Approach to EDI

[Flightmapping]

Are there any EDI regulars who could comment on the most common approach paths to the airport?

I was expecting to see much more of the city, but instead we came in over Musselbrough race course before going out over the Firth of Forth (ww from ema). View of the bridges was excellent, but would like to have seen more of the city. Do they normally come in this far East? Had a fantastic view on EZ flight from LTN a few years back.

Also, are there any online references to the prevailing wind directions at UK airports, apart from asking the airports directly? CVT told me it was 50/50, but I've always seen the majority come in from the East.

[wangi]

Yes, that is the common approach. Occasionally more direct approaches are made, but they are the exception.

[Flightmapping]

So I guess you'd always advise sitting on the left hand side in both directions, unless you see the wind change? Obviously you can't do much about this once in the air, but if you are with an airline which has no assigned seating, you can observe the runway up until boarding is called?

Does anyone know how often in a typical day runway direction is reversed? What if a plane has already taxied to one end - does it have to go back?

I had an approach to LCY last year when they were over the runway, but suddenly increased power seconds before touch down because the winds changed. They then looped for about 20 minutes as the winds changed three times, before going in the way they originally planned.

I guess that was an exception too - one hell of a ride & stunning views of the city though!

[pulse1]

"looped for about 20 minutes"

Wow!! What airline was that? I thought it was illegal to do aerobatics over a built up area.:confused:

[Flightmapping]

If you saw the route it took on a map, it certainly was several loops - even if not in the way you are suggesting!

I am really going to have to watch what I say in this forum, everything seems to get taken out of context, or manages to offend someone from some airline / airport / region!

It was BA by the way.

[wet wet wet]

Assuming that you have access to the Met Office secure site then you can get historical averages of weather (including wind direction/strength) for the main UK fields here (http://secure.metoffice.com/aviation/climatestats/index.jsp)

[GoEDI]

If you are very lucky it is possible to take-off on the cross wind runway 12( I think) or land on 31( I think). However, it is rarely used and even 737s tend not to use it when it is in operation, although some do.
Then you sure will get a good view of the city. Normally to stand any chance you need to be sutting on the left and landing on 24.

[WHBM]

Wow!! What airline was that? I thought it was illegal to do aerobatics over a built up area.
Not at all provided the right permissions are obtained. LCY have an airshow every year on a Saturday afternoon (when they are normally closed) and it all happens in front of my house too. Plenty of looping I assure you, all nicely done over the dock away from the crowd line.

I do agree it would be a little unlikely that Flightmapping's 146 was rehearsing for it though. :D

This year's show is afternoon of Saturday July 3.

[BALIX]

Flightmapping

Edinburgh will more frequently land on runway 24 (ie, southwesterly) than 06 due to the prevailing wind. However, 06 is still used frequently - my guess is that it is between a quarter and a third of the time though I don't have the statistics.

Sitting on the left side of the aircraft gets you a view of the city when landing on 24 but as you have found out, you will get vectored around it rather than over it. Sitting on the right when landing on 06 won't help you much as you will be further away from the city.

[Flightmapping]

whbm, could you elaborate more on the LCY air show - nothing much comes up on Google.

Also, does anyone know if TOM's scheduled flights would have an impact on the CVT air show?

Next time I'm going through EDI, I'll try and grab a seat on the left in both directions. For the return trip to LTN, the plane banked sharp left on take-off, so there would have been some view of the city, but I checked in v.late & could only grab a window on the right. At least with two loading stairs, you get a reasonable chance of a window seat, even fairly late on. EZ's policy on air bridges seems a bit random - sometimes they use them, sometimes they don't. What are the key pros & cons here - convenience for the pax v convenience for the airline? Or is there more to it than that? I've never seen FR use them.

The approach to LTN has to be one of the most dull in the UK - and it always seems to be raining there! I'd choose LCY in preference any day, but not at £180 e/w for the ticket!

[BALIX]

Flightmapping

When flying out of Edinburgh you can always have the advantage of knowing which way they are taking off by looking out of the airport window! If the aircraft are departing from left to right (ie, runway 06) choose a right hand seat for a view of the city. Alas, it won't be a particularly good one as you will find that the aircraft will turn left away from Edinburgh (unless you happen to be on a prop powered aircraft).

If, as is more likely, the aircraft are taking off right to left (runway 24) it won't make much difference where you sit - the best you can hope for is a view of the rather unattractive central lowlands :sad:

[WHBM]

whbm, could you elaborate more on the LCY air show - nothing much comes up on Google.
It's called the Fun Day. Nothing much about this years show yet but they seem to follow a standard format, flying programme between 14.00 and 18.00. Warbird displays, aerobatics, wingwalkers, skydivers etc.

