Glasgow Airport Movements 2018
August
Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-333(ER) C-FMWQ on finals for Runway 23, Thursday 16 August, shot from the house.
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August 2018
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Once again, the operators of Glasgow International have been slow to release monthly passenger figures, but Edinburgh`s are out for July. The capital`s airport saw 1,501,988 passengers transiting its doors, the first time the 1.5 million barrier for a single month has been broken by a Scottish airport. This figure is up 6.3% compared with July 2017.
Nothing official from `Team Glasgow` yet, but according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) the airport`s total passenger numbers for July are down 1% at 1,066,738. |
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The big event this month was the inaugural 2018 European Championships which was jointly hosted by Berlin and Glasgow, although Edinburgh staged the diving, Strathclyde Park in Lanarkshire the triathlon and rowing events, while the golf was played at Gleneagles in Perthshire.
The competition ran from 2 to 12 August 2018, and, like the Commonwealth Games which took place here in 2014, it was an overwhelming success. Around 1,500 athletes competed at the track and field events in the German capital, whilst at the same time more than 3,000 took part in the other championships in Glasgow. |
Unlike the last Commonwealth Games which took place in Australia, there was no unsociable time difference so the events could be viewed on TV here throughout the day, rather than in the early hours. I watched a fair bit the coverage, much of which was both exciting and entertaining. Britain came second in the medal table overall behind Russia achieving a fantastic haul of 26 Gold, 26 Silver and 22 Bronze medals, for a total of 74. Although Russia gained (just) 66 medals, their 31 Golds put them in top spot.
Yet again this month, there were numerous corporate and to a lesser extent GA visitors, mostly thanks to the ongoing parking situation at Edinburgh Airport. Non-airliner types still cannot stop overnight and have to go elsewhere with Glasgow being the most popular option. I can`t confirm whether any of the biz traffic appearing at the beginning of the month was connected with the Euro Championships, as most teams and spectators would likely have flown in on scheduled services, either directly or via London. Lufthansa, however, upgraded many of their Glasgow flights to Airbus A321 aircraft rather the more usual A319s and A320s, presumably to cope with extra demand.
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Competition mascots were Bonnie a female harbour seal for Glasgow and Berlino Bear for Berlin.
A320-214 D-AIZC, which appeared on the 13th, has now been repainted in Lufthansa`s rather bland new livery.
Jet Airliners
Air Transat Airbus A330-243 C-GTSI vacates Runway 23 after landing on 30 August 2108, with a Loganair Saab 340 not too far behind.
Boeing 767-323(ER)(WL) N385AM worked the American Airlines flight from Philadelphia on the 2nd rather than one of the usual 757s.
Unfortunately, American Airlines is yet another main player that will be deserting Glasgow in favour of Edinburgh. As of 29 September 2018, it will end its seasonal daily Philadelphia - Glasgow service which is currently operated by Boeing 757 aircraft. A similar service from Edinburgh, but to New York JFK, will also stop a month later, however, American`s Scotland - USA connection to / from Philadelphia, again using 757s, will operate from the capital`s airport as of April 2019. The Glasgow route, along with five other European destinations currently served by the carrier, have proved unprofitable in the current air transport environment which takes fuel, load factors and operating costs into account and has therefore been terminated.
Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner SP-LSA of LOT Polish Airlines was en route from Chicago O'Hare to Warsaw on Saturday 4 August when it diverted to Glasgow due to an on board medical emergency. The aircraft was on the ground between 11:00 and 12:20 hrs when it resumed its homeward journey.
Above: PrivatAir Boeing 737-7CN(BBJ) D-AWBB is currently leased to British Airways and worked a late Shuttle flight from Gatwick on the 9th before going tech the next day. It was still present on the 13th when the following shot was taken, by which time it had been moved from the domestic pier to one of the remote stands beside the Loganair hangar.
As of 8th August Emirates had to use Stand 35 due to ongoing work on its usual spot, Stand 30. The upgrade has rekindled speculation that this is in preparation for the A380 serving at least one of the daily Glasgow / Dubai services next summer. No evidence though - just wishful thinking so far. Pictured above is Triple-seven A6-ENK on `35`, preparing for departure on Tuesday 21st.
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Noteworthy jet airliners visiting this month included Boeing 767-319(ER)(WL) TF-ISW Icelandair, Airbus A321-231 D-AIDQ Lufthansa, Embraer ERJ-195LR I-ADJK Air Dolomiti and McDonnell Douglas MD-82 LZ-ADV ALK Airlines (1st); Boeing 767-323(ER)(WL) N385AM American Airlines, plus Boeing 737-7CN(BBJ) D-AWBB PrivatAir operated a BA Shuttle flight (2nd)...
Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AIZX Lufthansa (5 Starhansa livery) (3rd); Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner SP-LSA LOT Polish Airlines (Chicago O'Hare > Warsaw medical diversion), Airbus A321-231 D-AIDV Lufthansa (Retro Livery), Airbus A319-112 OE-LDD Austrian Airlines and Boeing 737-8K5G-DRTE Jet2 (4th); Airbus A320-232 LZ-BHH Balkan Holidays Air (BH Air) (5th)... Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-ECY Emirates (Year of Zayed 2018 livery), Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIR Icelandair (80 Years of Icelandic Aviation livery) and Boeing 737-808(WL) G-DRTC Jet2 (6th); Airbus A320-232(WL) SX-DNE Aegean Airlines and Boeing 737-8K5(WL) YR-BMH Blue Air (City of Liverpool livery) (7th); McDonnell Douglas MD-82 LZ-ADV ALK Airlines and Airbus A320-214(WL) OE-IJW easyJet Europe. Air Dolomiti ERJ-195LRs continued to work some Lufhansa flights from Munich with I-ADJM today (8th)... Boeing 767-336(ER) G-BNWX British Airways, Boeing 737-883 YR-BMP Blue Air (Carol I - King of Romania colours), Airbus A320-232(WL) SX-DND Aegean Airlines, plus PrivatAir Boeing 737-7CN(BBJ) D-AWBB which is currently leased to British Airways worked a Shuttle flight (the aircraft went tech the next day prior to departure) (9th); Boeing 767-336(ER) G-BNWA British Airways (10th); Boeing 757-231(WL) N722TW Delta Air Lines (Skyteam Livery), Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIR (80 Years of Icelandic Aviation) returned, plus Airbus A319-112 OE-LDD Austrian Airlines (11th)... |
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August`s noteworthy jet airliners continued with Airbus A320-232 LZ-BHH BH Air and Fokker F50 OO-VLN Vizion Air (12th); Airbus A320-214 D-AIZC Lufthansa (new colour scheme) and Boeing 737-8MG(WL) G-JZBC Jet2 (plus other dates) (13th); Embraer ERJ-195LR I-ADJS Air Dolomiti (15th); Airbus A319-112 9A-CTL Croatia Airlines (16th); Boeing 757-231(WL) N705TW Delta Airlines (Skyteam livery), Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIU Icelandair (Aurora Borealis livery), Airbus A321-231 D-AIST Lufthansa and Croatia Airlines A319-112 9A-CTL returned (17th)...
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 LZ-ADV of ALK Airlines (c/n 53053) was present 1st - 3rd August having brought Osijek FC to the city for a Europa League match against Glasgow Rangers. The aircraft was back 8 - 10 August, departing at 00:30 hrs. The MD-80 is quite a rare sight in British skies nowadays although almost 1,200 were built, with the first in the series introduced into commercial service on 10 October 1980 by Swissair. The type is basically a stretched version of the highly successful Douglas DC-9 with various improvements and is mainly used on short-haul or medium routes. This series can seat from 130 to 172 passengers depending on variant and seating configuration.
Austrian Airlines A319-112 OE-LDC arrives from Vienna on 18 August,
More of this month`s visiting big jets: Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPK Emirates (Expo 2020 blue livery), Boeing 757-224(WL) N14120 United Airlines (Skyteam livery), Boeing 737-4K5 EC-LNC Alba Star, Airbus A320-271N D-AINE Lufthansa, A320-214(WL) G-EZGZ easyJet, and A319-112 OE-LDC Austrian Airlines (18th); Boeing 757-231(WL) N722TW Delta Airlines (Skyteam livery) and Airbus A320-232 LZ-BHH BH Air (19th); Airbus A321-131 D-AIRN Lufthansa (21st); Sukhoi Superjet 100-95LR RA-89018 Gazpromavia, Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AIZX Lufthansa (5Star Hansa livery) and Embraer ERJ-195LR I-ADJO Air Dolomiti (22nd);Airbus A319-111 OE-LKP easyJet Europe (23rd); Boeing 767-336(ER) G-BZHC British Airways, Lufthansa Airbus A320-271N D-AINH and A320-214 D-AIZC (new livery) (24th); Airbus A319-112 OE-LDE Austrian and Boeing 737-4K5 EC-LNC Alba Star (25th)...
Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AIUP Lufthansa and Airbus A320-232 LZ-BHH BH Air (26th); Airbus A320-251N G-UZHI easyJet (27th); Airbus A320-271N D-AINH Lufthansa. Two WestJet 737s were on the ground together on the morning of the 28th for a short time as C-GQWJ, which was due to work the Halifax / Glasgow service on the 27th, went tech in Nova Scotia due to a GPS failure. The replacement plane arrived at Glasgow in the early hours of the 28th and was joined by C-GVWJ operating that day`s route as normal. (28th); Embraer ERJ-195LR I-ADJR Air Dolomiti and Airbus A320-214(WL) OE-IZL easyJet Europe (29th); Boeing 737-8AS EI-GJC Ryanair and Airbus A320-211 D-AIPD Lufthansa (Star Alliance livery) (31st).
