Glasgow Airport Movements 2018
July
As usual, this month`s Glasgow movements are listed in blocks relating to aircraft categories but information identifying those planes making their first visit to the airport, and details of flight origin and onward destination where known will be added in due course. June 2018 saw 1,008,000 passengers transiting Glasgow International which represents overall growth of 0.8%. Compared with June 2017, domestic passengers are up 2% and international up an encouraging 12%.
Air Force One: Boeing VC-25A (Boeing 747-2G4B) serial number 92-9000 at Prestwick.
The `Headline Act` this month was of course Donald Trump who visited the UK for the first time since becoming US President, and needless to say things got off to a shaky start after he told Theresa May that her Brexit plan would ‘kill’ any trade deal with America. He advised her to "sue the European Union" and let it be known that he thinks Boris Johnson would be ideal as a future prime minister. Trump also had tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle before boarding Air Force One and travelling to Scotland for a couple of rounds of golf at his Turnberry Resort in Ayrshire. Major demonstrations took place in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, but all appeared to pass off peacefully. Politics aside, the majority of Scottish aircraft enthusiasts welcomed Trump`s visit if only to get a few snaps of the Commander-in-Chief`s iconic Jumbo Jet at Prestwick Airport.
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Needless to say, the newspapers had plenty of material. This is just a very small selection of the front pages that appeared over the weekend.
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Although security was at its highest level, with thousands of extra police officers on duty, many with firearms including specialist marksmen, and of course the US President`s extensive personal security detail, plus helicopters, the US Marine Corps and a couple of US Navy destroyers on station in the Firth, a protester managed to breach the cordon at Turnberry with apparent ease.
About 21:45 hrs on Friday 13 July, just as the sun was going down, a 55-year-old Greenpeace activist, who has since been arrested, sedately putt-putted into view on a powered para-sail which carried a yellow banner saying: ‘Trump Well Below Par #resist.’ He then flew right across the front of the Turnberry Resort Hotel while Trump was chatting with business associates on the lawn only a few feet below. Security agents calmly ushered the president inside as the activist made his exit. The demonstrator was not traced immediately and many will consider it fortunate that the breach, undoubtedly a major embarrassment, was not terrorist related. |
The exceptionally high temperatures experienced last month continued well into July causing various heat related problems throughout the UK, including a number of wildfires. I took these telephoto shots of a relatively small blaze on the Kilpatrick Braes from Walkinshaw Road alongside the airport`s northern perimeter on the morning of Tuesday 10 July.
In this closer view, a fire engine can be seen on the Loch Humphrey track. The view below left was taken from the house around 22:30 hrs that evening when the flames seemed to be concentrated on a single spot but were burning more fiercely. It was only a long awaited downpour during the night that extinguished the fire, preventing any further destruction.
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A few days later, on Friday 13th, I cycled up to Loch Humphrey and saw that the damage was concentrated mainly around the disused stone quarry where the track bends sharply above the cliffs of Haw Craigs. The burnt ground was still smouldering and I could taste the smoke on the way past. Although large tracts of heather moorland and some bushes were destroyed, it looked as though the tall trees, including the Caledonian Pines growing along the southern scarp, remained unscathed.
Up at the Loch Humphrey Reservoir, the water level had dropped considerably but it looked as though there was still plenty left `in the tank`.
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Strawberry picking at East Yonderton Farm, Wednesday 25 July 2018.
This summer's prolonged heatwave has devastated crops across Europe, leaving some countries facing their worst harvests since the end of the Second World War. The searing weather, especially in central and eastern Europe, has forced countries that usually export food to import it for the first time in decades. It means that with UK wheat crops already down 12%, the price of bread and associated products will likely soar, plus British dairy and sheep farmers will have to try and source animal feed for the coming winter from further afield.
With the crops failing, existing stockpiles of grain are being used up early in an effort to keep the animals alive. Although Scotland is not as badly hit as other parts of the UK, we`re likely to see in increased number of bulk carriers on the Clyde bringing animal feed for distribution during the second half of the year. Federal Ruhr, (above) made her way upriver to Shieldhall around midday on Friday 27 July, with welcome supplies from Montreal, Canada. Needless to say, in Scotland at least, by the end of the month the weather had become much cooler with high winds and spells of heavy rain - more like the summers we`re used to!
