Future of BARRA (EGPR)?

[EGPR]

Hi everyone,

please bear with me in case I'm using the wrong board or missed the appropriate thread. I've been looking at search results for the last two hours but still couldn't find what I wanted.

I'm a big fan of Barra and had the chance to visit last summer, therefore I'm quite interested in its future. However, as a non-islander/non-uk (in fact living hundreds of miles away), it's a bit hard to get the latest news. Maybe anyone could give me a little update?

How sure is it that the airport will remain open for some time? As I understand there have been multiple attempts to close it in the past by the government.
Anyone knows about Flybe's intentions? Is the route a PSO?
In May this year there was obviously some confusion about new aircraft (http://www.isleofbarra.com/node/451). How much longer will the "old" Twin Otters make it? What's likely to be their replacement? The -400 series (DHC6 of course :)), or anything different alltogether?
Your help is highly appreciated, thanks!

[goatface]

While there are people living on Barra the air service will always remain.

It's a public service requirement, funded by the UK taxpayer, as far as I know there has never been any attempt at all to close Barra.

Other than the DHC6 there are very few other aircraft capable of operating from the beach runway with the passenger loads which operate from Barra, you'll never see a DCH8 Q400 in there !:ooh:

[EGPR]

Thanks goatface for your reply!

It was articles like this that made me worry a bit (it's of 2002, though):
Government officials in Edinburgh will study the use of new links between the islands before making a final decision on the future of the air service next year. The end of the flight would see the beach airport sink into the sand with the 11 jobs it supports. Barra councillor Donald Manford fears the island and the aviation world will lose the route. 'Finishing off the Glasgow-Barra service would be shocking, but it seems that this is what we are being prepared for,' he said.
'The people of this island are worried and enraged as what is happening starts to sink in. The rug is about to be pulled from underneath our feet.Dogfight over Barra to keep air link open | Travel | The Observer (http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2002/nov/10/travelnews.uknews.theobserver)

And here in "Undiscovered Scotland" was the most worrying news:
With significant improvements to the Sound of Barra Ferry (http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/barra/ferry/index.html) to Eriskay, (http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/eriskay/eriskay/index.html) there had been a question mark over the future of the Barra air service. It has, however, been confirmed that the service will continue to operate until at least 2009: so there's still time to experience this amazing air service. Loganair Barra & Benbecula Service Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland (http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/barra/loganair/index.html)


But if you say Barra's fine, I will believe you :)

Thanks!

[remoak]

I remember back in my Loganair days, Scott Grier (CEO at the time) decided it would be a good idea to upgrade the Twotter to a Shorts 360 on the Barra run. The CAA had a raft of requirements, mainly centred around protecting the landing gear from salt and corrosion. The Twotter was duly sold to Wideroe, and the day arrived for the start of the new service... Scott Grier and various dignitaries on Barra waiting for the inaugural flight... but the Shed couldn't get in due to strong winds (as it couldn't manoeuvre in the confined space like the Twotter could). I seem to recall it was three days before the Shed finally made it...

There was also a problem with the 360, whereby if you didn't keep your taxi speed up around 40 kts, the skinny little mainwheels would sink into the sand. If memory serves correctly, a 360 was nearly lost when it got stuck during a proving flight, well below the high tide mark. Somebody noticed the tide racing in... fortunately there was a JCB on tracks nearby, which unceromoniously dragged the Shed out with a chain around it's nose gear.

Unsurprisingly, the Shed lasted a few weeks before the idea was binned. However, Loganair no longer had the Twotter... I seem to recall Wideroe agreed to sell it back to Loganair for three times the purchase price, or something like that.

That was just one of the stupid ideas put forward by our beloved leader, which must have cost the company millions. Not long afterwards, BA took control...

[Whitehatter]

Methinks these PSO routes will be secure as there will be occasions when they are able to operate and the ferry not. There has to be some kind of service available that isn't courtesy of the Brylcreem mob.

[virginblue]

How are medical emergencies dealt with nowadays? By helicopter or still by plane?

[EGPR]

@remoak
Thanks for these stories! There's a book out about Barra called 'Times subject to tides' which tells about the same story. Part of it is available on Google books. Pretty interesting! Obviously, the Shed needed more runway length then the twotter and could therefore only operate from one rwy, leading to problems with crosswind.

Finally people on Barra found the only correct thing about the Shorts 360 was its name - it would fly to Barra, do a 360 overhead and then head back to Glasgow :ok:

Is there anyone who could confirm that it was the same aircraft that was sold to WF that got back to Logan again, for a much higher price? That sounds interesting :}


@virginblue
Can't tell you much, but when I was there, the airfield opened up especially for a Medical on a sunday, and an EC-135 was coming in. Love the "helipad" marks :) (link leads to photo on my website) :
PlanePics.org - Aviation Photography by Tis Meyer (http://www.planepics.org/spotterbrowser/imgview.php?id=4990)


Thanks to all for your help!

[remoak]

Wow someone wrote a book about it!

The other cool Loganair route was Westray to Papa Westray in the Islander. I'm pretty sure that it is in the Guiness Book of Records for the shortest scheduled airline flight - 90 secs. It has been done in 70 secs though...

[Seven Fifty Seven]

Hi

The medical flights are by helicopter only these days, via Scottish Air Ambulance Wing Helimed, Royal Navy or Coastguard. The fixed wing service died a death when someone obviously well informed (Not) took the decision to award all Scottish Ambulance work to the Helicopters and the KingAir. The KingAir cannot use the beach, or many of the strips that the BN2 used to fly in to and the Heli is much more expensive for everyone. So apart from the odd light aircraft on a visit, the Twotter is the only regular fixed wing visitor.

The big issue for the Twotter's future is 'paper' performance. Since EASA become the controlling force of aviation, we have the ludicrous situation now in which the Twotter has been promoted to a Performance A aircraft because it has 19 seats! There is a massive effort to construct new performance for it (The guys at Viking who build the new one's have a bit of a headache to deal with on this), but if anything does see the end of the Twotter ops on the beach, it will be the EASA desk jockey's changing the rules and the goal posts for services that have been run safely for decades as life-line routes to remote locations.

Rant over

757

[Hyperborean]

Minor editing Remoak, for was read is in the Westray - Papa Westray example.