Aberdeen
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Aberdeen
Hi all,
I had the opportunity to re visit Aberdeen this week, the first time since the end of last summer. During the day stops I wait for my passengers in the Signature Flight Support FBO. Last year I spent much time in this FBO which also shares the building with the local club where I also made some great acquaintances. I found it to be a really friendly place in an otherwise chilly and sometimes weather foreboding part of the British Isles.
There was much discussion on this forum and at the club last year about the then pending takeover by new owners. I gather this happened but chatting to the few people that were in the club during my visit, things don’t seem to be working out. Local rumour control seems to suggest the operation may not continue beyond the end of June due to trading difficulties.
Does anybody have any information? It would be a great shame to see this very old and established club finish. Judging from the BAA’s stance on GA at other airfields, would this be the last of the flying clubs at Aberdeen?
I had the opportunity to re visit Aberdeen this week, the first time since the end of last summer. During the day stops I wait for my passengers in the Signature Flight Support FBO. Last year I spent much time in this FBO which also shares the building with the local club where I also made some great acquaintances. I found it to be a really friendly place in an otherwise chilly and sometimes weather foreboding part of the British Isles.
There was much discussion on this forum and at the club last year about the then pending takeover by new owners. I gather this happened but chatting to the few people that were in the club during my visit, things don’t seem to be working out. Local rumour control seems to suggest the operation may not continue beyond the end of June due to trading difficulties.
Does anybody have any information? It would be a great shame to see this very old and established club finish. Judging from the BAA’s stance on GA at other airfields, would this be the last of the flying clubs at Aberdeen?
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Ah, we must not mention the name of the owner/operator of this school
But i have heard rumours of some of the old members taking over control of the operation and restoring the place to it's previous form
Good luck to them, that place has had more owners in the last ten years than I've had cooked dinners.
But i have heard rumours of some of the old members taking over control of the operation and restoring the place to it's previous form
Good luck to them, that place has had more owners in the last ten years than I've had cooked dinners.
Last edited by one-punch-mickey; 12th Feb 2006 at 14:06.
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A.Viator
The place is a ghost town most of the time with hardly any flying at all. It’s such a contrast from the good old days. Last winter was certainly much busier. This last 6 months or so just seems to have died. Most of the old faces have drifted away but its nice to see some of the ‘old’ instructors who have moved on in there careers occasionally come in. The atmosphere though has taken a real nose dive. Sometimes it’s more like a winter’s morning in the old Sumburgh crew room than a recreational flying establishment!
The locally based flying groups appear to do more flying than the school and there is certainly more activity at Whiterashes and Longside than ever before.
The locally based flying groups appear to do more flying than the school and there is certainly more activity at Whiterashes and Longside than ever before.
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Can agree with Capt Teflon, I fly in one of the groups based at Aberdeen and on a number of occasions have been the only light A/C in the air out of ABZ on perfectly good flyable days. Is a shame, with a bit of good marketing & management I've no doubt the club could do very well indeed. The HJS boys seem to be busy and are advertising all over the place for gift vouchers etc (papers, radio, TV, flyers etc), never seen that for the club though.
Just think how many people there are in this region with large amounts of disposable income! There's obviously a taste for aviation round here too and we have some fantastic scenery within easy reach. I'm forever being asked to do jolly flights / sightseeing trips for friends and colleagues, cant see why its not the same for the club?
Not surprised at the increase in movements at Longside etc however with the way the landing fees at ABZ have been going up recently!
Just think how many people there are in this region with large amounts of disposable income! There's obviously a taste for aviation round here too and we have some fantastic scenery within easy reach. I'm forever being asked to do jolly flights / sightseeing trips for friends and colleagues, cant see why its not the same for the club?
Not surprised at the increase in movements at Longside etc however with the way the landing fees at ABZ have been going up recently!
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UA - is that a private group? The only prices I've seen for flying from Aberdeen have been very high, hence I do the long haul to Kinloss. I'd love something reasonable closer to home though.
