Anyone got a hankie ? I'm upset to not be getting another Xmas card.
As Rolaand says, the original post was a clear dig at Scottish, implying strongly that we did things totally different to anywhere else and uniquely detrimentally to pilots. We clearly don't. The original post also had gross exaggerations and vague statements which those without knowledge might take as read. It also included at least one complaint aimed at Scottish on a procedure which we aren't even involved in !!
So let's try again, although we will need some
factual information from the poster so that we can answer his precise complaints and not those which are untrue or heard in the pub from a mate.
1. Traffic inbound to the TMA airfields needs to be at 7000' equivalent at the holding fixes. They are 62 or 71 track miles from MARGO (TARTN & LANAK). Let's just assume a standard day where the QNH is 1013 and there is no wind. Let's also assume a rule of thumb descent rate of 1000' every 3 miles. The profile level for Glasgow arrivals at MARGO would be FL306 and for Edinburgh arrivals would be FL276 . Therefore FL260 is not perfect but an acceptable compromise which provides extra capacity in the airspace involved, for traffic overflying the UK or coming to or from oceanic airspace.
So for an Edinburgh arrival to make FL260 at MARGO, you're going to have start descent around 5 miles before you wanted and for a Glasgow arrival around 15 miles earlier. Not quite the 100 miles stated in the original post, which would have you descending as you passed TNT VOR to the Southeast of Manchester.
Or maybe you got the number wrong and didn't mean to give the impression that we would descend you 100 miles before you need to in reality.
As confirmed by others, whoever you 'heard' the stuff about Newcastle and Durham Tees from was talking nonsense. There are NO such restrictions 'because of Scottish'. Give us the name and we'll send the boys round to deal with your informant, or maybe just sue him for libel.
2 & 3 - Nothing to do with Scottish.
4. I'll ask again. Departing from where and at what planned level ? Give us that information and we can tell you the options available to you. We'll also be able to point out what you can or can't do and why, using the AIP as a reference. Otherwise it's only well intentioned guesswork on our part and may not even be relevant to your flight.
5. Direct routes are common over the North Sea. Controllers and pilots alike on this thread have confirmed that.
Pilots are always welcome at Scottish. We can show you EXACTLY why things happen the way they do and also show you that there is a bigger picture than that in an individual cockpit. The contact numbers are in the AIP.