It was never the most harmonious of strips before the cooncil f***ed with it. The glidery folk never got on with the microlighters who never got on with the powered folk who never got on with Paul. Being an outsider I always found Paul very pleasant, knowledgeable and helpful.
........... And another thing!!.... get some decent bloody controllers!! The reception I had from the little hitlers up in their oh-so-precious tower every time I've been there is nothing but unfriendly, obnoxious and insulting! Next time I go to Oban and hear that tone of voice from a controller i'm going to go up the tower, grab 'em by the ear and march them down to LHR or LGW to let them see what real atc is all about.
Edging a word in sideways for a clearance at LHR is a pleasure compared to asking permission to taxi 3 inches at Oban.
Well MJ I know for a fact you didn't miss much with the breakfast. It is only served between 8 and 9 on a Sunday morning. You'd never be up in time for it. Very disappointing.
We stopped overnight at Glenforsa last week (11/12 May) in our PA28 because of the rave reviews in this thread and had a completely fantastic time ... so thanks to all you people for your comments and recommendations (the menu is wot did it!!) and to the Glenforsa guys for their hospitality and warm welcome.
The six-day trip from Shoreham took us to Unst airfield (and an orbit or six around Muckle Flugga of course), Sumburgh, Fair Isle, Wick and then down the Great Glen, in the most spectacular evening light, to Glenforsa which was ideally placed on our route. Then on briefly to Oban (for fuel - no problems with ATC or anything really) - then Benbecula, Tiree and Islay before heading southwards. We bottled out on Barra which was a shame but didn't want to mess up the plane! Might have to return in a clapped out club plane to do that.
I am planning a trip to Oban and will be coming in from the North. I have looked at videos on youtube of approaches to 19, is it standard to fly a curved finals to avoid the caravan site? It says in the airfiled brief that this only applies to helicopter traffic, but perhaps good airmanship for fixed wing to do the same?
........ Don't want to upset the people in the tower!
You'll find you have to fly a curved approach to 19 anyway because of the hill. V difficult to avoid the caravan park because it's about half a millimetre to the right of the final approach at less than half a mile from touchdown, but if you can fly between it and the hill to join final you'll be doing pretty well.
Even more difficult to avoid the caravan park on departure 01 because that hill will be looming ever larger in the windscreen and you'll be itching to turn left.
Have fun - it's one of the UK's great airfields.
NS
PS: I'm impressed that you know in advance what direction the wind will be in - you must tell us your secret!
To be fair to the council, they did follow the O'Leary model of commercial air service start-up as closely as they could: spend massive amounts of public money on your airport; pay the airline to provide services from the airport; and pay the airline to be at the airport even when it's not flying.
There would have been more if the 'airport manager' hadn't chosen the only weather window on the Saturday to b****r off on some private bit of 'business' taking the A/G operator with him and declaring the Airfield closed due to 'waterlogging' (it wasn't).
This left pilots who wanted to leave, unsure what to do, and pilots on their way to Glenforsa, being told by Scottish Info that the Airfield was closed until further notice. It took the Hotel manager working with the Council guys at Oban to sort out the mess and get the runway re-opened, but by then most of the incoming had turned back.
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