Any pointers appreciated
aged
Any pointers appreciated
aged
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Hi Aged,
Yes, there are 2 private C172 groups based at Aberdeen and there are usually shares avail in one of the groups. PM me if you want more details.
As for Kinloss I know that slog up and down very well as I used to instruct at the VGS there about - 7-8 years ago and also flew with Moray Flying club. Had to pack that in due to my job however as I had to be on call a lot at weekends hence the reason I bought the C172 share.
Regards
UA
Yes, there are 2 private C172 groups based at Aberdeen and there are usually shares avail in one of the groups. PM me if you want more details.
As for Kinloss I know that slog up and down very well as I used to instruct at the VGS there about - 7-8 years ago and also flew with Moray Flying club. Had to pack that in due to my job however as I had to be on call a lot at weekends hence the reason I bought the C172 share.
Regards
UA
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I really enjoy my visits to Aberdeen but this week was horrible and astonishing! This week walk into signature aviation who handle our flights and right into the middle of what would appear to be a mass sacking of the flight school office staff who share the building. This is absolutely true. I walk in and the lady who has run the school office for years is in tears apparently having been suspended for financial irregularities in the till. Next day go in and the old boy I’ve seen working there for years and chatted to numerous times has also been also sacked; for gross misconduct!! Seems the place has gone mad. Does anybody know the full story as I won’t be back for a week or so?
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Business as usual!
That's what is happening at Aberdeen! The school is delivering PPL training and there are several thriving flying groups.
I am afraid this is not quite the full picture. The school has had a lot of down time for maintenence of aircraft throughout the winter and with no on site maintenence there is a 45 min flight to Perth to undertake every time something breaks. As mentioned lots of the instructors have left for airline jobs hence finding available instructors has been a problem. Put all that together with the horendous wintertime Aberdeen weather and you don't get many airborne days.
It is wrong to publicly post that on here and I think tht all parties involved would appreciate some tact and descretion whilst the matter is resolved.
There are some serious odds stacked against GA in Aberdeen, not least the incredible costs enforced by BAA. This added to delays at the hold waiting to take off, delays whilst waiting to land, having to ask permition the day before for circuits and only being allowed one aircraft in the circuit, then being charged £16 every time you land (yes even for touch and go's) makes life difficult. That's why any new flying school at Aberdeen deserves a fair chance to get through any teething troubles.
Aberdeen has one of the closest knit flying communities I have come across and lots of people come to the school to socialise as well as fly. Hopefully this will lead to a very successful 2006 for everyone.
I fly in one of the groups based at Aberdeen and on a number of occasions have been the only light A/C in the air out of ABZ on perfectly good flyable days. Is a shame, with a bit of good marketing & management I've no doubt the club could do very well indeed.
I walk in and the lady who has run the school office for years is in tears apparently having been suspended for financial irregularities in the till. Next day go in and the old boy I’ve seen working there for years and chatted to numerous times has also been also sacked for gross misconduct!!
There are some serious odds stacked against GA in Aberdeen, not least the incredible costs enforced by BAA. This added to delays at the hold waiting to take off, delays whilst waiting to land, having to ask permition the day before for circuits and only being allowed one aircraft in the circuit, then being charged £16 every time you land (yes even for touch and go's) makes life difficult. That's why any new flying school at Aberdeen deserves a fair chance to get through any teething troubles.
Aberdeen has one of the closest knit flying communities I have come across and lots of people come to the school to socialise as well as fly. Hopefully this will lead to a very successful 2006 for everyone.
Last edited by duir; 5th Feb 2006 at 21:15.
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Aberdeen - almost Scotland's GA No-GO zone.