British Airways Boeing 767-336(ER)s, including G-BZHC seen here, worked a number of afternoon LHR - Glasgow Shuttle flights this month. The carrier has been operating the type for 28 years and currently has five Boeing 767 still in use, with an additional aircraft in its OpenSkies fleet. While the 767 had primarily been used on short-haul European routes from Heathrow to destinations such as Amsterdam, Rome, Istanbul, and Stockholm, BA has increasingly operated the aircraft on domestic services within the United Kingdom. The carrier plans to retire all of its Boeing 767s by the end of the year, so any chance of a photo before they go is welcome.
TUI Dreamliner G-TUII looks like its been fitted with a new nose cone.
Wet runway / dry runway - Puting the brakes on.
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Ryanair hit the headlines again twice this month, the first occasion being as a result of long-awaited compensation cheques bouncing after they were sent out to affected passengers unsigned. The airline had cancelled up to 30 flights due to an Irish pilots’ strike last month, affecting 5,000 passengers, then further industrial action this month by pilots in five European countries resulted in hundreds more flights being withdrawn.
The airline has apologised, saying that a “very small number” of cheques processed in July had been dispatched without a signature due to an administrative error, and that replacements had been sent accompanied by a letter of explanation. |
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The next announcement was that travellers flying with Ryanair will have to start paying if they want to take a small wheelie suitcase on their flight. Non-priority customers will only be able to take one small carry-on bag and will have to pay £8 to check in a 10kg bag or hold-all, according to new rules which come into effect from 1 November.
Currently, passengers can take wheelie suitcases to the gate, at which point they were transferred to the hold for free, however, this was causing delays, according to the carrier. The budget airline said the change of policy was purely to speed up boarding and wasn`t a money-making exercise |
Icelandair Boeing 757-223(WL) TF-ISK went tech on 30 July and was stranded at Glasgow for a week, moving stands several times.
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It`s seen here after taxiing over to the north-side for high-powered engine runs on the disused runway.
I managed to snap the stranded jet together with the company`s `80 Years of Icelandic Aviation` special-liveried Boeing 757 TF-FIR on Monday 6 August. TF-ISK finally headed back to Keflavik at 18:10 hrs the following day.
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Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-ECY in Year of Zayed 2018 colours, joined Icelandair`s special liveried 757 at the terminal on August 6.
Blue Air Boeing 737-883 YR-BMP is leased from Apollo Aviation and was painted in "Carol I - King of Romania" special colours just last month.
Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-33A(ER)(WL) C-GHPN heads back to Toronto on an overcast Tuesday 7 August.
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There was a Ground Incident on Saturday 18 August when the captain of the American Airlines Boeing 757 reported a possible fuel leakage shortly before the aircraft was due to push back. A check found that there was a small amount of residual spillage following an earlier refuel and the incident was stood down just as the last of the emergency vehicles reached the RVP. The aircraft departed soon after.
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Delta Boeing 757 N702TW began its take-off run shortly after C-GTSI shut down on stand.
The Airport Fire & Rescue head for lunch after some practice on the crashed aircraft simulator.
Turboprop Airliners
Flybe DHC-8-Q-402 G-ECOI, still in partial Brussels Airlines livery, on short finals for Runway 23 on 21.8.18.
The only planes worth mentioning in this category are a couple from Sprint Air: ATR 72-202 SP-SPE on the 12th and Saab 340A SP-KPC on the 29th.
Please bear in mind that all my images are subject to copyright. They are not free to use and have been embedded with a digital watermark.
Biz-Jets
Gulfstream G550 OE-ICQ and Falcon 7X 9H-ZSN on Taxiway Y, Thursday 2 August 2018.
Stopping over from last month were VIP Boeing 737-7HJ(BBJ) N737AT, Gulfstream G650 N773MJ, Falcon 900 N131DS and Falcon 7X 9H-ZSN. Biz-jets calling in during August included Bombardier Challenger 300 9H-VCF VistaJet, Gulfstream G550 OE-ICQ, Cessna Citation XLS+ D-CEHM and CitationJet CJ2 D-IJOA (1st); Falcon 900EX N131DS, Hawker Beechcraft Beechjet 400A OK-BEE and Learjet 60 D-CURE (2nd); Bombardier Global Express 9H-III, Bombardier Challenger 604 N627AF, Challenger 300 N547FX and Citation Bravo G-CGEI (3rd); Falcon 2000LX G-PULA, Falcon 900EX G-EGVO TAG Aviation, Cessna 750 Citation X OO-PKX Air Service Liege, Citation Excel XLS G-LEAX, and Learjet 75 G-ZNTJ (4th); Boeing 737-3Y0(WL) G-TGPG 2Excel Aviation, Gulfstream 3 N388MM, Bombardier Challenger 650 9H-OJJ, Gulfstream G200 Galaxy (IAI 1126) N844RC and Citationjet Cj2+ D-IGWT (5th)...