Jet Airliners
With the holiday season in full swing, the airport was busy for much of the month with a reasonable number of `heavies`, mainly the usual Virgin 747s, TUI Dreamliners and Thomas Cook A330s, transporting holidaymakers to and from European and North American destinations, as well as Dubai, Mexico and the Caribbean. The most unusual jet to appear was Flynas Airbus A320-214 VP-CXH (not photographed) from Vienna on the 13th which was bound for Edinburgh with students from Cairo on board but for reasons I`m unaware of re-routed to Glasgow. The aircraft was on the ground between 19:20 and 21:00hrs. Flynas formerly Nas Air, is a domestic and international low-cost airline based in Saudi Arabia, the country's first budget airline.
United Airlines Boeing 767-424(ER) N76062 (above) had been en route from Rome to Newark, New Jersey, on Monday 30 July, flying over northwest Scotland when it about turned and landed at Glasgow due to an on board medical emergency. It touched down at at 12:50 hrs and is pictured here on Stand 6A where it remained until 14:50 that afternoon when it continued on its journey.
Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767s were also welcome visitors throughout the month.
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Discontent with working conditions among Ryanair staff continues and as a result the low-cost carrier had to deal with industrial action on several days this month.
Ryanair pilots and cabin crew who are members of the Irish trade union walked out for the first time on Thursday, July 12, in a row over working practices. The action coincided with the start of the peak summer holiday period. A second strike took place on Friday, July 20, with more than 4,000 passengers told their flights between Ireland and the UK had been cancelled. Unions in Italy, Portugal, Spain and Belgium joined their Irish colleagues on July 25 / 26th. The airline said 600 of their 4,800 flights over this two day period had been withdrawn to minimise disruption across the network. |
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Europe's biggest budget carrier last averted widespread strikes just before Christmas 2017 by deciding to recognise trade unions for the first time in its 32-year history, however, it has since struggled to reach agreement on terms in some countries. Ryanair currently flies in 37 countries and carried 130 million passengers last year.
The TUI Group is planning to simplify its fleet of six airline units to just two Boeing families, the B737 MAX and the B787 Dreamliner. The group is also considering swapping part of its order for twenty Boeing 737 MAX 8s for larger B737 MAX 10s which would be advantageous due to supply constraints at airports like London Gatwick, Dusseldorf, and Amsterdam Schiphol, where it is difficult for operators to obtain additional slots.
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TUI is currently expecting delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 10 in late 2020. Besides the twenty units of the type it has on order with lessors, it has also ordered fifty-two B737 MAX 8s, some of which can be converted. First, its remaining eight Boeing 737-700s (of which three are operated by TUI fly (Germany) and five by TUI fly (Belgium)) are due to leave the fleet in 2019, with the Boeing 767s, 757s and 737-800s retired in the early 2020s.
This sequence (and top photo) shows Virgin Atlantic`s aptly registered Jumbo G-VBIG `Tinker Belle` lining up for take-off on the afternoon of Friday 20 July.
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Jet airliners visiting Glasgow in July included Airbus A320-232 LZ-BHG Balkan Holidays (BH) Air (1st); Emirates Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPK Emirates EXPO 2020 Dubai (blue livery), Boeing 757-3E7(WL) TF-ISX Icelandair (Icelandic flag colour scheme), Boeing 757-231(WL) N705TW Delta Airlines (Skyteam livery) and Embraer ERJ-195LR I-ADJK Air Dolomiti (4th); Airbus A320-232 LZ-BHH BH Air (plus other dates) (5th)...
