WATER WAY TO FLY
New city seaplane route from Glasgow to Oban offers stunning views of Scotland’s beautiful west coast.
THERE is no better way to see the scenic west coast of Scotland than from the air.
And when you swap the typical judder along the runway for a thrilling take-off that feels like a high-octane boat ride along the River Clyde, you’re truly travelling in style.
Ahead of the official launch on Monday of the Cessna Seaplane’s Glasgow to Oban route, the Daily Record was among a handful of specially-invited guests to take to the skies – and water – on the maiden flight.
Flying below the clouds on the £500,000 aircraft over some of the most picturesque countryside in the world was an unforgettable experience and makes you proud to be Scottish.
The new route is a dream come true for David West, a commercial airline pilot and founder of the UK’s only commercial flying boat service – Loch Lomond Seaplanes.
For the last three years, David has run a successful charter service from Loch Lomond, but opening up a route from Scotland’s largest city was always his burning ambition.
Last year, the businessman announced plans for Europe’s first city centre seaplane service.
Now it has landed in Glasgow and David is delighted.
Susie West, David’s wife, said: “He originally thought it would be a good idea because of the lochs and mountains and because it is difficult to get from Glasgow to Oban by car or train. It takes quite a long time, so we wanted to cut that down.
“David has always loved seaplanes and thought, ‘Why can’t we have one on the west coast of Scotland?’
“This part of the country is very similar to the west coast of Canada where they use them all the time, so we researched it a lot and thought this could work.”
David was keen to inject the personal touch, which has been eroded from air travel in recent years.
He said: “Flying these days is so impersonal. Passengers are told it’s like taking a bus. With us it’s personal.
“The seaplane puts back the joy, the love and the fun of travel.”
Docked at a pontoon behind Glasgow Science Centre and IMAX cinema is the Cessna Caravan 208 seaplane which will become a regular fixture on the River Clyde and Glasgow’s famous skyline.
Kitted out with comfortable seats, air conditioning and cream leather interior, the luxury Cessna can seat nine passengers and is a million miles from your usual budget airline flights.
Before take-off, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were on a boat trip up the Clyde.
But once the captain is given clearance and the turbo-prop engine kicks in, you are soon zipping along the river at up to 100mph before climbing into the sky high above Glasgow Harbour, the Clyde shipyards and Braehead shopping centre.
Just minutes into the scenic journey you reach Scotland’s most spectacular landscapes – mountains, lochs, rivers and its famous rugged coastline.
You pass over landmarks including Loch Lomond, the Trossachs, Rothesay, Loch Fyne, Tarbert, Lochgilphead and Crinan before touching down in Oban Marina less than half an hour later.
And just a short boat ride away on the Isle of Kerrera you can sample delicious locally-sourced seafood from the Waypoint Bar and Grill or browse round the shops in Oban, and visit the imposing McCaig’s Folly while waiting for your return flight.
Local businesses are excited about the new chartered service – and so too are the pilots who have been enticed from far and wide.
As flying a seaplane is such a specialist skill, David had to search the globe when recruiting. Captain Darren Hansen, who is from the west coast of Canada and has 17 years’ flying experience, is one of two pilots employed by Loch Lomond Seaplanes on the Glasgow-to-Oban service.
Darren, who also has a commercial airline licence, admits he is “honoured” to be working on the new route.
The second pilot, Andrew Kennedy, hails from Fiji and has flown in the Maldives.
The seaplane itself is also far travelled. It has come to Glasgow all the way from Dallas, Texas, cost Û1million (around £500,000) and has a top speed of 171mph.
It has already become a talking point while docked at the new pontoon at Glasgow Science Centre.
And when the distinctive red, white and blue aircraft is not there, or in flight, it is parked in a hangar in Perth. For tourists and locals alike, the seaplane’s new 91-mile route is a must-do.
Susie explained: “It’s like nothing you have ever done.
“The take-off is one of the best experiences because you feel like you are in the air when you are actually floating. It’s so different to taking off on a runway.
“I think travelling by seaplane is the greatest thing. It certainly is the best way to see Scotland.
“There aren’t many services like this available in the world.
“We hope this will open up the west coast and help people get around a lot quicker.
“There’s the tourist side of it, but the commuter aspect as well. On the Loch Lomond service we get loads of people from all walks of life who fancy a trip. It’s a very exciting time.”
On Monday, Transport Minister Stewart Stephenson will be in Glasgow to officially launch the new service.
To experience the exhilarating flight from Glasgow to Oban costs £118 for a single flight and £149 return.
There will be three flights a day, running seven days a week between February and November.
Loch Lomond Seaplanes are also in discussions with the Highland Council about launching another new route from Glasgow to Skye, and hope to run commuter flights from Glasgow to Leith Docks, outside Edinburgh, in just 15 minutes.
To book call 0870 242 1457 or visit http://www.lochlomondseaplanes.com for more details.
‘Travelling by seaplane is the best way to see Scotland and there aren’t many services like this in the world’
By: Ren Frew - 1st November 2007 at 21:47
Anyone know who was flying and landed G-DRAM on Loch Eck a couple of weeks ago? I have some interesting high-definition video footage they may be interested in…
By: floatjockey - 1st November 2007 at 21:24
float’s in Europe!
I love those shots, especially the one of it comming in to land on the Clyde with the destroyers in the background. I’m just wondering why you guys haven’t gone a long for a ride yet too? The scenery is just amazing and crossing the approach path of 23 on take off and landing is quiet a buzz when your in between arrivals:D but really going into and out of Oban bay has to be the most fun you’ll have as pilot let alone passenger in the UK!
