Oban/Glenforsa News

[billiboing]

Would I be right in giving a summary as follows;

a) There once was a bloke who ran the airfield- he now supplies the fuel.
b) The council thought- OOOOH!- we can have a mini heathrow to play with.
c) The council took over and cocked it up as the boys that had toys there only had microlights, gliders and little planes and not Boeing 747s!
d) The council peeved off the fuel guy and he took them to court and won.
e) The council wont admit it and so are using the excuse about MOGAS possibly not being MOGAS and so are banning it to save face and wont actually admit this is nothing to do with the safety of using MOGAS but is all about the fight between the fuel supplier and the council.
f) And in the meantime the boys with their toys all loose????????

GROW UP KIDS!- The lot of you. Before Uncle Steakandchips comes up there and bangs all your heads together!!!!!!!

Remember - you have a beautiful airfield in probably the most stunning location anywhere in the UK!.

[madflyer26]

Steak And Chips,

It is not about growing up we are all adults involved in this saga. We feel utterly pissed off with the decisions the council are making.

Paul Keegan ran the airport and he ran it well however the council have always owned it. They own it so this myth of it changing hands is just that.

I can assure you that beating Argyll & Bute council is no feat you just have to have the money to do it. Since the transition from Strathclyde council to individual Borough councils in Scotland, Argyll & Bute has the most appalling record for efficiency and budgetary overspend in the entire country. The heart of the council is rotten to the core with corruption with many councilors taking brown envelopes for favourable decisions to be made. There has been several investigations by the Scottish Executive but nothing concrete proven to actually bring a case to the courts.

Oban is doomed for sure and the volatile combination of the council and TLC co-located has sealed its fate for sure.

Regards

Kevin MacCuish

[Maoraigh1]

"8] In these circumstances we are of the view the over the relevant period, i.e. 12 years, the defenders, as owners of the airfield, must take relevant steps to prohibit any aircraft user bringing his own fuel to the airfield. Thus we consider that the sheriff, rather than the sheriff principal, reached the correct decision"

That is interesting. I take my mogas into Inverness. I refuel with avgas from TLC when in Oban. I would have thought someone offering (free??) transport to the filling station was breaking the agreement, but am surprised the judgement applies to someone taking his own fuel. This interpretation might apply to other airport fuel agreements in Scotland. A strict interpretation might be read to prohibit anyone landing at Oban with any fuel remaining in their tank.

[grow45]

So the original interlocutor [judgement] was from 20 July 1999 [paragraph 3] and the lease had an exclusivity deal for a period of twelve years from the date of entry. Assuming the lease had been running for say a year before the original court case gives a date of entry under the lease of say July 1998. That means the exclusivity period should have run out in about July 2010 - or was it extended?.

[airpolice]

Kevin Wrote:

The heart of the council is rotten to the corp with corruption with many councilors taking brown envelopes for favourable decisions to be made. There has been several investigations by the Scottish Executive but nothing concrete proven to actually bring a case to the courts.

So, you KNOW about all this brown envelope economy but still, what was once the finest legal system in the world, can't get anyone in the frame for it. Seems odd.

If you are so well versed in the exchange of browns, why not just broker a deal and "buy" the airport.


I'd be inclined to think that "several investigations having produced nothing that can be proven", might suggest a huge lump of innocence.

On the other hand, if you are telling us that the local area is awash with allegations, that's a different matter.

[patowalker]

The contract is about selling aviation fuel. Since when is Mogas aviation fuel?

[Wide-Body]

Its probably the bit when you put it in an aeroplane. But I am not a bright man

[Johnm]

Since when is Mogas aviation fuel

Since it was specified as a fuel for use in aircraft! Mogas and ordinary motor car fuel are not the same thing. I would therefore take the view that if you wish to put ordinary motor car fuel into your aeroplane at Oban there's nothing to stop you, because that isn't MOGAS.

