Oban/Glenforsa News
Join Date: Nov 2001
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Oban used to work very satisfactorily as a GA airport, attracting a good deal of private traffic and serving the Islands.
Given its catchment and geographical position that is all it will ever be. So adding the investment and the bureaucracy and reducing its accessibility is unlikely to be a recipe for success.
The new boy's rant suggests some level of vested interest.
I feel quite sorry for Paul Keegan and the airport staff who have been mixed a most unpalatable bottle by the politicians. Despite that, they supply a good service with good humour in my experience.
Rules that serve no useful purpose are not to be celebrated.
Given its catchment and geographical position that is all it will ever be. So adding the investment and the bureaucracy and reducing its accessibility is unlikely to be a recipe for success.
The new boy's rant suggests some level of vested interest.
I feel quite sorry for Paul Keegan and the airport staff who have been mixed a most unpalatable bottle by the politicians. Despite that, they supply a good service with good humour in my experience.
Rules that serve no useful purpose are not to be celebrated.
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
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Scotflyer,
Log off and don't return to this thread until you have an objective argument to pose. Paul knows what he is doing which is more than can be said for the local authority.
Log off and don't return to this thread until you have an objective argument to pose. Paul knows what he is doing which is more than can be said for the local authority.
Join Date: Mar 2000
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Gents, no need to feed the troll. We all know the history and nonsense that has gone on and I'm betting that many of us can nail down the identity of this latest wind up attempt without need to track the IP address.
So just ignore.
So just ignore.
diversify and help local business
Has anyone looked at how much money touring aeroplanes spend on B&B, meals, beers etc. If the airport does not need to be licenced why waste the money on being licenced? On the financial front it might be better to become unlicenced and allow more touring planes and the odd gliding expedition. 20 or so glider pilots basing themselves there for a week or so would bring in good money to local business. Carlisle has hosted several gliding expeditions and brought in good income for the local pubs, restraunts and B&Bs as well as hundreds of pounds in landing fees. The odd islander flight could be fitted in easily.
One small gliding club not far away extimates its visitors contribute £1.4m to the local community, I guess this would exceed the benefit the airport brings in to Oban? (And no one had to spend millions to make it happen) Many people underestimate the benefit GA brings to local business, its not just big aeroplanes (Islander???)that bring money to the area.
bb
One small gliding club not far away extimates its visitors contribute £1.4m to the local community, I guess this would exceed the benefit the airport brings in to Oban? (And no one had to spend millions to make it happen) Many people underestimate the benefit GA brings to local business, its not just big aeroplanes (Islander???)that bring money to the area.
bb
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As per usual, the answer is that it would be better for everyone if all of the nonsense and in-fighting went away and that everyone was made to feel more welcome.
It's not that anyone is nasty, but silly things like getting reported for landing short (which we could debate until the cows come home) and the general bad feeling that has been left by the entire debacle means that the airport and everyone there is suffering.
In regard to the licence and how important it'd be, then I think the main problem is the availability of the PSO funding. Without a scheduled service, then the money disappears. Without a licensed airfield, you cannot usually have a scheduled service, but as the CAA have said to me in the past. they take every route and case on it's merit. The service might not need a licensed strip. Afterall, directflight seem to manage alright.
It's not that anyone is nasty, but silly things like getting reported for landing short (which we could debate until the cows come home) and the general bad feeling that has been left by the entire debacle means that the airport and everyone there is suffering.
In regard to the licence and how important it'd be, then I think the main problem is the availability of the PSO funding. Without a scheduled service, then the money disappears. Without a licensed airfield, you cannot usually have a scheduled service, but as the CAA have said to me in the past. they take every route and case on it's merit. The service might not need a licensed strip. Afterall, directflight seem to manage alright.
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Sometimes north, sometimes south
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MJ:
And it's highly unlikely ever to be a published procedure. Does Hebridean/did Highland have a company-only procedure along these lines?
Small point, but the Orkney strips have always been licensed. Most of the Shetland ones aren't and have never been.
As regards The Fence, the next AIRAC cycle (18 Nov) contains a new aerodrome chart for Oban with the correct displaced threshold for 01 depicted. Unfortunately it seems to me that the declared distances in the AIP text are now all wrong. Then again, maybe they were never right.
They've also decided that the runway's 3 metres longer than it used to be.
NS
It will only ever have a cloud break procedure
the islanders in Orkney and Shetland have been operating out of unlicensed strips for years
As regards The Fence, the next AIRAC cycle (18 Nov) contains a new aerodrome chart for Oban with the correct displaced threshold for 01 depicted. Unfortunately it seems to me that the declared distances in the AIP text are now all wrong. Then again, maybe they were never right.
They've also decided that the runway's 3 metres longer than it used to be.
NS
Join Date: May 2007
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Why is it so hard for Oban to be legal and yet as relaxed as Cumbernauld?
Seesm to me that one of them is doing things that are not required or not doing things that are. You don't hear any of this whinging about CBN.
(I have my own issues with Kenny and innapropriate r/t, but maybe that's just me.)