Airbus A320-214(WL) OE-IZO easyJet Europe (Air Berlin colours) (6th); Icelandair Cargo Boeing 757-208(PCF) TF-FIH diverted in en-route from Keflavik to Liège due to a port engine failure. The issue was quickly addressed and the aircraft took off for Belgium later in the day. Also, Embraer ERJ-190STD PH-EXY KLM Cityhopper and BAe 146-200 G-SMLA JOTA Aviation (8th); ERJ-190STD PH-EXV KLM Cityhopper (9th); Embraer ERJ-195LR I-ADJU Air Dolomiti (11th); Titan Airways Boeing 737-436 G-POWS worked a Shuttle flight, Boeing 737-4K5 EC-LNC Alba Star (plus other dates) and Airbus A320-214 OE-IZD easyJet Europe (12th)...
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Air Transat Airbus A330-243 C-GUBD about to vacate Runway 23 after landing on the 23rd.
Airbus A320-214 VP-CXH Flynas, easyJet Airbus A320-214(WL) G-EZRZ and A320-214(WL) OE-IJA of easyJet Europe (13th); Embraer ERJ-195LR I-ADJN Air Dolomiti (18th); Boeing 737-4Y0 EC-MFS Alba Star, Eurowings Airbus A320-216 D-ABZI, still in Air Berlin colours, worked the day`s Dusseldorf / Glasgow service (20th); Boeing 737-33A(QC) G-POWC Titan Airways (21st); Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIU Icelandair (Aurora Borealis colours) and Embraer ERJ-195LR I-ADJO Air Dolomiti (25th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPO Emirates (Expo 2020 orange livery) and Boeing 737-7CN(BBJ) D-AWBB PrivatAir (currently on lease to British Airways) (26th)...
Thomas Cook Airbus A321-211 G-TCDA, in `Egypt, Where it all begins` Livery, is pictured coming in to land on Friday 20 July.
Boeing 737-8K2(WL) F-GZHY of Transavia France was flying to Edinburgh from Paris Orly but diverted to Glasgow, possibly due to thunderstorms (27th); Boeing 737-4K5 EC-LTG Alba Star and Airbus A320-232 LZ-BHH Balkan Holidays Air (BH Air) (28th); Airbus A321-231s D-AIDD and D-AIDN Lufthansa (29th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPK Emirates (EXPO 2020 Dubai blue Livery), Embraer ERJ-195LR D-AEMC Lufthansa, plus Boeing 767-424(ER) N76062 United Airlines (medical emergency diversion) (30th).
Air Transat Airbus A330-243 C-GITS taxis past the control tower en route for `Alpha One` on 26 July.
Below: Icelandair Boeing 757-300 TF-ISX, named 'Pingvellir' after one of Iceland's best-known national parks, is seen here coming in to land at Glasgow on Wednesday 4 July. The aircraft has recently been repainted to represent Iceland`s national flag in celebration of 100 years of Icelandic independence and sovereignty. It was unveiled in time for the 2018 World Cup and transported fans to Russia. While most special liveries only cover the aircraft’s exterior, this one extends to the aircraft’s interior. To further support the Icelandic team, which after 12 failed attempts, qualified for the tournament for the first time in its history, the carpet of the aircraft is green and gives the illusion of grass on a soccer pitch while the headrest covers and coffee cups also feature references to Icelandic soccer. When Iceland secured its spot in the 2018 FIFA World Cup tournament, it became the smallest nation in terms of population to compete in the tournament.
Although Iceland never progressed to the knockout stages, they came close and gave a great account of themselves, entertaining the crowd with their style of play, backed by their fans` atmospheric Viking war chant, and drawing 1-1 with Argentina in their opening match. Despite losing 2-0 to Nigeria in their next, Iceland had a chance if Argentina beat Nigeria and they beat Croatia, who eventually ended up as the World Champions. It was tied at 1-1 until Ivan Perisic put Croatia ahead in the final minutes of the match.
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Þingvellir National Park, anglicised as Thingvellir (or, more commonly and mistakenly referred to as Pingvellir), lies about 23km east of Reykjavik and is one of the main attractions on the `Golden Circle` along with Gullfoss (Golden Falls) and the geysers of Haukadalur. As well as being famed for its geology, Þingvellir is the country`s most important historical site. The Vikings established the world`s first democratic parliament, the Alpingi or Alping, here in AD 930. and the location remained the seat of Iceland`s government for the next eight centuries.