[madflyer26]

Air Police,

It is a common joke in Oban about certain councillors taking cash for favours.

Just because our inept judicial system couldn't find anything fishy doesn't mean it is not going on. Our legal system over the last decade or so has been the laughing stock of the rest of the world. Lockerbie Bomber case in point.

Also I have no desire to run or buy Oban Airport as I couldn't think of a bigger Albatross round your neck. If you have any magical solutions to this saga feel free to expound with them.

Regards

MF

[patowalker]

Mogas and ordinary motor car fuel are not the same thing. I would therefore take the view that if you wish to put ordinary motor car fuel into your aeroplane at Oban there's nothing to stop you, because that isn't MOGAS.

That's strange. I fill my motorcar and aircraft from the same pump and was under the impression that RON 95 petrol to EN 228 was MOGAS.

[airpolice]

It is a common joke in Oban about certain councillors taking cash for favours.

The heart of the council is rotten to the core with corruption with many councilors taking brown envelopes for favourable decisions to be made.

So, is your earlier comment simply a case of repeating this "joke" or are you saying that it is true?

Just because our inept judicial system couldn't find anything fishy doesn't mean it is not going on.

And just because I've not met any wee green men from Mars is not exactly proof that they do not exist, however....... what are the chances?

[ak7274]

And just because I've not met any wee green men from Mars is not exactly proof that they do not exist, however....... what are the chances?

Better than Oban being run half decently.

[140KIAS]

Tender for Operation of Glenforsa Airfield just published on Public Contracts Scotland website. Closing date for submissions 25th Jan at 12.00 noon.

[maxred]

This should now get interesting. Did the employees on 90 days ever go????

TUPE, would make a mockery of any attempt to run the place commercially

Unless of course the VERY large public subsidy given to the flights provider, would, just maybe, tip the balance, in the pot of course is 50k for a hangar - also from public funds if my memory serves me correctly.


So............

[140KIAS]

Maxred - the tender is only for Glenforsa so only David would be affected, not sure if he was included in the 90 day notice - however you potentially have a point re TUPE. It's a while since I was involved with TUPE however in the past when we took over a maintenance contract TUPE was relevant for any of the previously companies employees whose primarily responsibility was related to the delivery of the contract.

[maxred]

Forgive me, too much Festive cake and wine.

I mis read thinking it would be for both, Oban and Glenforsa.

No, the real one to watch for is the Oban tender, if and when it happens.

Cheers

[NorthSouth]

Looking at the numbers in the tender documents, 2011 was a bad year with movements down about 25% on 2010, but I suspect much of that was weather-related. Other than that it's been 500+ movements a year fairly consistently.

One big question will be what any new operator will see fit to do to the landing fees in order to maximise income without deterring too many visitors.

Another will be whether the new operator will see the enormous benefit of working with Glenforsa Hotel to make the most of having accommodation and good food a few steps from your aeroplane.

Presumably they'll also try to persuade Hebridean to add Mull to their destinations.

Could be interesting.

NS

[NorthSouth]

A & B Council has just issued a tender invitation for a marketing strategy for Oban Airport. The contract value is up to £17,000 and the work has to be completed by the end of September. It looks to me like the council is focused on methods of attracting more commercial aviation activity rather than GA, but it will be interesting to see what the successful bidder comes up with. Perhaps a recommendation to sub-contract operation of the airport to a local business, switch the air services to a charter basis, de-license the airport and have it open 24/7 to anyone wanting to use it?

The info docs with the tender invitation show that Hebridean Air Services were carrying an average of less than 2 pax per scheduled sector in 2011. Surely it can't go on, especially when you consider what's happened to the price of avgas in the last eighteen months?

NS

[140KIAS]

What ever happened to the Glenforsa tender? Submissions were due in 3 months ago.

[airpolice]

I'm expecting a collection of pprune readers to submit an application in respect of this tender.


With so many people on here knowing exactly how to make a go of the airport, it looks like money for old rope.