My understanding is that their SOP are strictly VFR.

Coll and Colonsay, with a procedure? Does not make much sense, but then the whole gambit makes no sense financially. Never stopped a good project manager, getting a budget, and going berserk, with justification, after justification.

No, it is a weird one. Someone at ABC been on the web browsers again?

Last time I went to Oban that hill and the updraft from a stonking cross wind had me do two go-arounds, before I ran the wheels over the caravan roofs and got in :uhoh:

Nobody who understands anything about aviation would see a useful IAP going in there safely. I suppose commercials can't do the spiral let down over BRUCE;)

Oban

The chances of getting the kit in a islander for a SBAS approach is rather an expensive issue.

They might be able to get a drop into the circuit off shore.

I have a sneaky feeling that there has been a shall we say less than VFR approach for years which was used by the ambulance flights which was company only approved.

I really don't think though it would comply with any public transport rules. But then again there is some weird and wonderfull approaches in Norway, Vargar and Iceland.

The other two wouldn't be to bad.

But to be honest to get these approaches to work you would have to get runway lighting which 1.3 million isn't anywhere near enough.

It's an easy calc.

1. What are the current cloudbase/vis minima for Hebridean's VFR ops
2. How many times a year have those minima led to flights being cancelled
3. Given the terrain constraints at Oban, how many of those cancelled flights would have got in if there'd been an IAP?

Personally I think the answer to 3 is probably "none". Not least because the only possible straight-in approach is to 01, but the wind favours 19 most of the time, so circling approaches will be the order of the day and the circling minimum will be 1310 feet - higher than they can do without problems on a VFR flight.

There are plenty other questions too, e.g.:

4. Can the three runways meet or be upgraded to instrument runway standards?
5. Will the CAA approve instrument approaches to airfields with only an A/G operator rather than a FISO?
6. If the answer to 5 is no, will A&BC pay for part-time firemen on Coll and Colonsay to be trained as FISOs?

A Garmin 430W will fly an RNAV (GNSS) APV utilising EGNOS augmentation. The loverley people at the CAA consulted on a new CAP last year which will see things made easier for places like this in the future.

Maybe a checkerboard on the hill side?

SGC

Think that has been tried before.

If the r/way can be extended into Oban High Street, then could make way for this lot:zzz:

SBAS approaches allows for curved final approach....

NextGen - A 'Win-Win' at Jackson Hole

Maybe the tender has to budget for the excavation of the big hill!

Oban is already FISO'ed, so this would be a DIAP just like Islay, i.e. a secret squirrel approach for specific approved operators.

In the good old days before Oban got complicated by ATC and new tarmac I remember one could land in almost any weather by approaching over the sea and turning a very short final.

Some changes afoot at Argyll & Bute Airfields. All positive. More details here;

Landing / Airfield Charges & Fuel » Oban & The Isles Airports

In summary;

Coll & Colonsay landing fees reduced to £8
Temporary Indemnity for Holiday Visitors - £7 for 1 week or £10 for 2.
Obal loyalty card - pay for 4 landings, get 5th free

:D:D:D:D:D

All positive? No mention of Glenforsa :(

I suspect there is going to be a huge negative coming about that one.

I hope those locally are making sure they aren't planning a sneaky one on that front involving a riper on the back of a tractor instead of a roller.

Also another improvement,

Awqward,


An SBAS approach does not allow for a curved Final Approach. It will be aligned with the runway centreline and be protected by an OAS which is similar in structure to an ILS OAS.


The link you have included is RNP(AR) which uses a series of RF (Radius to Fix) legs to allow for a 'curved' approach.

Glenforsa is open. PPR has now to be done through Oban Airfield.
Thread drift: Trying to PPR Broadford, the local dial code got me to a centralised Highland Council facility. I gave up when it said "no. 8 in the queue", and went direct to Oban.

http://obanandtheislesairports.com/
 

Home » Oban & The Isles Airports
Watch the video. Well designed site, except home page slow to load.

Superb video. Hopefully be back over there very soon.

No mention of Mull on the new website. Worrying. And presumably there was no fly-in last weekend?

I also thought Glenforsa was conspicuous by its absence.

The Mull fly-in was last weekend, 23rd to 25th. 2014 Fly-In - Glenforsa Airfield
I was there on the Saturday but turnout was poor despite a decent day but the forecast wasn't great. Including myself I counted 7 fixed wing plus 4 autogyros.