ABERDEEN

[ATIS31]

Any Idea why Eastern were boarding Flights from Gate 2 short walk to Aircraft which was parked at stand 0. Thought it might of been due to no Parking Spaces down beside their own lounge but on Taxing past there was plenty of spaces ?

[tangoecho]

If the aircraft has just arrived from SVG/OSL/CFN it has to park on stands 1-5 due to being international. If the aircraft is to do a domestic flight after doing the international it'll just board the pax from there.

[exlatccatsa]

New R/T callsign for Eastern?

I see training flights to Scatsta today have been filed with the callsign Swallow. Have Air Southwest stopped using that callsign?

[Richard Taylor]

I thought there was some sort of gas pipe preventing a "Stand 0". In the days of X9, Stand 1 was split into A/B/C depending on size of a/c. Obviously X9 are sadly missed but is that arrangement over Stand 1 still in place?

Interesting re T3 - could they take over ASW? Possible I suppose, but in the current climate? And could it be the other way around?

Note VLM are pulling routes at LCY, MAN being the latest due to subsidised competition with Virgin trains. Could the airline finally start LCYABZ or RTMABZ that they had slots for, or have they long since handed the slots back?

Bit of chat about CHC at Aberdeen I note. Can't recall the figure, but they made a loss & they seem to be losing contracts to its competitors, or at least unsuccessfully tendering for ones that come up. Wonder what the future holds for them.

[tangoecho]

Stand 0 is the new stand 1. They obviously overcame the gas pipe problem

[Richard Taylor]

MSP questions commitment to runway extension

Aberdeen North MSP Bryan Adam has questioned the BAA's commitment to extending the runway at ABZ.

Mr Adam has noted that the runway resurfacing is ongoing, but no mention of a start date for any extension, or even part of an extension.

BAA continue to say they are looking at how to implement this, but they also said they were waiting for someone within BAA to give the green light. But they claim to still be "fully committed" to the extension.

I'm more likely to succeed with a dodgy expenses claim as ABZ is of getting its runway extended any time soon!

[Richard Taylor]

A310

Hi all.

See the French Mil were in today on a "Coatam" callsign.

Anyone ABZ lads know what they were doing here - training flight, or something else? And why ABZ & not Kinloss or Lossie?

Of course if it's secretive then I'll not press for an answer!

[ABZlad]

The A310 positioned in empty and took a load of French forces back home following the large exercise which saw some Mirages based in Scotland. I believe that Kinloss possibly didn't have the equipment to handle the aircraft.

[OLD BMA MAN]

Hi

I understand the 310 should've been at INV EDI CDG, but was changed to ABZ BES CDG for some reason?

[Richard Taylor]

Scottravel

Gone bust I read. Does that mean no Saga Turkish flights now?

[CabinCrewe]

Yes. Like we didnt see that one coming.....

[papa600]

Anyone know what the aircraft (King Air?) doing a series of at times pretty spectacular low level go arounds over the last couple of days is up to?

[Enecosse]

Probably calibrating the ILS

[jamestkirk]

Yes

It was doing ILS caliberation stuff. I was in the hold waiting for it to finish then had to do something called a VOR approach...how quirky

[Richard Taylor]

Fore!!

Chaps

I thought ABZ might have gone off golf what with the golfers of Cordyce View all those years ago , & the ongoing Trump furore more recently, but I see Paul Lawrie (he was an Open Champion y'know! ) driving his golf ball off an artifical piece of turf down the runway.
i. given the length of the runway, t'was probably a pitching wedge anyway
ii. given Lawrie's general recent form, he probably put it out of bounds!

[simfly]

The photos show him at the threshold of the newly resurfaced "16", but hitting away from the runway down the approach lighting Maybe that's where he's been going wrong these last 10 years!!! (are you sure he won the open?? )

[throw a dyce]

I thought being in the middle of the runway was already Out of bounds.These pros get free drops everywhere.
Mind you Lawrie came from 10 shots back to win.It was Seve who was the carpark champion.

[Richard Taylor]

Trust Lawrie (nor anyone else! ) was waving their golf clubs about today - pretty lively afternoon!

Any flights affected or was everyone able to pick their way around the cells?

[Richard Taylor]

Anything of note coming for oil week? I know there's a 767 due next week (whether it turns up is another matter).

No Malaga this winter on scheduled routes, with GSM dropping it. Hopefully to return S10.

See Eastern starting a BGO route from 5 Oct 6x weekly (ex Sat).

[ABZ FLYER]

B767 Abz

Which Airline is using the B767 to ABZ next week?