Oban/Glenforsa News
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Dublin
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I see the PPR contact telephone number for Oban has changed to a '09' number?????
Tel is now 09056 470 151
Tel is now 09056 470 151
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: London
Age: 43
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On a serious note, how busy is Oban?
Parts of my family are within the area and I have been going up to Oban for years. Was really pleased when I heard that they finally got their operating licence.
I have been within Ground Handling / FBO / Airline Ops for over 10 years and everytime I go and visit my mind starts running away with me. (worrying sometimes!!)
Does Oban need anything, is their a business case for anything...i mean its a lovely area and with Ben Nevis only 1.5 hours away it has great connections - just needs somthing a little special.
Dont know, just thoughts going through my head.
Parts of my family are within the area and I have been going up to Oban for years. Was really pleased when I heard that they finally got their operating licence.
I have been within Ground Handling / FBO / Airline Ops for over 10 years and everytime I go and visit my mind starts running away with me. (worrying sometimes!!)
Does Oban need anything, is their a business case for anything...i mean its a lovely area and with Ben Nevis only 1.5 hours away it has great connections - just needs somthing a little special.
Dont know, just thoughts going through my head.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: 18nm NE grice 28ft up
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The service seems to be set up only to get to and from the islands. An on demand air taxi would seem more logical serving such a small population. If there was a connection to the major hubs I could see better utilisation, however the dispatch reliability to and from a VFR airport with mountains all around would be questionable.
Oban is still fairly busy with light aircraft (by Scottish standards) but will always be a burden on the taxpayer because of the over the top regulation in this country.
DO.
Oban is still fairly busy with light aircraft (by Scottish standards) but will always be a burden on the taxpayer because of the over the top regulation in this country.
DO.
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Thanks for this. An 'Air Shuttle' run maybe from Oban to Glasgow / Edinburgh for the businessman could be attractive. A Jetstream31 or something similar i guess. (subject to operational restrictions) Its a long drive somtimes to the capital, i know ive done it enough.
An aircraft with 19 seats, doing a couple of day returns might work if the price is right. I would imagine the flying time would only be 30 mins block to block.
However, your bang on about the lack of instruments. Weather changes so much that some investment would be needed before anyone would consider coming in.
Its an idea, i wonder if Highland Aiwarys have ever done some Market Research on that.
Thanks
An aircraft with 19 seats, doing a couple of day returns might work if the price is right. I would imagine the flying time would only be 30 mins block to block.
However, your bang on about the lack of instruments. Weather changes so much that some investment would be needed before anyone would consider coming in.
Its an idea, i wonder if Highland Aiwarys have ever done some Market Research on that.
Thanks
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Aberdeen
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I suspect that Highland were well aware of the fare potential for the island services - hence the fairly substantial 'subsidy' for the service.
As far as linking up to any anything? Well Oban is VFR only and actually somewhat short for a fully loaded Jetstream! So mixed reliability for a partially loaded aircraft - quite a bit of a punt for a small company like Highland.
Even on the east cost companies like Eastern do not fill their aircraft.
At the end of the day the islands have low populations and direct links anywhere have never been possible - so the people that live there largely have no need for these connections. Perhaps a little chicken and egg but that is largely why the easiest way to make a small fortune is to start with a larger one!
The comparison with the floatplane service is pretty marked though! No subsidies, no help and yet it seems to be doing reasonably well.
As far as linking up to any anything? Well Oban is VFR only and actually somewhat short for a fully loaded Jetstream! So mixed reliability for a partially loaded aircraft - quite a bit of a punt for a small company like Highland.
Even on the east cost companies like Eastern do not fill their aircraft.
At the end of the day the islands have low populations and direct links anywhere have never been possible - so the people that live there largely have no need for these connections. Perhaps a little chicken and egg but that is largely why the easiest way to make a small fortune is to start with a larger one!
The comparison with the floatplane service is pretty marked though! No subsidies, no help and yet it seems to be doing reasonably well.