Boeing 737-3Y0 9H-BRE Maleth Aero, Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 N996WA, Cessna 750 Citation X D-BUZZ Air X Charter and Hawker Beechcraft 125-750 CS-DUA Netjets Europe (6th); Boeing 737-3Y0(WL) G-TGPG and Challenger 350 CS-CHC (7th); Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 SX-DGM GainJet Aviation (arrived with AEK Athens fans), Gulfstream VI VP-CJR, Gulfstream V N6458, Gulfstream IV N250KC, Bombardier Global 6000 N2FE, and Falcon 50EX 9H-AVE. Cessna 750 Citation X D-BUZZ took-off at 09:25 hrs but returned in the afternoon (8th); Bombardier Challenger 650 N234QS, Dassault Falcon 7X HB-JSS, Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign OK-UGJ, Beechjet 400As OK-BEE, OK-EAS and N709EL, Phenom 300s M-ELON and G-JMBO (also other dates), plus CitationJet CJ2 G-LFBD (9th); Gulfstream GV-SP M-SQAR, Embraer Legacy 500 LX-JET and Phenom 300 G-HNPN (10th)...
Gulfstream G-IV-X N468QS and Learjet 75 9H-DDJ (11th); Boeing 737-3Y0(WL) G-TGPG returned, Citation Excel CS-DXF, Learjet 75 G-ZENJ and Embraer Phenom 100 D-IAAD (12th); Gulfstream IV-SPs N450EF and N728LB, Global 6000 Express N72XF, Falcon 900EXs D-AHER and 9H-ALJ, Honda HA-420 HondaJet D-ITIM, Cessna CitationJet CJ3 D-CJET Air Hamburg and Learjet 35A C-GUAC (13th); Boeing 737-3Y0(WL) 9H-ZAK Maleth Aero, Challenger 650 N650LC and Falcon 900EX 9H-ALJ (14th); Boeing 737-3Y0(WL) G-TGPG, Gulfstream IV-SP N156WJ, Gulfstream IV-X N456FX plus Falcon 900EX D-AHER returned (15th)...
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Cessna 750 Citation X `times-two`: OO-PKX, seen here on 4 August, is operated by Air Service Liege. D-BUZZ of Air X Charter called in on the 6th.
Above: Scenes like this are becoming fairly common at Glasgow thanks to the restricted overnight parking at Edinburgh Airport. When you`re in Walkinshaw Road, it`s worth having a look in the other direction - you never know who else is watching...
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August`s visiting biz-jets continued with Dassault Falcon 7X G-MATO, Beechcraft Premier 1A VP-CAZ, Cessna CitationJet CJ2 D-INOB and Citation XLS+ D-CEHM (16th); Boeing 737-3Y0 9H-ZAK and Embraer ERJ-145EP 9H-REY both Maleth Aero, Citation Bravo G-CGEI, Raytheon Beechjet 400As G-FXKR and OK-JFA, plus Embraer Phenom 300 M-ELON returned (17th); Challenger 605 M-SEVN, Raytheon/Hawker 800XPi CS-DRU, Hawker 800XP G-EGSS, Learjet 75 G-ZENJ and Phenom 300 CS-PHI (18th); Gulfstream IV N44ZF and Gulfstream IV-SP N822NR, plus Citation Excel OO-XLS (19th); Boeing 737-9JA(ER)(BBJ3) VP-CKK National Air Services (NAS) arrived from Edinburgh for parking, BAe 146-30 YR-AVR Aviro Air, Falcon 900EX N615HC, CitationJet CJ2 OO-DDA and Citation OO-LXS returned (20th); Boeing 737-406 SX-ATF B737-4 GainJet and Dassault Falcon 7X C-FMHL (21st); Gulfstream IV N305PB, Bombardier Challenger 850 9H-ILZ VistaJet, Falcon 50EX 9H-AVE, Citation XLS+ D-CGAA Air Hamburg, plus Citation Vs EC-LEP and OO-SKV (22nd)....
Minutes after touchdown on the morning of Monday 13 August, Gulfstream 4 N450EF taxis to join Gulfstream GV-SP M-SQAR parked on Taxiway Y.
Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 650 OE-IBM, Gulfstream IV-SP N684JC, Citation XLS CS-DXJ and Embraer Phenom 100 D-IAAT (23rd); VIP Boeing 737 SX-ATF returned, Cessna Citation XLSs D-CXLS Air Hamburg and D-CEHM, CitationJet 2 N538CF, Raytheon Hawker Beechjet 400XP N497XP and Phenom 300 CS-PHH (24th); Raytheon Hawker Beechjet 400XP N719EL (25th); Gulfstream V-SP N5569 (26th); Gulfstream IV N882DL, Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 9H-WFC, Legacy 650 D-AHOX Air Hamburg, IAI Astra-1125 SPX (Gulfstream 100) OE-GBE, Embraer Phenom 300 CS-PHF and Citation XLS CS-DXM (27th); Embraer ERJ-135-BJ Legacy 650 G-SUGR and Legacy 600 G-LEGC, Gulfstream Vs N550MC and N59JE, Gulfstream G280 SP-NVM, Dassault Falcon 2000LX YU-FSS, Cessna Citation 680A Latitude N428FX, Hawker 800XP G-EGSS, plus Raytheon Hawker Beechjet 400XP N497XP (28th)...
