My understanding is that it is illegal to listen into such broadcasts (aviation, police, fire, etc) on a scanner, but authorities tend to turn a blind eye unless they know that the information gleaned on said scanner is broadcast to others (eg. listening in to an aviation incident, or finding out where police units are if a crime is to be committed, thus the information illegally gained is “to your advantage”). Of course “turning a blind eye” includes airshows, where people listen in quite happily to the action. And it varies from country to country, sometimes airport to airport. The Law seems clear but the interpretation of it is a tangled web!!

Anyway, re BAA, I heard on radio that Ferrovial or whoever takes over BAA are “tied in” to any development plans already announced by BAA.

As an ABZ regular, I can confirm that there has been a sharp upturn in the North Sea & UKCS in general, especially over the last 12 months.

All 3 helicopter companies (Bristow, CHC Scotia & Bond) are a lot busier & all have been training extensively, presumably in an effort to get more potential pilots on line.

The very high price of the black stuff has seen activity increase sharply, in a province which many thought was in terminal decline. (Actually the North Sea IS in decline, now in its mature phase, but many smaller independent companies especially are exploring blocks that the majors have ignored or given up, & it is mainly this that is causing the increase in demand for rotary transport).

As far as Bristow are concerned, perhaps they shouldn’t have sold 5 AS332Ls to the German Border Guard (as did CHC Scotia). As a result, they no longer have sufficient spare capacity to deal with the increased demand. Other units have been transferred away from the North Sea to other oil provinces to be based, as they were thought to be “where the work was” when the North Sea went into apparent terminal decline during the last oil price low.

Bristow also blame previous “short-term” thinking among the oil companies, who in the past were too ready to cut contracts & jobs when times were tough. Now times are good, and they require to send more people offshore, they are finding capacity previously there is no longer available.

Do I hear chickens coming home to roost?

STN-PIK another?

Tom, BY738 has the answer re ABZ.

RYR 738s can fly out of ABZ happily presently, but as long as it’s to DUB (& soon LPL) & they are not filled so that they can take off from the runway!
Any destinations further away, they would need a longer runway.Hopefully that will be addressed by the time Oct comes around when LPL starts. RYR engines on their 738s are not as powerful as, say BAL (as was). Can recall BAL 738s flying to IBZ from ABZ non-stop.

Similarly, GSM 736s engines will not be powerful enough to take off from ABZ on its current runway length with a full load & fly to the destinations they want to (which I assume would be “bucket & spade” flights). Hence no announcements & no flights for 2006.

Not until the runway at ABZ is extended Tom.