Sometimes work sends me to some pretty remote places and when I found out I was being despatched to the tiny village of Barvas on the Isle of Lewis, my first reaction was one of joy that I’d be flying there via Stornoway and my next reaction was one of sarcasm as Barvas is a remote little place with not much in it. 😮
Thankfully I’d actually be staying in Stornoway for the few days I was there, decidely metropolitan compared to much of the rest of the island… 🙂
It all started at GLA on Tuesday March 1st as I arrived with colleagues to check in for the afternoon flight (BA8823) BA Citiexpress for Loganair. Scheduled to depart at 1530, it in fact left at around 1550 owing to… Another Technical Problem, it was the ATP after all… 😀
There wasn’t much happening at GLA whilst I waited in the domestic departure pier to be called to gate 23A. But when I looked out to the runway 23 end, past the tower I could see a large convoy of emergency vehicles, fire, police and ambulances all lined up on the taxiway and lights blazing.
Two of the brigade peeled off and followed an arriving Aer Lingus A320 to it’s stand. Dunno if there was a problem or just some training going on?
By: wilag - 4th March 2005 at 11:41
We sat in the little departure hall and were called to board G-MANL, again on time and we also left on time… 😀
Someone left this interesting choice of reading material in my seat pouch. Only on Lewis (lol)… 😀 😀 😀
But that mag is yours really, go on you can come clean about your interest in the agricultural world? 😀
By: DME - 4th March 2005 at 08:26
Good report Ren, nice pics. I’ve still not flown on the ATP and I guess I never will – grim.
DME
By: Ren Frew - 4th March 2005 at 00:10
Excellent report. Looked like a nice, scenic flight. 🙂
So that’s what happened to the guy who hosted Crystal Maze. :p
He checked us in, took the boarding passes and helped put the luggage on too 😀
By: Lamps - 3rd March 2005 at 22:35
Superb report and pictures, Thanks for sharing 🙂
By: kaplan dig - 3rd March 2005 at 22:04
Excellent report and photos. I’ve still yet to make my first flight on a ‘prop’. 🙁
Just out of curiosity, kaplan dig, how long did your flight from Edinburgh to Jersey take?
About an hour and a half IIRC?
By: RIPConcorde - 3rd March 2005 at 21:58
Excellent report. Looked like a nice, scenic flight. 🙂
So that’s what happened to the guy who hosted Crystal Maze. :p
By: Ren Frew - 3rd March 2005 at 21:48
If your ears are ringing from an ATP try going on a Trislander!
Which reminds me, I’ve yet to look into doing that Lyddair Trislander trip Oneleft told us about.
By: Mark L - 3rd March 2005 at 21:46
If your ears are ringing from an ATP try going on a Trislander!
By: Ren Frew - 3rd March 2005 at 21:42
Excellent report and photos. I’ve still yet to make my first flight on a ‘prop’. 🙁
If you catch a flight on the ATP, I’d suggest taking earplugs. My ears are still ringing from the prop whine. 😉
Why not try for a nice Dash 8 Q-400 trip with Fly Be ? 🙂
By: T5 - 3rd March 2005 at 20:31
Excellent report and photos. I’ve still yet to make my first flight on a ‘prop’. 🙁
Just out of curiosity, kaplan dig, how long did your flight from Edinburgh to Jersey take?
By: Ren Frew - 3rd March 2005 at 20:15
Great report and superb pics. I believe I am right in saying you have officialy flown in the last BA plane in Landor colours!
They should hand out certificates to the passengers. (lol) 😀
By: Mark L - 3rd March 2005 at 20:12
Great report and superb pics. I believe I am right in saying you have officialy flown in the last BA plane in Landor colours!
By: LBARULES - 3rd March 2005 at 20:01
Fantastic report as ever from you Allen 🙂
By: Ren Frew - 3rd March 2005 at 20:00
Excellent stuff there Allen!
Good to see MANL about, im sure she won’t be around for much longer tho!
It’s COA expires at the end of May, so I’m sure you’re correct. :confused:
Maybe Loganair will invest in those rumoured Saab 2000’s after all ? 😀
By: bmi-star - 3rd March 2005 at 19:37
Excellent stuff there Allen!
Good to see MANL about, im sure she won’t be around for much longer tho!
By: Ren Frew - 3rd March 2005 at 19:34
Arriving on on runway 23 back in Glasgow at lunchtime, we touched down in bright cold weather. We taxied to our stand at the domestic pier and quickly disembarked. It doesn’t take long to empty one of these planes.
Off into the terminal, for one last look at G-MANL and then out for my taxi home.
If the ATP’s are still plying the Stornoway route come October when I go back for a week’s work then I’ll get one more ride. If not then that could be my last time on that old bird. 😀
6 flights so far and counting. 🙂
By: Ren Frew - 3rd March 2005 at 19:30
Flight time to Glasgow was again 50 mins and once we cleared the grim weather in Lewis, there were some attractive views of Glencoe, Rannoch Moor and the various loch’s along the way. Although it was little tricky seeing past the large engine cowling and those prop blades.
The inflight snack consisted of a bacon/cheese croissant, a small muffin and orange juice.
By: Ren Frew - 3rd March 2005 at 19:11
We sat in the little departure hall and were called to board G-MANL, again on time and we also left on time… 😀
Someone left this interesting choice of reading material in my seat pouch. Only on Lewis (lol)… 😀 😀 😀
By: Ren Frew - 3rd March 2005 at 19:09
This morning it was up and away from my hotel to dump the car and get to the terminal in time for the BA 8822 service departing at 1040.
Stornoway terminal is much improved since I was last through it in 1995. As I remember it wasn’t much more than a couple of glorified portacabins and a conveyor belt. It’s much more modern affair now with cafe, shop and a nice glazed view over the airfield, from where you can watch the (limited) traffic movements.
By: Ren Frew - 3rd March 2005 at 18:57
Great stuff! My last prop flight was on a BAW ATP EDI-JER-EDI and they sure can rattle 😮
You’re telling me, I wished I’d kept my camera heaphones in my hand luggage, you can’t hear diddly with them on. :p
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March 3, 2005 at 6:37 pm