GainJet VIP Boeing 737-406 SX-ATF arrived on Tuesday 21 August.
Boeing 737-3Y0 G-TGPG, Boeing 737-7ZX(BBJ) 9H-GGG Maleth Aero, Bombardier Challenger 850 9H-AMY Air X, Global 6000 N805WM, Cessna 750 Citation X N700RH, Citation Sovereign D-CAWS, Citation Latitude CS-LTH, Citation XLS CS-DXJ, Citation Mustang OE-FPP, Hawker 900XP G-KLINE, plus Phenom 300s G-PERG and G-POWO (29th); PrivatAir Boeing 737-7CN(BBJ) D-AWBB was back working a Shuttle flight, Global 5000 N100QS, Cessna Citation Sovereign D-CAWX, Beechjet 400As OK-PMI and G-FXCR, Phenom 100 9H-FAM plus Learjet 45 LX-ONE (30th); Boeing 737-3Y0 G-TGPG, Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 650 OE-IBM, Bombardier Global 6000 VQ-BCC, Challenger 350 9H-VCB VistaJet, Dassault Falcon 900B G-JSSE, Cessna 680A Citation Latitude CS-LAS, Citationjet CJ2 D-ISJP, Learjet 60 N202N and Phenom 300 G-PERG (31st).
Gulfstream V N59JE, Taxiway Y on 30 August 2018.
Global 5000 N100QS, Friday 31 August 2018.
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Gulfstream IV-SPs N450EF and N728LB plus Global 6000 Express N72XF were all parked on the north-side on 15 August 2018.
VistaJet Challenger 850 9H-ILZ, still present on the 24th having arrived two days previously.
US Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 N996WA, north-side on Thursday 9 August.
Another shot of Manx-registered Gulfstream 4 M-SQAR, Monday 13 August 2018.
Four expensive taxis parked up in the rain. Taxiway Y, Tuesday 14 August.
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Gulfstream IV-SPs on Area R: N822NR on Monday 20 August 2018 and N684JC on the 27th.
More jets in the rain , this time on 30 August.
General Aviation
Polish Pilatus PC-12 SP-MIX arrived on the 15th**
Fairly quiet on the `GA Front`: King Air 200s G-IASA and OO-LET plus Piaggio P-180 Avanti D-IIVA (3rd); Cirrus SR22 G-GCVV (4th); Pilatus PC-12 M-YBLS (plus other dates) (5th); King Air 200 G-SRBM, King Air 100 N3538, Eurocopter EC135 T2+ G-WASS and AgustaWestland AW189 G-MCGR HM Coastguard (7th); King Air 200s G-FLYW (plus other dates), M-WATJ and OO-ASL, plus AW189 G-MCGR returned. Diamond DA42 Twinstar G-CIKM did a `go around` at 14:35 hrs (8th); Piaggio P-180 Avanti F-HIMA (9th); Bell 429 Global Ranger G-HPIN (10th)...
Belgian-registered King Air 200 OO-ASL provided camera links during the European Championships, making numerous `sorties` from Area J.
Britten-Norman BN-2B Islander F-HPIX of Pixair Survey and Agusta AW109SP Grand New G-MOAL. Bell 206B Jet Ranger III G-XBOX was in the general area, operating a number of pleasure flights from a farm near Bishopton (11th); Global Ranger G-HPIN returned (12th); King Air 200 M-CDZT and AW189 G-MCGT HM Coastguard (13th); King Air 200 G-BGRE (14th); Pilatus PC-12 SP-MIX, King Air 200 G-FLYK, AgustaWestland AW169 G-MLAP, plus Sikorsky S-92 G-MCGD and AW189 G-MCGT both HM Coastguard (15th)...
​Pilatus PC-12 LX-JFH.
Piaggio P-180 Avanti N611GT (17th); King Air 200 G-NIAB and Reims-Cessna F172N Skyhawk II LX-AID, plus HM Coastguard AgustaWestland AW189 G-MCGT flew past the house in the afternoon heading for the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital at Govan (19th); King Air 200 M-WATJ (21st); AW189 G-MCGT HM Coastguard (22nd); Pilatus PC-12 M-YBLS, King Air 90GTi M-TSRI and Piper PA-18-135 Super Cub G-BWOR which I believe may now be based (23rd); Spitfire TR.MkIX G-CCCA did a flypast above Runway 23 about 13:25 hrs. Actually landing were Cirrus SR22 G-GCVV and Eurocopter EC135 T2+ G-HOLM (28th); Pilatus PC-12 LX-JFH (29th); King Air 200s G-CWCD and M-CDBM (30th);
Experience with Airfix kits could come in handy here!