Just come back from a winter-tour trip covering most of Scotland, Outer Hebrides, Shetlands & Isle of Man. I do not recall ever being so incensed to the point of warning other GA pilots of a particular airfield such as Aberdeen. The surrounding area is beautiful and well worth visiting/flying. I knew the costs were going to be steep but the reason for pressing on to Aberdeen was to visit an old friend. With some fuel (approx 50mins fuel burn from our previous stop) + all charges the bill came to £120+. (This makes circuits at Zurich Intl look ridiculously cheap + you are met each time with a "follow me" car/truck) but not at Aberdeen. The FBO's concept of service was in our opinion a joke. We did our own flight plans, notified the tower and weren't even given any guidance of the specific subtlies regarding ATC so invariably sat on the ground at a Holding point for 40+mins being bounced from one frequency to another and asked why our FBO hadn't explained the procedures to us (despite reading up on Pooleys etc). [And this before our departure to Sumbrugh]. For anyone doubting competency my flying friend is armed with an ATPL. The ATC handovers were uninterested in us and had to verify each step of the way if we were VFR or IFR despite a clearly transmitted flight plan at Aberdeen.
The same FBO operates at the other major Scottish airports and what a difference! Edinburgh although in the end not used due to a last minute weather diversion (ILS DH decision) went out of their way to help and accommodate us even before leaving for EDI. Glasgow was equally receptive. But at Aberdeen we were met with folks more concerned about telling us how they could only do one job according to their titles and were hence unable to conceptually do anything beyond the literal terms of their job descriptions and in my opinion can be summarised as: Multitasking & helpful, friendly service out; Politics in: A PR disaster.
Based on our opinions of the service received we wholly recommend Perth and just about anywhere else in Scotland for GA other than the above airfield. A bad day for Scottish GA.
EG
The same FBO operates at the other major Scottish airports and what a difference! Edinburgh although in the end not used due to a last minute weather diversion (ILS DH decision) went out of their way to help and accommodate us even before leaving for EDI. Glasgow was equally receptive. But at Aberdeen we were met with folks more concerned about telling us how they could only do one job according to their titles and were hence unable to conceptually do anything beyond the literal terms of their job descriptions and in my opinion can be summarised as: Multitasking & helpful, friendly service out; Politics in: A PR disaster.
Based on our opinions of the service received we wholly recommend Perth and just about anywhere else in Scotland for GA other than the above airfield. A bad day for Scottish GA.
EG
Last edited by egld0624; 6th Feb 2006 at 08:34.
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In fairness the FBO is entirely seperate from the flying school, and some of the ATCO's have always been anti GA up there. My home is not Aberdeen although when I lived there I found the people to be extremely friendly (compared to Edinburgh etc). It would be nice to see the place return to the good old days, it's a wonderful part of the world to fly from.
P.S edited to be fairer to the pro ga atc'ers!
P.S edited to be fairer to the pro ga atc'ers!
Last edited by one-punch-mickey; 6th Feb 2006 at 11:14.
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One Punch Mickey-In fairness the FBO is entirely seperate from the flying school, and ATC have always been anti GA up there.
I really have to put my oar in here. As an ATCO at Aberdeen, yes i would agree that there are one or two who are anti GA (as there are at most airfields!) but don't tar us all with the same brush. As someone who was instrumental in setting up the (in)famous Granite City Air Rally many years ago,(something incidentally that was started exclusively by ATCOs) I think you are well off the mark here.
egld 0624-The location of the Club is a problem especially if we are on Runway 16 and yes you can be held but like all ATCers we DO try and move the traffic as best we can. I agree that a 40 minute wait is intolerable, but if that is a correct figure I would be in print now to NATS at Aberdeen asking why!!
The FBO at Aberdeen DO have a problem insofar as their previous boss want elsewhere and was never replaced. Consequently the guys there are often working in areas of which they have little or no knowledge and the FBO heirarchy seem to have no intention of actively assisting them to get out of the predicament. In addition,local BAA politics have also been a problem of late regarding FBO parking-something that hopefully has now been resolved.
Some of us DO take an active interest in GA at Aberdeen.We are there for you and WILL assist whenever we can. Just don't accuse us of being anti GA-it simply ain't true!!