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The region is also scarred by one of the world`s great geological boundaries, a rift valley which marks where the North American and Eurasian continental plates are physically separating. Although this rift stretches right across Iceland, this is where it is most visible, a 4km wide, 40 metre-deep slash in the landscape, with sides formed by basalt columns which extend 16km from the country`s largest lake. Contrary to what every tourist in Iceland is told, however, what visitors are actually looking at here isn't really North America drifting away from Eurasia. Instead you see the North American plate interacting with a tiny geological plate called Hreppaflekinn which moves according to its own natural forces. The Eurasian plate lies several dozen kilometres to the east. More information on this area and other locations in the southwest of the country, including Iceland`s two main airports, can be found on a separate section: Click here to view.
​Boeing 767-375(ER) C-GEOQ worked the Air Canada Toronto / Glasgow route on Tuesday 17 July.
Eurowings A320-216 D-ABZI, still in Air Berlin colours, covered the day`s Dusseldorf / Glasgow service on the 20th.
Icelandair`s Aurora Borealis Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIU called in on the 25th.
A Mexican Standoff: United 757 v Air Dolomiti Embraer ERJ-195LR.
Another view of A330-243 C-GITS on Thursday 26 July.
United Airlines Boeing 757 N19136 sets off on the return flight to Newark on Wednesday 11 July.
easyJet Europe Airbus A320-214(WL) OE-ICJ landing on Runway 05, Thursday 5 July 2018.
United Airlines Boeing 757 N26123 on the northside of the airfield on the 27th after going tech. AW-109 Grand G-JMBS is parked nearby.
Turboprop Airliners
Just the usual selection from the Loganair, Flybe and Aer Lingus Regional / Stobart Air fleets, although Fairchild Swearingen SA.227DC Metro 23 OY-NPD of Danish outfit North Flying appeared on the 22nd, Wideroe Bombardier DHC-8-Q-402NG LN-WDL arrived from Trondheim on the 24th, heading to Oslo on the outbound, then another Wideroe Dash 8, LN-RDY, visited on the 26th.
All-white Eurowings Dash 8 D-ABQJ on short finals for Runway 23 on Thursday 19 July.
Colour Match: Tartan Twin Otter G-BVVK comes in to land on `05` while an Air Canada heavy holds at `Golf One`. Wednesday 18 July 2018.
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As of October this year, Loganair is set to operate a pair of Embraer 145 airliners which will be transferred from bmi Regional. Initially, the jets will be used on the Glasgow - Stornoway route replacing the current Saab 2000s. The E145s have a lower all-up weight than the Saabs, the first of which is due to be returned to the lessor soon. Plans for a summer service between Inverness and Norwich have now been shelved.
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Biz-Jets
Having arrived last month several biz-jets night-stopped into 1 July, namely Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy OE-IKT (f/v), Gulfstream G650 N773MJ, TAG AviationBombardier Challenger 850 G-RADY and Citation Mustang G-KLNW of Saxon Air. Corporate jet traffic this month included Jet Magic Ltd`s Boeing 757-23A(WL) 9H-AVM which flew in for a football charter on Saturday 7 July. It returned on the 11th. A second corporate jet liner bearing a Maltese registration, Boeing 737-3Y0 9H-BRE, operated by Maleth Aero, called in on Monday 9 and Monday 23 July. Another of the same company`s corporate 737s, 9H-MAC appeared on the 16th followed by 9H-ZAK on the 24th (see below).
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July`s biz-jet arrivals in date order as follows: Cessna Citation XLS SE-RIZ (1st); Bombardier Challenger 850 D-AJOY Air X Charter, Challenger 650 N219QS, Global Express N904DS, Dassault Falcon 8X TC-RMK, Falcon 7X TC-KMR, Citation XL G-IPAX and Learjet 75 G-USHA (2nd); IAI Gulfstream Galaxy G200 T7-RON, CitationJet CJ3 OK-PBK and Embraer Phenom 300 CS-PHK (3rd); Citation XLS CS-DXO and Learjet 35 D-CITY (4th); Challenger 850 D-AJOY returned (plus other dates), Challenger 605 9H-VFJ VistaJet, CitationJet CJ2 G-LFBD and Citation XLS+ I-CNDG (5th); Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 650E D-ASAP Air Hamburg, Bombardier Global Express N393BV, Challenger 604 G-REYS and Falcon 7AX N300CR (6th)...