US-registered Piaggio P-180 Avanti N611GT arrived on Saturday 18 August 2018.
AgustaWestland AW109SP Grand New G-MOAL with `Flannels` titles belongs to millionaire businessman Mike Ashley, the owner of Sports Direct, who has recently purchased House of Fraser after the long-running chain of upmarket department stores went bust. He announced that he hopes to keep 47 of 59 House of Fraser stores open, partly by turning over floors of larger shops to Sports Direct or his Flannels chain. His helicopter was snapped on the executive ramp on the afternoon of Thursday 23 August.
Tomahawk Trio at the Flying Club: G-BGIG, G-BSFE and G-BSOU. On August 24th (below) G-BSFE, enabled a size comparison with a Delta Boeing 757.
Military
A few interesting military visitors this month. Unfortunately I missed Spitfire TR.MkIX G-CCCA doing a flypast above Runway 23 about 13:25 hrs on 28 August.
RAF BAe146-200QC C.3 ZE707 call-sign `Ascot 1902` made a 90 minute stop on the morning of the 2nd, then returned on 3rd for an hour around noon.
USAF C-146A Wolfhound 10-3026 call-sign `Rich 1049` landed at 01:05 hrs on Friday 3 August and parked on Area R where it remained until 16:15 on the 4th.
This gallery features shots of ZE707 taken on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 August 2018.
Czech Air Force CASA C-295M serial number 0455 (s/n 075) landed at 13:15 hrs on Wednesday 8 August. This unusual visitor was in Scotland in connection with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and after dropping off personnel and equipment at the capital, it flew here to park up overnight. The Central Band of the Czech Armed Forces were among this year`s performers. The following shots show the crew carrying out some pre-flight checks prior to departure on the morning of the 9th.
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Learjet C-21A 84-0083 call-sign `Falcon 01` landed at 15:30 hrs on Tuesday 14 August and stayed until the 16th. A second US Air Force Europe, C-21A, serial number 84-0126, call-sign `Valor 21` arrived later that day. German Air Force Airbus A319-115CJ 15+01, call-sign `GAF 880`, did a go around at 11:25 hrs on Friday 17 August. AgustaWestland AW139 DU-142, call-sign `Dubai 142`of the Dubai Air Wing called in on the 18th.
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On Sunday 19 August, a very unusual visitor in the shape of German Air Force Airbus A340-313 16+02`GAF 907` did a `go around` via Runway 23 at 15:05 hrs. A pair of T-6A Texan IIs N2856B and N2857B, destined for the RAF, landed the same day.
Royal Air Force BAe 146-100 C.C.2 Statesman ZE700 with `RAF 100` tail markings stopped overnight 23 / 24 August on the Royal Pan, a visit which may have been connected to the RAF100 touring exhibition.
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Part of the 100 Years of the Royal Air Force centenary celebrations, the RAF 100 Aircraft Tour is a free public display of iconic aircraft appearing at city centre locations around the country. The Glasgow event ran from 31 August - 2 September. The planes represent the Great War, World War Two, the Cold War and the Modern era although only two are real, the others being full scale replicas. Harrier GR.3 and Sopwith Snipe are the genuine articles but due its rarity the biplane was displayed indoors. I didn`t have time to wait for the Science Centre to open, which was an hour after the outdoor display kicked-off, so no shots of this Great War veteran this time.
It was no surprise that the new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II mock-up was generating a great deal of interest, especially with the super-carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth currently in the eastern United States so that the new stealth aircraft can practice deck landings and take-offs at sea for the first time. I managed to photograph an F-35 in action at the RAIT Fairford a couple of years ago, although it was a US Marine Corps example rather than one destined for the Royal Air Force or Royal Navy. The next generation fighter jet has already been praised by pilots for its ease of operation and its reliable and effective Short Take-Off and Vertical Lift (STOVL) system.
Below: The Harrier is the F-35`s iconic predecessor. in April 1982, RAF Museum Hendon`s example GR.3 XZ997 was serving with No.4 Squadron, at Gütersloh in Germany. As the situation in the South Atlantic deteriorated the aircraft transferred to No.1(F) Squadron and began ski-jump training at RNAS Yeovilton prior to deployment in the Falkland Islands. Along with four other Harriers, XZ997 flew non-stop to Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island - 4,600 miles in 9 ¼ hours, having been refuelled en route by Victor tankers.