Join Date: Jul 2009
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I agree with you for the island links, I was actually thinking mainland connections.
I am well aware of the VFR situation - I know Eastern well, helped with the set-up at ABZ.
Thanks for your feedback
I am well aware of the VFR situation - I know Eastern well, helped with the set-up at ABZ.
Thanks for your feedback
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: 18nm NE grice 28ft up
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I would imagine the regulators would not have thought about the floatplane scenario soon enough to put all the hurdles in place they would have liked to. Well done G-OLLS.
DO.
DO.
Join Date: Aug 2007
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I wouldn't have thought runway length would be a major problem so long as the displaced threshold is not made permanent, 140 metres less than Dundee. However no amount of investment will remove the 1010 ft hill on the extended centreline so there will never be a meaningful IFR letdown proceedure. This and the Scottish weather would probably make a schedule to the hubs too unreliable within the current regulations.
DO.
DO.
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Savannah GA & Portsmouth UK
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Most mobile service providers treat all 09 numbers as premium rate calls.
From the Argyll and Bute Council website:
"All aerodromes operated by Argyll and Bute Council are strictly PPR. Prior Permission Requests can either be made by calling 09056 470 151 (Non Premium Rate Number) or by completing and submitting the request form below."
Cut and pasted. Their italics.
"All aerodromes operated by Argyll and Bute Council are strictly PPR. Prior Permission Requests can either be made by calling 09056 470 151 (Non Premium Rate Number) or by completing and submitting the request form below."
Cut and pasted. Their italics.
Last edited by Maoraigh1; 27th Jan 2010 at 20:17. Reason: Remove more formatting data
Join Date: Apr 2001
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The telecom regulator Ofcom describes 09 numbers here as
I'm not a lawyer but my simple pilot brain tells me that there's a possibility that this might be slightly different from the Argyll & Bute Council definition
I wonder which one is correct, the telecom regulator or the seller of the service? 
NS
Special Services at a Premium Rate
Non Premium Rate Number
NS
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Most mobile service providers treat all 09 numbers as premium rate calls.
Agreed, looks like 0905647 range is allocated to BT for Special Services. ~20ppm at all times.
Moreover its not included in my BT inclusive call package which makes it premium to me.
Wonder what cut ABC are getting from the 20p ? Not like them to mislead the general public - deliberate or otherwise.
That'll be because it is a Premium Rate number. Rate p13, 20p a minute at all times from a BT landline on BT's standard business tariff (inc VAT)
Moreover its not included in my BT inclusive call package which makes it premium to me.
Wonder what cut ABC are getting from the 20p ? Not like them to mislead the general public - deliberate or otherwise.
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And so the saga continues....public money being wasted...and no chance of it ever coming back.
An Islander could have done the job from day one.
It's a good job Argyle and Bute are not running Australian outback airfields.
An Islander could have done the job from day one.
It's a good job Argyle and Bute are not running Australian outback airfields.
Join Date: Sep 2002
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090 Numbers
Just checked. My mobile service provider has a call bar on all 09 numbers by default. My workplace also bars all 09 numbers as do many others.
Admittedly, I can request that the mobile 09 bar is lifted and a call through my service provider to 09056 numbers is amongst the cheapest mobile premium rate calls at a meer 80p per minute!!!!
Admittedly, I can request that the mobile 09 bar is lifted and a call through my service provider to 09056 numbers is amongst the cheapest mobile premium rate calls at a meer 80p per minute!!!!
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Oban Follies
Wonder what cut ABC are getting from the 20p ? Not like them to mislead the general public - deliberate or otherwise.
Banned again?
SD
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Stelladog,
I find it very difficult to picture a dog using a phone I can just imagine you typing on a computor, however there is no way you pay the bills.
DO.
I find it very difficult to picture a dog using a phone I can just imagine you typing on a computor, however there is no way you pay the bills.
DO.