Maleth Aero Boeing 737-548(WL) 9H-MAC vacates Runway 23 after landing on Monday 16 July.
Boeing 757-23A(WL) 9H-AVM Jet magic Ltd and Gulfstream G450 VQ-BZM (7th); Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign N492CA and Citation XLS CS-DXM (8th); Boeing 737-3Y0 9H-BRE operated by Maleth Aero, Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 650 G-SUGR, Gulfstream V-SP N800PM which is owned by American Golfer Phil Mickleson who was competing in the Scottish Open at Gullane and The Open at Carnoustie, plus Challenger 604 M-LRLR and Citation XLS CS-DQB (9th); Gulfstream GV-SP N866BB, Falcon 2000EX D-BONN, Cessna Citation XLSs CS-DQA and D-CAHO, Citation Bravo G-SPRE and Learjet 31 D-CAMB (10th); Boeing 757-23A(WL) 9H-AVM returned, plus Cessna CitationJet CJ2 D-IWPS, Citation Bravo G-XJCI, Citation XLS OE-GZK and Learjet 40 I-FORR (11th); Embraer ERJ-135LR PH-DWS JetNetherlands and Citation Bravo G-XJCI made another visit (12th)....
​Taxiway Y, Tuesday 3 July: Falcon 7X TC-KMR, Falcon 8X TC-RMK, Challenger 850 9H-JOY and Global Express N904DS.
Embraer ERJ-145 F-HRAV, Falcon 50EX S5-TSV, Cessna Citation Encore D-CAPB plus Embraer Phenom 300s G-POWO and G-PERG (13th); Hawker Beechcraft 800XP N535RV and Phenom 300 G-WZAP (14th); Citation 680 Sovereign D-CEIS and Citation ISP N501NZ (15th); Boeing 737-548(WL) 9H-MAC Maleth Aero, Dassault Falcon 50 S5-TSV, Bombardier Global 6000 N246ZJ, Challenger 604 N75KH, Citation II F-GLTK and Learjet 45 G-XJET (16th); Global 5000s N270F amd N2707, Cessna Citation Encores D-CAWR and I-ZACK, plus Citation XLS OE-GWS (17th); Boeing 737-548(WL) 9H-MAC returned, plus Challenger 350 N978SH, Citation 680 Sovereign D-CEIS, CitationJet M2 F-HBTV, Phenom 300 G-JMBO (plus other dates) and Learjet 75 G-ZNTJ (18th); Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign OK-EMA, Citation XLS+ D-CEHM, CitationJet CJ2+ OO-ACC, Phenom 300 CS-PHC and Learjet 75 G-USHA (19th)...
Another view of Taxiway Y on Tuesday 3 July.
Boeing 737-3Y0 9H-BRE Maleth Aero, Gulfstream IV N475LC, Bombardier Global 5000s N2707 and M-CVGL, Global Express XRS 9H-III and CitationJet CJ2 OO-ACC (20th); Embraer Legacy 500 G-HARG, Bombardier Global 5000 N112QS, Falcon 2000EX CS-DLE, Phenom 300 D-CBBS, plus Citation ISP N501NZ returned (21st); Gulfstream VI (G650ER) N998PB, Learjet 45 G-XJET and Learjet 40 F-HPEB (22nd); Boeing 737-3Y0 9H-BRE Maleth Aero. Cessna Citation Sovereign OK-EMA, Citation Excel D-CRON and Learjet 45 CS-TFR (23rd); Boeing 737-3Y0 9H-ZAK Maleth Aero and CitationJet CJ2 D-IJOA (24th); Gulfstream V-SP N730EA (25th); Boeing 737-7HJ(BBJ) N737AT Hillwood Airways (ex-US Department of Defence) and Embraer Phenom 100 D-IAAR (26th)...