As an aside I don’t think your going to see AirSea Lines operating in the UK some how. They really haven’t got a basis for the use of the Twin Otters out of London or it’s surrounds unless it’s brought in to suppliment the Olympics or a specific destination. Otherwise it’s great that LLS is really the first city centre seaplane service in europe and here in Glasgow where the Clyde has held such a historic role for Scotland over many years.
Otherwise I’m looking forward to seeing new destinations like Tobermore and Skye for 2008 season open up. Machrohanish would be great to for surf trips also but I’ll have to see if the boards will fit in the back!!:rolleyes:
By: Manston Airport - 2nd October 2007 at 21:44
All the best to them. If it catches on like it does in many parts of Canada especially Vancouver, then it will be a resounding success!
Shame it wont have the nice sounds of Beavers , Twin otters and Tubo Otters/Beavers 😀 Yeah I hope them all the best too. Whats happing to the Sea Airline that where going to do Flights from London?:confused:
Honest question, can a see plane land on land? 😮
The Catalina is a WWII Floatplane/Seaplane but is based at Duxford 😉
BTW bmi-star you got any plans on going back to Vancouver?.
James
By: widmeister - 2nd October 2007 at 10:48
Cal;
The below shot shows the wheels on the 208, i shot this landing at GLA last week.
That pic further above… G-OLLS is actually a Cessna 206.
Here’s the 208 on low approach to the Clyde. You can see where the main wheels are retracted.
By: Newforest - 2nd September 2007 at 08:22
Honest question, can a see plane land on land? 😮
A seaplane can land on grass successfully, saw one once at Popham. Below is another Caravan operation but in different weather!
By: Tartan Pics - 20th August 2007 at 18:14
Cal;
The below shot shows the wheels on the 208, i shot this landing at GLA last week.
By: cal900 - 20th August 2007 at 18:09
Yup, as you can see from one of the pictures above, they have wheeles located in the skies.
So am I right in saying they have 2 pairs of wheels?
Do they not affect the aircraft as it takes off as the back ones must be in the way.
By: Arabella-Cox - 20th August 2007 at 17:47
Honest question, can a see plane land on land? 😮
Yup, as you can see from one of the pictures above, they have wheeles located in the skies.
By: cal900 - 20th August 2007 at 17:25
Honest question, can a see plane land on land? 😮
By: Ren Frew - 20th August 2007 at 17:24
You know that bit you hear on a pre-flight safety briefing… “In the unlikely event of landing on water!” ?
How does that work on a sea plane briefing… ? :diablo:
By: swerve - 20th August 2007 at 16:57
It certainly isn’t the first commercial route. Unless you want to quibble about things with seaplanes & flying boats, Imperial Airways was 84 years ahead, flying Supermarine Sea Eagles from Southampton to Guernsey in 1923, followed by a variety of Shorts flying boats. There were numerous services in the Baltic in the 1920s & 1930s connecting Finland, Sweden, & the Baltic states. e.g. Aero O/Y, the predecessor of Finnair, operated from 1923, with floatplanes in summer & skis in winter. There were many other pre-WW2 European commercial seaplane services.
By: Newforest - 20th August 2007 at 12:28
Am I right in thinking that AirSea Lines landed one of their Twotters on the Thames sometime this year or in 2006? There was talk of them starting a couple of seaplane services from London, but no more news has come about of this. Does anyone know anything more?
You should know, you posted on it!:D
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=69672&highlight=Imperial+Airways
By: cloud_9 - 20th August 2007 at 12:01
Small correction…
This isn’t quite right…
In Greece, AirSea Lines have been operating for the last couple of years from CFU to various points in the Aegean (though no flights have operated this summer, but are apparently due to resume soon) and if we cast our minds further back, there were plenty of services operated by seaplanes during the piston era.
Am I right in thinking that AirSea Lines landed one of their Twotters on the Thames sometime this year or in 2006? There was talk of them starting a couple of seaplane services from London, but no more news has come about of this. Does anyone know anything more?
By: bmi-star - 20th August 2007 at 09:15
All the best to them. If it catches on like it does in many parts of Canada especially Vancouver, then it will be a resounding success!
By: diesel1 - 19th August 2007 at 18:26
Small correction…
This isn’t quite right…
Europes First Commercial Sea Plane Route Takes Off
In Greece, AirSea Lines have been operating for the last couple of years from CFU to various points in the Aegean (though no flights have operated this summer, but are apparently due to resume soon) and if we cast our minds further back, there were plenty of services operated by seaplanes during the piston era.
By: Arabella-Cox - 19th August 2007 at 13:25
All the blow pictures are from the airlines website, www.lochlomondseaplanes.com
By: Newforest - 19th August 2007 at 12:33
I actually drove by the owners wee house on Loch Lomond yesterday on my way to Islay, and both were moored up outside, unfortunately Scottish summer was in full force (10!!) so never stopped to shoot them, here they are in more clement weather:
Thanks for those, I failed to find them on G-INFO, but they are there.:)
By: Tartan Pics - 19th August 2007 at 09:29
Great news and good luck with the business! Presumably the aircraft is still US registered, any photos available?
I actually drove by the owners wee house on Loch Lomond yesterday on my way to Islay, and both were moored up outside, unfortunately Scottish summer was in full force (10!!) so never stopped to shoot them, here they are in more clement weather:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1231976/L/
and
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0617829/L/
Looking forward to this starting up, their prices seem to have been reduced to realistic levels (remember reading about planned fares in the thousands!!)
Good luck to them.
By: Newforest - 19th August 2007 at 08:09
Great news and good luck with the business! Presumably the aircraft is still US registered, any photos available?
By: cloud_9 - 19th August 2007 at 04:24
Excellent news!
Anyone thinking/planning on flying on it anytime soon?
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August 19, 2007 at 1:07 am