This is the most info so far:

http://www.londoncityairport.com/funday/index.htm

and about last year

http://www.lcacc.org/community/

[BOAC]

FM - the route depends on whether the approach is a 'visual' or 'instrument', and on R24 there are restrictions on the route for a visual - from memory not below 3000' till crossing the coast and not below 1500' or inside 5.5 miles when joining the final approach track. Arrivals from the south will generally therefore route either just left of or right of Arthur's Seat (not over, as I found out to my cost a while ago!) and descend when over the coast, noramlly curving around Leith Docks onto finals. There will be some fine views of the City inc. Princes Street and the Royal Yacht in the docks for the 'POSH' pax.

The instrument approach generally goes much further east where the city, if visible, is distant, and will route almost to the south coast of Fife before lining up. To see the bridges then you need to be on the right. The easterly arrival is quite boring (sorry Cumbernauld:D ).

[witchdoctor]

flightmapping,

Airbridges wouldn't generally be used by the lo-co operators as there is a charge for this service and this would be reflected in the ticket prices. OK, so it isn't exactly a king's ransom, but savings will be made wherever it is possible. Given Ryanair's recent purge on costs it would be extremely unlikely to see them using an airbridge. None of the lo-co's at Newcastel use them as a matter of routine, but Easyjet are currently using an airbridge on one flight per day to assist with ground handler training on the equipment.

Using airbridges on smaller a/c like the 737 is also perhaps a bit of an uneccessary exercise as depending on the height of the terminal end of the airbridge, the airbridge needs to be dropped quite some distance to get down to the a/c door and this can leave quite a slope for the passengers to contend with. I know BA use an airbridge for their A320's at Newcastle, but when you compare the relative door height with a 737 there is enough of a difference to perhaps make it worthwhile.

Hope that helps with the query.

[chocolate bob]

In my expirience of using EDI I would estimate that 80% of the time the runway in use is 24 and on many occasions you can be up to number 5 or 6 in traffic. This can result in you either holding or being vectored miles downwind to fit in with the rest of the arrivals. he are restrictions an the min alt at which you can cross the north coast but these rarely have any bearing unless doing a visual approach.

Out of the many airfields I fly to, on a nice morning EDI is one of the beat approaches around!!

C.B.

[Flightmapping]

"on a nice morning EDI is one of the beat approaches around!!"

I'd put it at #2 in the UK so far, behind LCY. I did try to visit BRR in Jan last year, but the weather was playing up, so maybe later this summer. I'd guess that would be #1 in the UK.

Has anyone conducted a poll of pilots to rate the most dramatic / interesting airports to land in? I guess it might be slightly different to the passengers' view?

HKG must have been pretty hard to beat until they moved out of town, so where's the best now? Saba would be my favourite globally.

[Hotel Mode]

From the front Innsbruck on a nice day. Nice is good fun and very scenic. San Fran is nice early on but duller on finals. Basically a nice day with water and some mountains (in the distance preferably)

Personally reckon LHR on a clear dawn/sunset when westerly takes some beating for sightseeing.

[Maxiumus]

R'way 10 into London City is the best in the UK I think. 2000' (or is it 2500', I can't remember) over Westminster makes for good views.

Onto r'way 24 in EDI is also very nice, as has been pointed out, when its not raining...

Outside the UK, Nice has got to be up there.

[martinhardy]

Flew in to EDI from BHX,

Never seen the city, approached from the countryside, out to the sea, did a large left turn and then headed to the runway.
Dont know the geographical locations, it was my first time to EDI

Thanks

[Maxiumus]

This is the approach to 24 at Edinburgh. One gets vectored to the east of the city, with a roughly due north heading then, when over the water, a heading for a base leg (approx 330), descending to tyhe 2100' platform altitude, then something around 280 to intercept the loc on an approx 8 mile final (give or take), if they have gotten the descent profile right, which is not always the case. Generally good vectoring though.

[NudgingSteel]

Thanks!
With rwy 24 ILS approaches and no other traffic around we'd use 2300' and aim for a 7-8 mile final to establish the a/c on the loc below the glideslope. With a sequence, and 6-mile gaps required, they're often established much further out, frequently number 3 is on the loc at 15 miles out or more, mid-Forth.

2100' alt is the procedure start alt for the 24 NDB approach (currently being much used whilst the ILS is unavailable), and is also the minimum level for a/c on a visual approach until crossing the coast, along with a final of no less than 5 miles for noise requirements.

[Jordan D]

Sitting in the shadow of Arthur's Seat (at the Uni of Edinburgh's Halls), I've got some idea of what goes on ... so throwing my two pence in:

Flights either go west of Arthur's Seat (smaller aircraft, usually turboprops), or east of it (737s, etc.), then vector north passi north of the Princes St/Leith Area. They turn west (towards Glasgow) and follow in past the bridges for landing onto Rwy24. This does (on a clear day), give soem good views of Arthur, Royal Yacht Britannia and the Castle if you are sitting on the left hand side, and on the right a nice view of the Forth Bridges.

Approaching the other way onto Rwy06, gives you a lovely view (esp. in Winter) of the Central Lowlands, which is a welcome to Scotland, that I enjoyed.

On take off from 06, planes tend to turn North from the end of the runway, and double back running west to the north side of the bridges.

Jordan