Below: The Harrier is the F-35`s iconic predecessor. in April 1982, RAF Museum Hendon`s example GR.3 XZ997 was serving with No.4 Squadron, at Gütersloh in Germany. As the situation in the South Atlantic deteriorated the aircraft transferred to No.1(F) Squadron and began ski-jump training at RNAS Yeovilton prior to deployment in the Falkland Islands. Along with four other Harriers, XZ997 flew non-stop to Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island - 4,600 miles in 9 ¼ hours, having been refuelled en route by Victor tankers.
The aircraft then headed south on the ill-fated Atlantic Conveyor (which would later be sunk by an Exocet missile) and No.1 Sqn then took up station on the Task Force flagship HMS Hermes. During the conflict XZ997 flew numerous reconnaissance and ground-attack missions, one of which included the first successful Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) sortie against Argentinian defences. On another occasion the enemy AA gun positions at Goose Green were engaged which was instrumental in persuading the enemy to surrender the following morning. XZ997 sustained damage on the upper surface of the port wing from small-arms fire but apart from this, survived the hostilities relatively unscathed. The aircraft eventually returned to the UK and also served in Germany before it was allotted the RAF Museum Hendon in late 1991.
Even though I arrived at the Science Centre just after the external exhibition area opened at 09:00hrs, Maw, Paw and the weans, grandparents and grandweans, plus plenty of big weans, were already starting to queue for a seat in the cockpits of the Airfix Typhoon and F-35. There was at least one scary `builders` bum` moment as one of the larger dads manoeuvred into position but luckily most of the visitors were too engrossed with the planes to notice and avoided being traumatised by the sight.
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TS Queen Mary is currently berthed beside the Glasgow Science Centre awaiting restoration. Launched in March 1933, at the world famous Denny Bros yard in Dumbarton, she was the largest Clyde pleasure steamer ever built, and took up to 1,820 holidaymakers at a time `Doon the Watter` from the city centre quays to destinations such as Gourock, Wemyss Bay or Craigendoran to catch other steamers plying the Firth of Clyde. Queen Mary ended up as part of the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet until she was withdrawn from service in September 1977. Thereafter, she spent several decades as a floating restaurant on the Thames in London but the business failed and the vessel was eventually put up for auction. A charity called ‘Friends of TS Queen Mary’, backed by actor Robbie Coltrane, stepped-in and bought the historic ship for £20,000. They are subsequently attempting to raise additional funds, around £3 million, to restore her. The intention is that she`ll be permanently moored beside the Finnieston crane in Glasgow city centre to serve as a unique entertainment and wedding venue.
The Red Arrows were pencilled-in for a flypast down the Clyde on Saturday 1 September, reaching the Science Centre mid-afternoon, however, those attending the RAF100 display were disappointed when bad weather scuppered plans. Conditions were better on the coast though and the team managed to perform their expected routine as stars of the Scottish International Airshow, enthralling the crowds lining the Ayr seafront.
I didn`t bother going through for the airshow on either Saturday 1 or Sunday 2nd, but went to Prestwick for a few hours on Friday 31 August to hopefully catch a few arrivals. Some of the participating planes had arrived earlier in the week but Typhoon FGR.4s ZK317 and ZK318 landed at 10:20 hrs after an overshoot and break. I believe this pair had overflown the Science Centre and Glasgow Airport en route.
The only other fast jets due to take part in the show were McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornets J-5010 and J-5014 of the Swiss Air Force. Although both had arrived on the 29th and had a practice flight the next day, only J-5010 took to the air while I was there on Friday. The weather was excellent and although Ayr was few miles away, those on the mound at Prestwick were treated to an excellent display as the pilot put his Hornet through its paces.
The Swiss Air Force took delivery of 26 F/A-18C Hornets and 8 F/A-18D Hornet trainers in 1996. Of these, one F/A-18C and three F/A-18Ds have since been lost in crashes. Prior to the F-18s, the front-line fighter for the Swiss was the Northrop F-5E Tiger II with a number still operational, eleven of which are used by the Patrouille Suisse aerobatic team. The first F-5 flew on 30 July 1959 and advanced variants are still in operational service with more than 25 countries worldwide. In the US, the F-5 still serves as an adversary trainer with the US Navy and US Marine Corps as its characteristics can mimic those of fighters in service with air arms of potential enemies.
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Like the Red Arrows, the Swiss Air Force`s display team celebrated its 50th anniversary at the 2014 Fairford International Air Tattoo. When it formed back in 1964, the Patrouille Suisse`s chosen mount was the British-designed Hawker Hunter which was then Switzerland`s primary front-line jet fighter. The team made its UK debut at the International Air Tattoo in 1979 when the event was held at Greenham Common and went on to win the Shell (UK) Oil Trophy for the best overall flying demonstration.
