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.

Prestwick and the C17

by | Jul 11, 2022 | Airport News, Aviation News, Database, Online Logging, Spotting, Spotting Locations

Prestwick, long used as the jumping off point or arrival point for transports crossing the Pond. The main recognition started during the second world war, when it’s excellent fog free record was pointed out by Captain Duncan Macintosh. During the war years, there were huge numbers of Lend Lease aircraft transiting through Prestwick.

Still used as a stopover location for trans-atlantic traffic, now experiencing a revival for military traffic especially given the situation in Ukraine. It is unlikely to see the kinds of volumes of visitors it attracted in the 1960’s and 70’s, but there has been more traffic about that is obvious.

Conveniently placed, Prestwick has over the years seen it’s fair share of traffic – both East and West bound. The table below is the C17 traffic for the past few years and is an extract from my Prestwick historical log going back to 2016, there have been a lot through over that time. As to searching the table, by default any search string will be automatically search any field, however there is a drop down at the right side of the search box – this can be used to filter searches.

 

The C-17 at Prestwick

Prestwick – 2021 Log

by | Jun 28, 2022 | Airport News, Aviation News, Book Reviews, Online Logging, Spotting

So the testing of the tables and the search facility continues, this data set now comprises a full year of visitors to Prestwick. The based aircraft are not incorporated in the log, mainly due to the fact that each one would add 365 rows to the table – and a search would likely return 365 rows of data.

In order that the table is displayed properly it is at the bottom of the post, where it should be out the way of the rest of the post. The next test will be to break the year down into individual months, I’m going to experiment with various layouts and content to see what works best.

Some additional search and filtering tips, there is now a dropdown at the right hand side if the search bar. This allows the fields searched to be toggled on or off, this will allow more controlled searching and should make life a little easier.

It is possible to order the data by any of the column headings, simply click on the heading to order by alphanumeric ascending or decending – this will work on search results if required.

The data comes from a number of public sources, I have automated some of the data collection and hope to improve it over time.

Additionally I have started on the automation of the building of the logs but there is still some manual intervention required, it is still a manual proces to put it in the database – but eventually I may be able to automate some of the steps.

Visitor Log Prestwick (EGPK) 2021

Testing a bigger Log

by | Jun 17, 2022 | Airport News, Database, Spotting, Spotting Locations

So again some testing of a log file, this one is for Prestwick, for January and February 2021. This doesn’t include based stuff, that would make the file pretty large and to be honest a registration search would return 365 hits – so not practical.

The data has been sourced from a number of places, it is somewhat limited and would be the type of data that a spotter with a radio and a pen and notebook would typically collect on a visit to the Airport – so does kind of reflect a personal log.

 

Putting the data together was a little time consuming, however I will automate that as much as I can and should be able to speed the process up significantly. The sample data set was created manually, so there may be some typo’s in it – anyway here is the first largeish table with a little guidance as well.

The table can be sorted on a column, by clicking on the heading – obviously the usual constraints apply for date formats. You can sort by date, but the first of January will be followed by the first of February – so please bear that in mind.

There is a free text search, this will return matching values as a guide – searching for “135” will return all matching rows and as an example 12-135(Serial), KC135(Model), AFR1135(Callsign) and ERJ135(Model) would all be returned. It is possible to combine search terms, these should be separated by a space as an example “Boeing 747” without the quote marks.

Prestwick Log January and February 2021

 

Prestwick of Old

by | Mar 13, 2021 | Airport News

 

Being a Glasgow spotter, in my early years in the hobby a trip to Prestwick was an event. Usually only at weekends and during the school holidays, but there was the very odd day where “bunking off” was in order if something special was due in. Note the use of the term “bunking off”, the often used term “dogging” now has unfortunate connotations but it was what we called skipping a day at school.

Now I live around 20 minutes from Prestwick, but due to Covid-19 I have only managed down a few times – in reality less frequently than when I was a teenager dependent on public transport.

But it was great just to take a flyer down to Prestwick on spec, there used to be some great stuff turn up unexpectedly. Still we are where we are and it’s likely to be lock down for an other couple of months.

For Prestwick spotters, 2020 was a pretty good year if you could escape lock down and get to see what was there. The couple of exercises and the deployment of the US Navy P-8’s meant that it was pretty busy, but technically we weren’t allowed out to see anything.

The new hangers that have and are still being built at Prestwick have restricted the viewing angles, but not so much that you can’t get any pictures. You can still easily access much of the Monkton side where the majority of the Airport can be seen, with the only missing view being the North Pan and some of HMS Gannet.