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!

John Martindale – The Ultimate Numerologist.

by | Oct 30, 2022 | Spotting, Uncategorized

John Martindale joined our circle of friends late, we all had known him for a long time when he was finally brave enough to go on a spotting trip with us. But I do have to say that I think on John’s part, there must have been an element of trepidation.

From memory John and Hugh Morton had been let down, whatever the arangements were doesn’t matter – if there were seats on the bad boys minibus, almost any bum that filled them was welcome.

And so it was that John and Hugh came on a trip with the bad boys, I’m sure that they had some concerns but it was that or miss whatever show we were going to.

So seating was allocated, sandwiches, Irn-Bru and Coke loaded and off we went. With two new members of the minibus crew, to clarify the same regulars had been going to shows by minibus for many years – there was even Lester our principal navigator. Just to let you know what the trips were like, Lester was a plastic decoy wood pidgeon – but a valued member of the minibus crew.

Quite what John and Hugh thought of the rabble that they were travelling with, nobody knows except them – but it couldn’t have been too bad as they became regular members of our circle. And I must be honest here, being welcomed into our circle as they were – is not something that should be taken for granted. John and Hugh became regular members of the Wednesday night meets at the Breahead Tavern, they also became regular attendee’s of the Christmas bash. If I’m being honest here, not what we expected when they came on that first minibus trip.

Our memories of John in particular go back to the very early 1970’s, where our card playing, drinking and fraternising with members of the opposite sex in the GAAEC club rooms did not impress John. But I’m guessing that it was all water under the bridge thirty something years later, it certainly seemed like that.

I clearly remember the conversation that first night in The Ram Hotel in Brandon, John seeming surprised at the jocularity – remarking that we actually had fun socially in the minibus and in the pub. It was said in such a way as to make you think that this wasn’t the norm on other group trips that John and Hugh had been on.

Over the years there were some humerous incidents involving John, few got more of a laugh than the “Stanstead Bus Incident”. Where John had asked to be dropped at the terminal to log of all things “Buses”, while we were going round logging aircraft – John was, as requested left to his own devices at the terminal. On our return, John was earnestly engaged in conversation with the airport constabulary who asked us if we knew John. The expression on his face when we denied all knowledge of him was priceless, although John didn’t seem to think it was funny at the time – he did later.

John didn’t just collect Aircraft numbers, there were Train and Bus numbers as well, he also was instrumental in the search for wrecks and the recovery of some of them, a detailed history of this can be found here.

We are now nearing the 10th anniversary of John’s passing and still have the odd laugh about the funny incidents, as with all our spotter freinds that frequented the pub with us – John Martindale, master of numbers is still thought of and missed.

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.

 

Spotter Evolution – Beginning.

by | Oct 29, 2022 | Camera, Optical Enhancement, Radio, Spotting, Spotting News

A conversation with a fellow spotter raised a couple of questions about plane spotting, like when it started and why do people do it? The second is probably easier to answer than the first, as in – for the most part people enjoy watching aircraft and other aspects of the hobby. There are probably not that many spotters who have made their fortune from spotting, some have I’m sure but I’m also pretty sure that these people were spotters before they monetised their interest or hobby.

If you go looking for when Plane Spotting (Or probably more correctly) Aircraft Spotting actaully bagan, you can find numerous threads on the older aviation forums – these usually deteriorate into a bun fight during the course of the thread.

Mostly with references to spotters of other things, with Trains, Busses, Cars and even Birds all being denigrated by Aircraft Spotters. And yet I have met a number of Aircraft Spotters who collected information on some or all of the above, after all it is a hobby and as such pretty much on a par with any other hobby.

When did it all start is much more of a quandry, looking through the online archives of publications – the earliest mentions of the hobby that I can find seem to date from the very early 1950’s. Although other sources seem to date it from the 1940’s, however I’m aware of at least one spotter from the early 1930’s – so I’m guessing that it is still all open to confirmation.

A number of sources point to the formation of the Observer Corps as sowing the seeds of the hobby, with the pastime gaining traction after WWII. Although the Observer Corps can rightfully claim that it’s inception goes back to WWI, where the War Office used whatever resources that it could – these included both Army and Naval peronnel along with Special Constables, Lighthouse Keepers and even Boy Scouts to man observation posts and report aircraft movements.

The earliest log that I’m aware of is dated the 12th of December 1935, but I’m sure that it won’t be the earliest log that there is. Most peoples logs probably don’t survive them by long, only in a few instances will there be enough foresight to ensure that the collection of logs survives and goes to somewhere with the resource to hold the it.

The average person during the inter war years is unlikely to have had very much spare time or money to indulge in a hobby like aircraft or any other type of spotting, so at best these people may have stretched to a notebook and pencil – few would have had binoculars or a camera. However after WWII much changed, more free time and more disposable income would lead to more people with time to indulge in a hobby.

Along with the above came a veritable treasure trove of equipment availability, courtesy of Government Surplus – in the form of Binoculars, Radio Recievers and trained people admittedly mostly ex-forces but many turned their training towards their new hobby – Aircraft Spotting.