I really have to put my oar in here. As an ATCO at Aberdeen, yes i would agree that there are one or two who are anti GA (as there are at most airfields!) but don't tar us all with the same brush. As someone who was instrumental in setting up the (in)famous Granite City Air Rally many years ago,(something incidentally that was started exclusively by ATCOs) I think you are well off the mark here.
egld 0624-The location of the Club is a problem especially if we are on Runway 16 and yes you can be held but like all ATCers we DO try and move the traffic as best we can. I agree that a 40 minute wait is intolerable, but if that is a correct figure I would be in print now to NATS at Aberdeen asking why!! The FBO at Aberdeen DO have a problem insofar as their previous boss want elsewhere and was never replaced. Consequently the guys there are often working in areas of which they have little or no knowledge and the FBO heirarchy seem to have no intention of actively assisting them to get out of the predicament. In addition,local BAA politics have also been a problem of late regarding FBO parking-something that hopefully has now been resolved.
Some of us DO take an active interest in GA at Aberdeen.We are there for you and WILL assist whenever we can. Just don't accuse us of being anti GA-it simply ain't true!!
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ED Set,
I hear you. I guess it may well be a case of the few spoiling it for the rest. I've taken your points on board and will discuss with my pilot friend your possible suggestion with NATS. On the positive side I wish you all the best and I do sincerely hope you and your pro-GA colleagues can sway those at Aberdeen to consider the grass roots of their industry with a more favourable stance. We're all in this together.
Good Luck
EG
(An ATPL student)
I hear you. I guess it may well be a case of the few spoiling it for the rest. I've taken your points on board and will discuss with my pilot friend your possible suggestion with NATS. On the positive side I wish you all the best and I do sincerely hope you and your pro-GA colleagues can sway those at Aberdeen to consider the grass roots of their industry with a more favourable stance. We're all in this together.
Good Luck
EG
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And Ed Set - we sadly miss the wonderful Granite City Air Rally too - We'd come all the way up from Bournemouth just to attend the event (and witness the [in]famous raffle!).
To disparage ALL the ATC whallahs at Aberdeen isn't fair nor just.
Aberdeen was always hindered because of long delays at the hold and the intransigence of some of the ATCO's. The other ATCO's were very, very supportive, true GA hugging people who did all the legwork in organising the event - Geoff Greavey being the big mover - I just wish they could have been helped more by the airport authorities.
To disparage ALL the ATC whallahs at Aberdeen isn't fair nor just.
Aberdeen was always hindered because of long delays at the hold and the intransigence of some of the ATCO's. The other ATCO's were very, very supportive, true GA hugging people who did all the legwork in organising the event - Geoff Greavey being the big mover - I just wish they could have been helped more by the airport authorities.
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A.Viator
Yeah, there does seem to have been one or two changes at the Flying School in the last few months - known the place for a while and while there has been a significant dent in morale recently, the standard of instruction is still very high, however would say that the personal touch that the place was deservedly known for may have been dimished somewhat. As for the FBO, can only re-iterate the stance of Ed Set - on my visits I have never found them to be anything but professional and friendly. The case of ATC being unhelpful, I think, is fairly rare, usually only really occurs on 16 days with increased chopper traffic and even then most ATCO's will attempt to get aircraft crossed over to the western side of th airfield where it's easier to get airborne from. Would be a shame to see the school fold, even with all the complaints about charges/ATC etc, it's probably one of the best flight training environments going about!
Yeah, there does seem to have been one or two changes at the Flying School in the last few months - known the place for a while and while there has been a significant dent in morale recently, the standard of instruction is still very high, however would say that the personal touch that the place was deservedly known for may have been dimished somewhat. As for the FBO, can only re-iterate the stance of Ed Set - on my visits I have never found them to be anything but professional and friendly. The case of ATC being unhelpful, I think, is fairly rare, usually only really occurs on 16 days with increased chopper traffic and even then most ATCO's will attempt to get aircraft crossed over to the western side of th airfield where it's easier to get airborne from. Would be a shame to see the school fold, even with all the complaints about charges/ATC etc, it's probably one of the best flight training environments going about!