Hi all,
Have a look at Who owns airspace, and why can't they charge? in the ATC section for what I think is an interesting query!
Fisbang.. My personal experience, due to cr*p equipment, is that I can't talk to Glasgow or Scottish when over the Carse of Stirling, ie in the Loch Lomond to Stirling Castle area - which is just where one would want to talk to Glasgow to get clearance to climb up into what is proposed to be Class D over the Campsies to give a decent but of terrain clearance.
When I flew out of Cumbernauld, I would speak to Glasgow past Fintry way, then lose them on the way back from Loch Lomond. At Stirling Castle, I would call up Cumbernauld and ask them to phone Glasgow to let them know whose frequency I was on because I still couldn't get Scottish.
Now I fly a microlight with a hand-held Icom plumbed in to a decent aerial.
Yes, cr*p equipment. But with weight rules, etc this is often what we are forced to use.
And since, according to Flight Training News, there are now as many microlight schools as light aircraft schools (albeit none as big as Cabair!), this is the equipment many of your customers will be using in future,
Hope that helps, and sorry I didn't call you at Xmas - there were three of us flying locally at Strathaven on Xmas Day afternoon!
Very best,
XA