Although the Swiss Air Force Hornet pilots would no doubt have enjoyed their flights above Burns Country in Ayrshire, the terrain is nowhere near as challenging as their usual operating environment. The Swiss Alps cover 65% of Switzerland`s total 41,285 square kilometre (15,940 sq mi) surface area, making it one of the world`s most mountainous countries. No less than forty-eight out of eighty-two 4,000 metre peaks are located in the Swiss Alps, including the Matterhorn 4,478 metres (14,692 ft) and Eiger 3,967-metre (13,015 ft) (below), while many others are within just 20 kilometres (12 mi) of the country's border.
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I took these shots from the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant on the Schilthorn, above Mürren in the Bernese Oberland, on my last visit to Switzerland several years ago. Although conditions weren`t ideal, I managed to snap one of a pair of F-5Es as it swept along the north faces of the Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, just before the clouds closed in.
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DC-3C N431HM (ex-Swissair HB-ISC) was performing at the show along with a trio of immaculate US-registered Beech 18s, namely N184KP, N21FS and N223CM. The `Dak` was built as a C-47A military transport, serial number 42-24133, and rolled out of the Douglas Aircraft Company`s factory at Long Beach, California, on 4 August 1943.
Shortly after the Second World War ended it was sold to a private company and has remained in the private sector, changing hands several times over the years until its acquisition by Mr Hugo Mathys, a Swiss owner of a medical company and flying enthusiast. The Beech 18s are also part of his collection and all four form the Classic Formation which performs at various airshows across Europe each year. |
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Catalina G-PBYA / 43-3915 `Miss Pick Up`, now a familiar sight on the UK Airshow scene, was actually built under licence as a Canadian Vickers PBY-5A Canso.
The rugged skyline of Arran`s Goatfell Ridge makes a fine backdrop in shots taken from the mound when conditions are clear.
Above: de Havilland DH.90A Dragonfly G-AEDU (left) and Boeing A75N1 Stearman G-BTFG, which is painted in the colours of a US Navy trainer, serial number 441. Non-show aircraft noted were Boeing 777-FDZ A7-BFA Qatar Airways Cargo, Gulfstream IV-SP N800HH, Dassault Falcon 50EX M-CICO, Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency Cessna F406 Caravan II G-SMMA and Agusta A109S Grand helicopter G-EMHN.
and back at Glasgow International...
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Another East European military CASA C-295M showed up at Glasgow on the afternoon of the 27th, namely serial number 016 of the Polish Air Force. This aircraft is based at Krakow-Balice International Airport, also known as John Paul II International Airport, which is located 11 kilometres west of the city.
The 13th Airlift Squadron, which was established in 1963, operates from the airport, with the on-site military complex known as the 8th Airlift Base. As well as CASA C-295s, the unit operates PZL M-28B Bryza transports, plus PZL W-3 Sokół (Falcon) helicopters of the 3rd Search and Rescue (SAR) Group are based here.
If you get a window seat on the correct side of the plane when flying into Krakow, the main taxiway runs parallel to the military ramp so it`s possible to snatch a few reasonable photos on the way past. The city is an excellent destination for a weekend visit, or even longer as the surrounding area has numerous points of interest. An added attraction for aviation enthusiasts is the Polish National Aviation Museum on the outskirts which is best reached by taxi, the cost of which is very reasonable compared with the those in the UK. More information on Krakow Airport and the museum, which I visited last year, can be accessed via the above links or the following photos...
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The eastern edge of the Inchinnan Woods is an excellent vantage point for distant photos of aircraft provided you aren`t shooting directly into the sun. The immediate area is good for wildlife too and I`ve seen Roe Deer here numerous times as well as various interesting bird species. Unfortunately the large field on the far side of the trees, hidden in the above view, is currently being developed by Cala Homes who plan to build 195 terraced, semi-detached and detached houses. Although the estate will back onto existing houses in Inchinnan, it looks as though the only road access is likely to be from the Erskine side.
The wee wagtail pictured below, like myself, is sad to see yet more of our greenbelt disappear. Once all these new houses are occupied, even more pressure will be placed on the already overstretched local services, facilities and schools, plus doctors and dentist appointments will be even more difficult to arrange.
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Depending on the layout of the individual plots, some of the houses along the estate`s northern boundary may have an excellent view of the `23` approach from their front windows with shots like this possible with a modest telephoto. Some residents may also have a relatively unobstructed view across the fields to the River Clyde.
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Meanwhile, work continues on the sewage pipe project on the south side of the A8 Greenock Road, just east of Inchinnan..
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Towards the end of this month work began to demolish the derelict bothy located halfway down the farm track on the east side of Abbotsinch Road.
The track entrance, although narrow and partially screened by hedgerows on either side, has long been a popular unofficial car park (much to the consternation of the local farmer) with spotters, taxi drivers waiting to pick-up arriving passengers, and families who just want to sit and watch the planes. The bothy was quickly reduced to rubble with its removal part of Renfrewshire Council`s ambitious regeneration plans for the area around the airport. The next stage will be the realignment of Abbotsinch Road which will likely begin soon. |
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August 2018
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