrecks and Relics

The RAF Coronation Review at RAF Odiham on the 15th of July 1953, this was a spectacle that will probably never be repeated – almost one thousand static and flying aircraft. This was purely an Air Forces event, with contributions from Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The other services were all involved in their own Coronation Year reviews. The Royal Navy including the Fleet Air Arm had it’s own review on the 15th June 1953 with over 300 participating aircraft, the aircaft from Canada and Australia the Fleet Air Arm.

Below is a video of the event, somewhat condensed but it is pretty spectacular nonetheless. I’m pretty sure that the next Coronation Review will probably have fewer participants, so watch the video and feel the nostalgia.

I found the video purely by accident, but found it to be realy interesting. The whole flypast is there, representing all the RAF types in service at the time – some of which were in service for a number of years.

As a plane spotter I’d love to see an actual log, both the static and the flying aircraft. The sheer number of aircraft must have made for a real spectacle, they did allow paying members of the public in.

Obviously there will be an other Coronation later this year, at this time I’m unaware of any mention of a review of the armed forces – I found the above video while I was searching for anything about one. So I guess I’ll just have to keep looking, I’m sure that there will at least be a flypast on the day, or possibly soon after.

But in the mean time, enjoy the video!

Spotter Evolution – Notebook to Netbook.

by | Oct 29, 2022 | Application, Aviation News, Radio, Spotting, Spotting News

Since the beginning of Aircraft Spotting, whenever it was – things have moved on apace. As I’ve said elsewhere on the site, I started with a notebook and a pencil – while I was still at primary school. Now a pensioner, the hobby is still the same – but the goodies that assist have changed out of all recognition.

When I started spotting, the airport didn’t really have a fence and you could get close enough to identify the aircraft. Now you can see a contrail at 50 miles and identify the aircraft making it in just a few seconds, depending on conditions and location you can see contrails a lot further away than 50 miles. The advancing technology has changed the way that most people spot, I’ve seen us all trek out of the pub to stand and watch something go overhead on a clear night.

It used to be that there were a number of ways of finding information on arrivals and departures at an airport, there was many a time where you sneaked a look at the board that had the aircraft listed. Or you heard through the local spotters network, or you were just there at the right time.

Now you can identify an aircraft pretty much anywhere in the world, you can go further and show only aircraft that will arrive at a specific airport from the thousands in the air at any given moment. In an instant you can have all the information that you would need, information that you couldn’t get 20 years ago – when even if you could see the head of the trail and could identify the type finding out any more information was difficult.

 Now I have a second screen on my PC which has a permanent window on the aviation world, showing an area about 40 miles East and West of me and 25 miles North and South. It’s about as much as I can see given the obstructions around where I live, when I lived in Skye the settings were about twice that distance as I could walk up the hill behind the house which allowed me to see much further.

If I’m logging everything then I can generally log 100+ in a fairly ordinary day, I’m not really a civil spotter anymore – my focus moved to military many years ago. But it doesn’t mean that I’m no longer interested in civil aviation, just that it is a secondary interest now – there are exceptions I’ll make a trip to the airport to see something older and more interesting to me than the modern Boeings and Airbus that are now the mainstay of civil aviation.

Now I can see it a long way out and decide if I want to be there when it arrives, or if I want to just pop down and see it when it is in. All on my computer or phone, although I still write any details that I want to record in my notebook with a pencil or pen having gone up in the world.

 

Canadian Work Horse

by | Sep 25, 2022 | Aviation News, Website Review

The de Havilland DHC-2 “Beaver”, an aircraft for the bush pilots of Canada. Designed by a small team, with significant input from the potential customer base – yes the design and sales team actually did market research. Was designed and manufactured in Downsville Ontario, first flew on the 16th August 1947.

The original design called for the aircraft to be powered by de Havilland’s own Gipsy engine, but an offer of the Pratt & Whitney Junior Wasp at a bargain basement price was too good to refuse. The increased power of the Pratt & Whitney engine gave the Beaver outstanding STOL performance, this along with other design features were major selling points – although sales were slow at first.

The first production aircraft was delivered in April 1948, running all the way to 1967 where over 1,690 were finally delivered. With the United States Army being the customer for over half of the production. There are many sources of information available on the web for the “Beaver”, with one of the most comprehensive being Neil Aird’s site – with photographs of most of the production aircraft.

It is rumoured that someone once said that the “Beaver” only had to be faster than a dog sled to be a success, well it must have been faster than a dog sled – as it has been an outstanding success. It may well still be flying in it’s 100th year, with rights having been bought from Bombardier – we could even see it back in production at some point in the future.

There is now an “Electric Beaver” flying, a Harbour Air of Vancouver and Magnix collaboration. Although the infrastructure must be just enough for testing at the moment, I’m sure that there will be more available soon and the “Beaver” with it’s utilitarian function will be an aircraft that will be in the mix when the change to electic flight gains traction.

The definitive Boeing 707/C-135 book.

by | Jul 12, 2022 | Aviation News, Book Reviews, Spotting

The Boeing 707 was a great success, but it was probably most successful in it’s military guises. Known internally at Boeing as the ‘B717’, a designation that was re-used for the MD9 after the Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas merger. The militarised version had numerous military designations and although ageing, many are still in service with many of the worlds militaries today.

It is likely that a number of these will remain in service for an other 20 years or even longer, there are airframes that potentially could actually be flying antiques in the truest sense of the word.

Why was the aircraft such a success, it did what it said on the tin – the versatility and sturdiness of the militarised version have made it a winner. Operated in many varying roles by many air forces, the aircraft has a proven track record – delivering as they say a lot of bang for each buck.

The primary variants C, EC, KC, NC, RC, OC and WC only explain some of the geneology of the type. There were also the C137, E3, the E6 and a number of other variants – but ultimately these were all variants of the original Boeing 707.

All you ever wanted to know is covered in the book, it is a pretty definative work – very readable and great value. If you have an interest in the Boeing 707 or the C135, this book is a must extremely detailed and some fantastic illustrations just completes the book.