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Justifying a VFR only service into 500m strips on the basis that it will be "more reliable than the ferry in bad weather" is very, very dodgy.
Ferries are big slab sided things, but compared to how an Islander gets affected by the weather (well by anyone actually sticking to the limits set in an Ops manual) they are fairly bullet proof. So Oban with it's guaranteed cross wind runway is going to allow more opportunities to travel than a multi '000 tonne ship with a highly experienced crew? Where's the Jimmy Hill scratchy chin smiley when you need it? It's great that the licence looks as if it is about to be issued finally. It's just a shame the routes are so limited and with such odd timetables. Fingers crossed though. The last thing anyone wants is for this to fall on it's backside now. That really would be a disaster. |
I find all this talk by council officials of the service starting on June 2nd rather odd when the CAA haven't yet made the decision to licence. One of the major factors in the timing of the start of licensed operations is publication of an airfield's details in the AIP. Oban Coll & Colonsay have now missed the deadline for publication in AIRAC 7/08. Next one is 8/08 which is published on 19 June and takes effect from 31 July. No doubt they can issue some details via NOTAM but I would have thought that they cannot start drawing the final version of the aerodrome chart etc until the CAA has agreed every last detail. That's not a job that can be done in 2 or 3 days.
NS |
Been pondering the question of lighting at Coll and Colonsay and found interesting info from the AGM of the The Association of Argyll & Bute Community Councils on 6-10-07 at http://www.aabcc.btik.com/attachment...hQuestions.doc
which includes the statement (from the Leader of the Council): "There is no need for runway lighting at Coll and Colonsay" Now I may be being very stupid here, but Highland Airways has published a timetable which has departure times from Coll at 1810 and Colonsay at 1740. In addition there are to be "scholar flights" which take kids to Oban for school, presumably on Monday mornings in time for the aircraft to turn round and operate the first outbound schedule at 0830, and on Friday afternoons after school gets out - departure from Oban at 1645ish? Official daylight doesn't start at Colonsay until after 0800 in December and January, and it's official night for those afternoon schedules for the whole of the winter. How are they going to do it, or am I missing something? NS |
Maybe it's a summer only timetable
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the winter scheduile will be published in August to start 26th october always 26 week cycles....:8
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Surely means the kids will turn up at school late on Monday and leave early on Friday in winter. Round trip time Oban-Coll-Oban (without a stop at Colonsay) will be c.1hr 20 mins and official night at Oban in mid-December is about 1610 local.
NS |
Oban Licence
Has Oban etc got their licence yet?
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Airfield Licences
Hot off the press from the latest Corncrake Magazine:
NO TAKE-OFF YET FOR AIR SERVICE Well, we had high hopes of being able to bring to you, in this Issue, news of the commencement of our long-awaited air service. Alas, it is not to be, but, if all reports in the Press are to be believed, the three airstrips at Colonsay, Coll and Connell have at last received their necessary Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licences (although, worryingly, an apparently reliable source has suggested that this might not actually be the case). A catalogue of hold-ups has marred the progress of the project, and Argyll and Bute Council recently admitted that, over the last few months, it had run up a bill of over £300,000, for the "operational" costs of the service which has yet to actually take off. These running costs continue to mount daily, as Highland Airways, resident fire-fighting staff and airport staff at each airstrip have to be paid. Now however, the three final stumbling blocks to take-off have been overcome, according to Councillor Duncan MacIntyre, transport spokesman for the Council. CAA instructions state that airport fire engines have to be garaged and one of the last hurdles was the fact that the machines did not fit the purpose-built facility. But Mr MacIntyre said: "We have bought a hangar for them, the CAA required a fuel audit, which they now have, and trees have now been trimmed, as instructed." Hopefully, by the time we hit the ether again in the middle of June, there will at last be good news to relate. |
"Trees have now been trimmed as instructed," (and the large mountain at the end of the runway has been demolished.)
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Air service
I have now been given a start date for the new air service as 9th June by 3 different sources, however no one can book flights and no official annuncemnet from the council regading the licensing of the runways.
Any further rumours, post them here! |
Last Friday's Oban Times reported that:
Air services to Coll and Colonsay could be taking off from Oban Airport by next month after news that licences have been granted for Coll, Colonsay and Oban. NS |
licenses have not been issued yet...... imminent - but not yet in their sticky mits....
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Another week gone and still no hint of licences issued from CAA, A&BC or Hiway websites. Anyone know what's going on?
NS |
Oban PPR
Oban PPR is 01631 710910
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Oban, Coll and Colonsay
All 3 Aerodrome Licences were issued on 5th June 2008. Consequtive numbers for the Licensee - a world first.
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Flights to Coll and Colonsay are now on sale
You can buy flights now and there would appear to be flights starting on 16th June.
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Yiphee at last and well done all!!! I have a long association with Connel airfield and so nice to hear that its now licensed!!
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Just seen NOTAM L2102/08 advising that the Oban ATZ becomes active at 0700 on the 13th, radius 2nm SFC to 2000ft.
Good luck and best wishes from the Scottish FIR sector. :ok: |
Delighted to see the finishing line is in sight at long last. Its just a shame that the powers that be chose to run the Marathon when a 100 yard dash could have achieved to same results.
That said I visited Oban at the weekend and the guys couldnt have been more accommodating. |
2.333nm/min:
I visited Oban at the weekend and the guys couldnt have been more accommodating NS PS: why no NOTAM on Coll & Colonsay? I realise they don't qualify for ATZs but one might imagine there'd be some notification of their new status. |
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