CBN is always a joy to visit, a seamless operation, park wherever it will not cause a problem to others, it is assumed that you know you should not walk on to the runway etc. etc. so everyone mangaes just fine.
I think there are more Airside users at CBN than Oban and yet they all seem to rub along fine without erecting fences or getting lawyers involved.
Seesm to me that one of them is doing things that are not required or not doing things that are. You don't hear any of this whinging about CBN.
(I have my own issues with Kenny and innapropriate r/t, but maybe that's just me.)
CBN is always a joy to visit, a seamless operation, park wherever it will not cause a problem to others, it is assumed that you know you should not walk on to the runway etc. etc. so everyone mangaes just fine.
I think there are more Airside users at CBN than Oban and yet they all seem to rub along fine without erecting fences or getting lawyers involved.
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Not sure if there were company charts.
I should imagine Logie Ambulance crews had one though, they seemed to have ones for every strip in scotland. Some of them even made use of marine buoys to get in.
I should imagine Logie Ambulance crews had one though, they seemed to have ones for every strip in scotland. Some of them even made use of marine buoys to get in.
Join Date: Mar 2000
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airpolice, I can promise you that it isn't just you! Kenny and I have always got along well, but he does have his days occasionally... Mind you, I'm sure he used to say the same about me too!
Join Date: Apr 2001
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Then again non-standard R/T was common at Oban even before the Cooncil got their hands on the mike switch.
CAP 413: "Report when..."
Paul K: "Gi'e me a wee call when..."
All part of the charm!
NS
CAP 413: "Report when..."
Paul K: "Gi'e me a wee call when..."
All part of the charm!
NS
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I've just noticed that Oban is now listed on the Met Office's TAFs and METARs pages. No actual TAF or METAR available, but is this the start of regular reporting? Could be very useful.
NS
NS
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Fence at Oban?
Did somebody mention a fence? is it across the runway? at the end of the runway, or beside the runway, in parallel?
When some of the users fell out at Enstone, a fence appeared beside the runway, in parallel, and it wasn't long before somebody wrapped it around his aeroplane......
So they repainted the center stripe offcentre, down the official runway, to give a bit more clearance, as the fence is still there. And to make it a licensed airfield, however as training is now permitted at an UNlicensed airfield, they have decided to forget the formalities and just let the users get on with it. But Enstone is owned by the local farmer, not the local authority. Much better arrangement, usually....
When some of the users fell out at Enstone, a fence appeared beside the runway, in parallel, and it wasn't long before somebody wrapped it around his aeroplane......
So they repainted the center stripe offcentre, down the official runway, to give a bit more clearance, as the fence is still there. And to make it a licensed airfield, however as training is now permitted at an UNlicensed airfield, they have decided to forget the formalities and just let the users get on with it. But Enstone is owned by the local farmer, not the local authority. Much better arrangement, usually....
Join Date: Nov 2007
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I smell the (lack of) cash
So A&B Council have proposed that three local primary schools, Connel, Ardchattan and Barcaldine, are to close at the end of the current school year (30th June 2011).
"Argyll and Bute Council aims to allocate its resources in a way that ensures the quality of all its services......"
It's not going to be very difficult to see how local council tax payers are going to react to that!
GS
"Argyll and Bute Council aims to allocate its resources in a way that ensures the quality of all its services......"
It's not going to be very difficult to see how local council tax payers are going to react to that!
GS
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I wouldn't read too much into that GS. The state as a whole is fceked - if the whole Governmental system of the UK was a business it would've been wound up and buried long ago.
Not to worry though. Coonsillurs are fantastic at being able to find ways to waste cash on pet projects even in times of financial hardship. My dim-witted local authority (Nationalists and Liberals - bloody typical
) keeps whining that they're skint but can still magic from nowhere several tens of millions to build a toy tram set to bugger up the traffic flow in the middle of Edinburgh.
Oban Airport is probably the same. Its a pet project so it will be protected at all costs... even if they have to shut all of A & B's hospitals, schools, care homes etc. first...
Smithy
Not to worry though. Coonsillurs are fantastic at being able to find ways to waste cash on pet projects even in times of financial hardship. My dim-witted local authority (Nationalists and Liberals - bloody typical
) keeps whining that they're skint but can still magic from nowhere several tens of millions to build a toy tram set to bugger up the traffic flow in the middle of Edinburgh. Oban Airport is probably the same. Its a pet project so it will be protected at all costs... even if they have to shut all of A & B's hospitals, schools, care homes etc. first...
Smithy
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keeps whining that they're skint but can still magic from nowhere several tens of millions to build a toy tram set to bugger up the traffic flow in the middle of Edinburgh
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Did they not invent an improvement to trams in the 1950s. They were called trolley buses and they didn't need tracks.
Don't get me started.
Anyway Oban is wonderful and I don't depend on A&B cooncil for anything else.
DO.
Don't get me started.
Anyway Oban is wonderful and I don't depend on A&B cooncil for anything else.
DO.
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Aye but in entertainment value alone for the rest of Scotland its going to be worth every penny.
Hopefully will re-visit Oban soon, if we get some half-decent Wx.
Smithy
