Benbecula VC10

[Mike Tee]

Many years ago I recall reading an article in an aviation magazine which mentioned that a VC10 (presumably RAF) made an approach and either a touch and go or a landing at Benbecula. The article even mentioned that at Benbecula "even a Viscount is considered substantial".
In can't fined any related info on this "event" on the net. I would be pleased if anyone else recalls the event or magazine article and can offer further info.
Thanks.

[munster]

You asked the same question in 2011.

[LFT]

Try this spotters group, someone there will probably know -

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/scotavnet/info

[rutankrd]

Entirely plausible for an RAF VC10 to have done a touch stop and go off that 6000 feet runway.

However may well be someone having a miss recollection of an event some miles south at RAF Machrihanish (Campbeltown) as that certainly received large RAF movements including the V Bombers. the VC10, C130K, Belfast and the Beverley

That peninsula nowhere field had an operational runway of over 10,000 feet in RAF days !

[kcockayne]

We had a RAF VC10 do a full stop landing & take off several years ago at Jersey. That was on a runway 5600 ft long. Mind you, I think the prototype VC10 took off from, was it Weybridge ?, on 4800 ft.

[Wycombe]

I've been into the tower at BEB (albeit some years ago) and I recall a picture on the wall of an A310 (Swissair/Balair IIRC) on the ground there.

Nothing about a VC10 though (I only ever went there in the somewhat smaller Lockheed Hercules).

In it's twilight days one did visit Biggin (for the Airshow) which has similar runway dimensions. Plenty of evidence of that on Youtube.

[lobao]

A VC10 did visit BEB, it was not RAF (though one might have) but owned by if I recall correctly the Sultan of Oman, it was to visit the rocket range. BEA"s handling unit had to be beefed up to handle the flight, with a ground power unit being sent over and some extra staff. BEA at BEB had only 3 staff. A BEA Trident 2 also visited BEB once substituting for a Viscount service routing GLA-Stornoway-BEB-GLA.

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

Well VC10s had no problem operating Belize - Washington off the former's 6000ft runway in +35C or more, so BEB would have been a doddle I would have thought.:)

[Double Hydco]

The Heavylift Belfast's did several trips into BEB (from Zurich I think), with equipment for the ranges.....

DH

[VickersVicount]

was there not a Pan Am A310 emergency diversion too? and they didnt have stairs high enough and had to almost winch pax off?

[LFT]

Stornoway.

[HZ123]

A40-AB was indeed at Stornoway now at Brooklands saw it from the flight deck of a Viscount, guess it must have been late 70s'?

[CSman]

12 Sept 1981 I was on a sby at Glasgow, we were called out to operate Glasgow to Benbecula
with a 1-11[ G-BBMG. ]We has a great welcome ,and repeatedly ask which runway would we use for T/O I wonder how many guys and girls managed to get themselves a worth while photo

[Mike Tee]

Many thanks for the interesting replies and leads and also thanks Munster. I know I had posted the same question before but could not recall just when so I thought if I do it again some bright spark will be along to remind me.

[canberra97]

Mike Tee

Well it took you 5 years to get the answer to your origionsl question but haven't we all learnt a lot from it, very interesting information -:)

[TelsBoy]

Plenty interesting types at Benbecula over the years, C130s like to visit now and again for exercises, interesting variation from the Saab 340s that come and go daily.

Lots of interesting photos in the tower! Like many HIAL units.

Favourite one is the C-5 that landed at Campbeltown, quite a sizeable bit of kit. Lots of interesting visitors at Stornoway over the years, mostly by military types now classified as vintage warbirds.

[JDLOWERY]

I remember my Dad was pouring over some charts and had a slide rule and so asked him what he was doing and he indicated he was working on tight landing at a place called Benbecula in Scotland. I learned there was a live firing range there and it was going to be tight getting in. On the day the whole town turned out to watch him come in. I believe the crew was Denis Lowery, Barry Wood Co-pilot, and Brian Lingard as Flight Engineer. They had VIPs on board and indeed, A40-AB, a VC-10 std, landed in Benbecula.

[JDLOWERY]

VC-10 A40-AB PHOTOS LHR

[Wycombe]

Most pics/vids of Omani Jags have them flying somewhat lower!

[HZ123]

On the learning curve are the crew in the disembarkation not BA crew ?

[canberra97]

BOAC origionally held 22% of Falcon Aviation the predecessor to Gulf Air which was formed on 01 January 1974 by Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates all controlling 25% of the newly formed airline.

Although Gulf Air purchased five standard VC10s from British Airways during 1974/75 and one standard VC10 from British Caledonian Airways in 1974 (A40-AB) they initially leased two VC10s from British Airways in 1974 in full Gulf Air colours and with BA flight and cabin crew untill they were eventually purchased by the airline in March 1975, they were G-ARVI and G-ARVL.

[HZ123]

We crewed VJ (VC10 in Gulf Air livery) which was for the Emir of Qatar into the 80's I believe, I was lucky to travel on it a couple of times. This was supplemented by 2 707's which again I think carried UK registration and were in Qatar livery.

[JDLOWERY]

No. Employees of RF Oman. Names of which I cannot recollect.