Maleth Aero VIP Boeing 737-3Y0 9H-BRE, Sunday 22 July 2018.
Bombardier Global 6000 9H-VJU VistaJet, Dassault Falcon 2000EX 5B-CKO, BAe 125-1000B F-HOSP and Learjet 45 G-UJET (27th); Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy G-THFC, Challenger 604 T7-RAK, Falcon 2000EX CS-DFK, Cessna Citation Bravo G-SPRE and Citation Mustang F-HIBF (28th); Legacy G-THFC returned, Falcon 2000EX CS-DLC, Falcon 900EX N131DS and Cessna Citation XLS SE-RIL (29th); Gulfstream IV-X N450JS of Sandals Resorts, Dassault Falcon 7X 9H-ZSN, Citation Bravo OE-GPS, plus Learjet 60 D-CHER and Learjet 60XR D-CURE (30th); Gulfstream G650 N773MJ returned, Global 6000 9H-III and Learjet 45 D-CSOS (31st).
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Above: Pictured on Area R on the 21st after parking overnight is another one from the Maltese aircraft register: Global Express XRS 9H-III.
Gulfstream G650ER N998PB on Taxiway Y, Wednesday 25 July.
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Above: CitationJet CJ3 OK-PBK and Citation ISP N501NZ.
Gulfstream G450 bearing the Bermudan registration VQ-BZM heads along Taxiway Alpha to line up for take-off on July 8th.
A couple of Italians: Citation XLS+ I-CNDG on Friday 6 July 2018 and Learjet 40 I-FORR on Wednesday 11th.
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Turkish Dassault Falcon 8X TC-RMK arrived on July 2nd. Falcon-2000EX bearing the Republic of Cyprus registration 5B-CKO called in on the 27th.
Falcon 2000EX D-BONN.
Below: Bombardier Global Express N904DS touched down about 10:15 hrs on Monday 2 July. The distinctive motif on the tail immediately identifies it as the private plane of US Billionaire Dan Snyder, the majority owner of the Washington Redskins American football team. The latest news on the team can be found here: www.redskins.com.
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Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign N492CA on short finals for Runway 23 on Sunday 8 July.
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.
Citation Bravo G-XJCI arrives on Wednesday 11 July.
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Bombardier Global 6000 N246ZJ parked on Area R, Monday 16 July 2018.
Gulfstream V-SP N800PM is owned by American Golfer Phil Mickleson who was competing in the Scottish Open at Gullane and The Open at Carnoustie.
Challenger 604 M-LRLR and ​​​Hawker Beechcraft 800XP N535RV.
Challenger 604 T7-RAK and VIP Boeing 737-7HJ(BBJ) N737AT, Sunday 29 July 2018.
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Above: Departing Gulfstream GV-SP N866BB taxis for `Alpha One` on Tuesday 10 July.
Biz-jets on Taxiway Y, Thursday 19 July 2018.
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Air X`s Bombardier Challenger 850 9H-JOY from Toulon arrived late afternoon on 6 July. The aircraft has been chartered by the rock group Queen for their Queen + Adam Lambert tour and they were performing at the TRNSMT Festival which was held on Glasgow Green between Friday 29 June and Sunday July 8. Other headline acts included the Stereophonics, Liam Gallagher, Arctic Monkeys and the Killers.
Bombardier Global 5000s M-CVGL, parked on Taxiway Y, Friday 20 July 2018.
Austrian Citation Bravo OE-GPS tops up its tanks before setting off for Prague on the 30th.
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Maltese Falcon 7X 9H-ZSN on Taxiway Y after night-stopping. Tuesday
31.7.2018.
