Flying to Edinburgh

[Oldpilot55]

Cumbernauld indeed has a big fence. Not a good place to park a car overnight unless you can sweet talk yourself inside the fence where there is ample car parking.

[17thhour]

Cumbernauld indeed has a big fence. Not a good place to park a car overnight unless you can sweet talk yourself inside the fence where there is ample car parking.

I've been, and theres absolutely no need to sweet talk from what I experienced.

[NorthSouth]

ezydriver:

On a Saturday if the weather is nice and ATC have tower doing ground as well you can hear the irritation in soem controllers voice when PPLs want in and out of the zone or the airfield, its just very busy.

I think you're being unfair to EDI controllers. There is one individual who tends to get a bit more stressed than the others when it's busy, but in my experience he's just as irritable with the many cases of foreign airline and bizjet pilots who clearly haven't read Edinburgh's AIP entry or don't have the aerodrome chart in front of them as he is with light aircraft wanting zone transits etc. I can't recall a case of a light aircraft calling up EDI for a zone transit and being told to remain outside CAS and stand by, then not getting a clearance. I don't believe there's any ATC irritation with light GA at Edinburgh, in fact if anything it's the opposite because light aircraft make the job more interesting.
NS

[dont overfil]

I'd love to know the outcome. Someone is being a right pillock here. I mean how much room does a PA28 take up.
If they had to leave I wonder if the landing charges were waved?
BAA seem happy to close runway 30 to park airbuses do they not understand a light aircraft only needs a little patch of grass?
I hope the minister for tourism finds out about this!
DO.

[xrayalpha]

NorthSouth wrote:

"I can't recall a case of a light aircraft calling up EDI for a zone transit and being told to remain outside CAS and stand by, then not getting a clearance. I don't believe there's any ATC irritation with light GA at Edinburgh, in fact if anything it's the opposite because light aircraft make the job more interesting."

As a microlight pilot who used to fly punters on jolies from Cumbernauld around the Bridges, I found Edinburgh very very helpful.

I did once get refused an entry by Edinburgh - but that was a day when one of those electronic thingies that helps the shoppers' buses find the runway was broken, and the chaps and chapesses in the tower were having to work really hard. So no problems there, as a far as I was concerned. (and the punter thought it really interesting when a jet which was asked to hold replied: If I can't get an approach within 30 secs I am going to have to divert!)

Very best,

XA


ps Of course, at Strathaven we have no big fence, no handling fees and no tarmac. But we do have 530m of grass and hot water!

[Gav28]

Hello,

I am planning a trip to Edinburgh for 2 nights soon, departing from the south of England. From reading around the various threads a Pprune search yeilds I get the impression they are not all to keen on GA aircraft visiting. I would however very much like to use Edinburgh rather than a local GA strip (mainly for the experience, to use the ILS and it would be a lot more convenient) so I have no issue paying the fee.
Is there a best time to aim to arrive, when ATC are likely to be least busy and most accommodating?

Also if anyone has done the trip recently from the south be interested in any other tips/advice.

I'll be in a Warrior, I’m a relatively low hour PPL and I also have an IMCr.

Cheers.

[dont overfil]

You should have no problems. Read the notes in Pooleys, Book in with Greer Aviation by phone before you leave. Mornings and early evenings seem to be the busiest. You may get an ILS if it's quiet (or essential) but expect to be held. Remember listen to the arrival ATIS.
The Spaedadam ranges to the southeast seem to be constantly active. Plan to fly around.
DO.

[fisbangwollop]

If your coming up give Scottish Info a call on 119.875........I will try and ease your passage into Edinburgh......one thing you must do though is book in through a handling agent "Greer"....I had ATC turn 2 German PA28's away the other day as they had not used a handling agent. PH are GA friendly but if the TMA inbound rush is on you will have to hold....try early afternoon to arrive and you should mis the rush. Plan to route via NEW or between D510 and D512 if you work Newcastle on the way up they should transfer you to me once they have had enough of you!! If you work London Info like wise they will transfer you to me..

Good luck and have a nice flight.

[mikehallam]

They must breed miserable SOB's for ATC at Edinburgh.
I still carry the scars from their abusive & disruptive efforts 21 years ago when starting from there for an FAI timed flight to London.
mikehallam

[dont overfil]

I've flown from/over Edinburgh for many years and have usually found them courteous and helpful.
They are however pretty busy and don't have time to suffer fools and stutterers. However if the ILS is down..........
DO.

[NorthSouth]

They must breed miserable SOB's for ATC at Edinburgh.
I still carry the scars from their abusive & disruptive efforts 21 years ago when starting from there for an FAI timed flight to London.
mikehallam

21 years ago!!!? Well, there's nothing like festering grudges to keep you going. If it was an FAI timed flight I'm guessing they weren't too keen on guaranteeing you a specific departure time and no delays. Sounds entirely reasonable to me.

gav28, it's not that they're not keen on GA, it's simply that GA has to fit in with the 90% of traffic which is commercial air transport. In addition to Greer you should ask Signature for a quote (0131 317 7447).

You will have to be very lucky to get an ILS and unless it's a Saturday evening you're unlikely to be fitted in. If you really want to get an ILS approach you should phone Edinburgh ATC in advance and ask to speak to the watch manager or supervisor (0131 333 6239). Be aware that if they're using 24 they may well put you on the localiser six miles out over the sea.

NS

[FrankLeeSpeakin]

I have lots to say about dear old EDI but lets save that for another time. What I think needs to be made clear first off is if you are landing/departing ANYwhere within the CTZ - that's up to 10DME from EGPH you MUST book in/out with the ATC watch manager by phone there as well as at your chosen site, whether IFR or VFR.
Kirknewton is run by the local Air Corps and is usually very active up to 4000 agl saturdays and sundays with thweir towed gliders and they keep a list of permitted light aircraft. If you aint on it, you aint getting in.
As for the controllers, definitely pot luck who you get. Some are very easy to deal with and accomodating. Others will have you "stand by" for up to 15 minutes to get any IFR scheduled pax traffic in ahead. These ones just cant seem to cope with mixed traffic....
Enough for now before I really get into rant-mode.
:-)

[Gav28]

Thanks very much for the replies guys, very helpful. Yes I thought trying to get an ILS might be optimistic, no problem just crossed my mind as I like to try and get one when ever i can for practice.

Thanks again.

[Kiltie]

I haven't had time to read all 3 pages of this thread so apologies if this goes over old ground. I normally land at Cumbernauld to visit Edinburgh but only if a mate can pick me up with a car.

If it's corporate entertainment for a client you are doing, or your visit involves passengers who don't have a fascination for all things flying; there's an awful lot of pratting about going to CBN or Glenrothes arranging comparitively dull onward car travel to the city. Depending on how you value your time, it's worth considering the extra expense of EDI to arrive effectively on the doorstep of the city or Ingliston for the Royal Highland Show.