Flying in Scotland

[Genghis the Engineer]

I've flown around the Hebrides several times. It remains, in my fairly experienced viewpoint, the best light aeroplane flying in the world.

There are no islands, or airfields, I'd not happily visit or revisit. Occasionally you'll get stranded somewhere for a few days by the weather - go prepared for it, and you'll enjoy that as much as the flying.

Southern central Scotland is pleasant enough to fly through,although no more or less special than much of England.

Eastern Scotland has a few nice airfields, and some quite spectacular coastline to see from the air.

I've not flown myself to the north yet. I've visited Orkney by other means however, and suspect that the flying is as good as the Hebrides.


Talk on the radio, be careful with your nav, don't trust the wind forecasts, think ahead for your fuel, always squawk, never descend below 2000ft agl (or above the nearby peaks) except above an airfield, never be afraid to divert if the weather is getting nasty and you'll be fine and enjoy some of the finest flying in the world.

G

[Maoraigh1]

never descend below 2000ft agl (or above the nearby peaks) except above an airfield,

I'd say: Never fly above cloud over the mountains in a SE, (unless high enough to glide to coast/low ground), and never enter cloud. If above cloud, consider downdrafts if there is much wind at summit levels. Stay at least 600' below cloud.
Enjoy the scenery. Has anyone in daytime ever flown into a mountain without first flying into a cloud?

[Jan Olieslagers]

PH-UKU: I was sitting having lunch at the restaurant on Loch Venachar a few years back when G-DRAM came in to land.

Hehe, being into folk music I had come across this video before, and been wondering whether the registration had been photoshopped - probably hard to do on a video? But obviously there was no need.

Surely the sights are great, and the tune is always good for a broad smile. Though I must admit there is little Scots about it. Bagpipes are all too ubiquitous, really nice would have been a bit of Moray Fiddle.

OT: should someone have the chords for that "Trip to Bangor", there is one place where I am unsure. This tune is not as trivial as it might seem to non-musicians.

[VMC-on-top]

Never fly above cloud over the mountains in a SE, (unless high enough to glide to coast/low ground), and never enter cloud. If above cloud, consider downdrafts if there is much wind at summit levels. Stay at least 600' below cloud.

I tried the below cloud option on a trip to Inverness once and got bounced around like a ping-pong ball (pre-IMCR days), so I'd say the advice should probably be never fly above cloud over the mountains unless the cloud base is at least above MSA.

Given the same conditions again today, I'd opt for the cleaner air above the clouds every time.

[Dan the weegie]

It's a question of situation this whole, never do this, never do that attitude isn't really helping anyone.

750ft above MSA is REALLY REALLY high up

[VMC-on-top]

Dan, I agree but I think that giving blanket advice like stay at least 600ft below the clouds is just plain wreckless - I think its more commonly known as letter-boxing - an ever lowering cloud base, rising terrain and potentially vicious winds in the Highlands - a recipe for disaster!

[Maoraigh1]

is just plain wreckless

Yes. And we want to keep it that way.
I assumed keeping a reasonable height above ground AND at least 600' below cloud. I said do not enter cloud. And that implies visibility that lets you see cloud in time to avoid it.
Flying below cloud you can predict the updraft and downdraft slopes, like glider pilots do.
Flying above cloud, and above the hills, this will be difficult. You could be sucked down into the cloud, and below the peaks, unless you are well above them. In the early 90s, a C177 with a PPl and the then CFI at Inverness was sucked down from 7000' or 7500' into 5000' cloud and into the Cairngorms, before an updraft threw it back up.
I can only recall one CFIT in the Highlands which might have been low level. All the others were at higher altitude.

[fisbangwollop]

A beautiful place to fly but also a hostile place for the unwary. :-(

The article talks of a Piper Apache but if memory serves me well I think it was a PA28 Cherokee.?

Pilot error blamed for Cairngorm plane crash | Highlands & Islands | STV News

[gasax]

Yes thishad a considerable thread on Pprune - it was an intended trans-Atlantic flight and the aircraft was either an Arrow or Cherokee 6 - so a much more capable Cherokee.

But this was flying in very poor weather and then going IMC into cumulus granite.

Flyingin the mountains is not difficult. Some caution is necessary but otherwise it is straight forward. Winds over 20 kts will make life very uncomfortable and if you hit the rotor off the back of a hill will roll over even heavy aircraft.

Stay VFR and be prudent with the wind and there are not particular problems. Learn how to land on steep hilsides and the number of landing spots increases very significantly. All you then need is some decent clothing so you can potentially walk out.

I do it most weekends and many of the warnings are of the 'here be dragons' ilk. Understand the weather and where the cloud will build and it is a tremendous place to fly.

[BabyBear]

Originally Posted by gasax

Learn how to land on steep hilsides

How/where do you learn to do that then?

BB

[Maoraigh1]

Search these AAIB refs. One low level, but poor vis and very low cloud. Several high but not high enough, entering cloud. One definite downdraft, two others possible downdrafts.
EW/G2001/01/17 . EW/C2000/12/6. EW/C92/4/1. EW/C/2008/04/01. EW/C1088. EW/C92/8/4. EW/G2005/05/26. EW/C97/12/4