Do’s and Don’ts of touring the guts O’ Glesgae?
 

I've been asked to take a friends daughters on a tour of central Scotland when they visit this summer from California, they want to see where their old man grew up (Partick) and Glasgow, the Clyde and the West End etc.

What’s the chances of me getting a low level “tour route” transition around Glasgow from ATC? If this is a non-starter does anyone have any suggestions on how to get close without pissing anyone off or getting in trouble? The extend of my transitioning the area so far involves staying in the uncontrolled area down the Cumbernauld alley, but want to show them a bit more of “downtown” Glasgow.

Piperboy.......youll find the folk at Glasgow ATC very GA friendly and will fall over backwards to help if not too busy with commercial traffic. I would suggest a phone call to the ATC watch supervisor prior to you leaving your home strip to advise them what your intentions are. If you need any more info just PM me and Ill do my best to help.
On the way down give us ( Scottish info) a call as you usually do and we will liase with Glasgow before handing you over to them. :cool:

It is a while ago but the trip down the river was fine. My daughter was going to the college on the old John Brown shipyard site and we could n't get there (Clydebank/Renfrew, but I could hardly complain as it is off the end of their runway!

Probably worth a phone call to see which days are quieter, which might make the whole river accessible. But I would expect westward down the river to Partick would be approved, the rest would be down to traffic.

The Glasgow ATC guys are very accommodating, and a transit say Baillieston, Kingston Bridge, overhead the field, Erskine bridge, Greenock, round Bute/Arran, then back through routing Ardmore Point, Bridge, North of the north bank, city centre and back out would give some super views of the City and the clyde also your childhood haunt, Partick.

As others have suggested, watch supervisor, tell him/her what you want, and dependent on traffic, and runway direction, they should fit you in. I find after 2-4, weekdays, can be quieter, but we are now going into summer, so schedules may have changed. Have a great trip:ok:

Echo Max Red,

and for anyone else reading this: with the advent of electronic "strips", Glasgow (and Edinburgh) ATC really like a phone before any zone transit to prepare the info.

Am I the only person who thinks there would be an issue with a engine failure flying over the city centre?

From overhead the Kingston Bridge, where exactly would you glide clear to?

Now, Now Airpolice, if Burt Reynolds could land his Maule on the high street to pick up a six pack of beer like he did in the movie Cannonball Run, equipped with only a dodgy tash and suspect acting skills surely yours truly could get trusty old N3110J pulled up short on Sauchiehall Street in an emergency.:ok:

https://youtu.be/KHfJT89OfLg

Never had a problem getting either a transit, practice diversion for a go around, or a routing from PIK to the city centre for some orbits then departing the Zone either along the river through the 05/23 centreline or via the GLA overhead to Greenock to route back down the Clyde which is very scenic.
Obviously pick a quieter time outwith IMO 7am-9am and 4pm-6pm and always give them a call by phone beforehand.

Airpolice – Take Lifejackets and brief for the River Clyde Water Landing sans floats :ok:

Edited to add – Transits/Zone entries are almost always not above 2000’ (I’ve heard transits @ 2500’ over the Whitelee Windfarm) but I’m sure if you asked they’d give you higher if you wanted it.

This guy does a pretty good job of landing in a tight space