1982, when I was at Stornoway - A friend who was a smallholder asked me if anyone cut the grass in the triangle between the 3 runways. 'No' I replied, 'Can I make some hay there?', he asked, 'Sure' I replied.
'OK, I'll send Donnie up with a tractor and cutter' says my chum. Knowing Donnie was not one of Stornoway's brightest sons, I told him to make sure that Donnie came to see me and I would brief him on the runway crossing.
Next day Donnie duly reported to the tower, 'You can cross the runway in front of the tower now, as there is nothing due for a while,' I told him, ' When you have finished, face the tower and flash your headlights and if you see my green lamp flash at you, then you can cross - if it is red, wait and eventually you'll see the green'.
Everything went as planned and then I went on leave. On my return the other ATCO ( Derek King ) says, 'Did you tell a tractor driver that he could cut the grass?'.
'Yes, you didn't mind did you?' I replied.
'Er, when he came back with his baler he crossed the runway straight in front of Loganair's Islander that was about to touchdown,so I chased after him in the Land Rover and asked him what the hell he was playing at?'.
He replied, 'The other fellow said it would be alright