General Aviation
Stopping over from 30 June were Piaggio P-180 N196SL and King Air 200GT M-CDMS. July`s GA movements were relatively few, especially compared with the amount of biz-jets visiting this month, but included King Air 200 G-IASA (plus other dates) and G-FLYW, plus Eurocopter AS.355-F2 G-NLSE (6th); King Air 350 M-LLMW, plus King Air 200s M-CDBM and G-FLYW (also other dates) (9th); Piaggio P-180 Avanti D-IRBS, King Air 200s M-CDMS (from Barrow-in-Furness) and G-FLYK, Diamond DA62 2-SALE plus AgustaWestland AW189 G-MCGT HM Coastguard (10th)...
AgustaWestland AW-109 Grand G-JMBS arrived around lunchtime on Friday 27 and remained on the northside until the morning of the 30th.
Irish Cessna 441 Conquest II EI-DMG (11th); King Air 200 G-GMAE and Cirrus SR-20 G-MCLN, plus Cessna T.206 PH-WAM was doing survey work for much of the day in the general area (and on other dates) (12th); SOCATA TBM-930 M-ATTI and Piper PA-32 Saratoga G-TTEC (13th); Sikorsky S-92 G-MCGI HM Coastguard (14th); Diamond DA-40NG Diamond Star G-SUEO (15th); SOCATA TBM-850 N49AA and TBM-930 N930TS, Piper PA-31 Navajo G-LIDE of Woodgate Aviation which flew in from Belfast, plus King Air 200s M-LENR and M-CDBM (16th); Piper PA-32-Saratoga G-TTEC (17th); King Air 200 G-FPLD (19th); SOCATA TBM-930 N930TD, Piper PA-31 Navajo Chieftain G-LYDF and King Air 200 G-FLYW (20th)...
ex-Prescott Support ​Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules (L-382G) N3755P photographed on July 16th after night-stopping.
Diamond Star G-SUEO returned (21st); King Air 350 F-HSFX (22nd); Pilatus PC-12 VP-CPX (23rd); SOCATA TBM-700 N700CS, Piper PA-31 Navajo G-IFIT (24th); Agustawestland A-109E Power G-ZIPE (25th); Pilatus PC-12 M-YBLS (26th); Piper PA-31 Navajo Chieftain G-LIDE, King Air 200 G-IASA, plus AgustaWestland AW-109 Grand G-JMBS, and A-109E Power G-ZIPE returned (27th); AW189 G-MCGR HM Coastguard (28th); Piper PA-31 G-LIDE and King Air 200 G-CWCD (30th).
German-registered Piaggio P-180 Avanti D-IRBS being refuelled on Area J, Tuesday 10 July 2018.
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Military
Not many military aircraft appeared at Glasgow this month but with US President Donald Trump visiting Scotland, and playing a couple of rounds of golf at his Turnberry Resort, Prestwick unsurprisingly saw a fair amount of additional activity during the run up to his arrival on Friday 13 July. The excellent spell of weather held and a large crowd gathered on the mound to see the iconic jet touch down in the early evening sunshine. There were a number of C-17 flights earlier in the week, one of which, on Sunday 8 July, arrived with `United States - US Marine Corps` Sikorsky VH-60N White Hawk 163259 which quickly went into a hangar. On Wednesday 11 July, a pair of USAF C-5M Galaxy heavy transports, serial numbers 85-0008 and 86-0024, arrived mid-morning and left a couple of hours later after unloading vehicles, personnel and equipment.
As previously mentioned, a pair of American guided-missile destroyers took up station offshore while Trump was staying at Turnberry. They were USS Winston Churchill (DDG-81) and USS Farragut (DDG-99), both Arleigh-Burke class vessels. The supply ship USNS Medgar Evers (T-AKE-13), a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship, berthed at Loch Striven just before the visit and her presence was likely connected.
Sunday 15 July: An early morning Ryanair flight lands as the Police, bored to tears after a long and uneventful night shift, look on.
Having been unable to manage through to catch Trump`s arrival on camera, I got to Prestwick around 08:00 hrs on Sunday, hoping that some of the support aircraft would arrive during the day, ready to upload equipment and personnel as soon as the President`s jet departed. Runway 12 was in use so I was able to sit in my car in comfort on the north side, opposite the terminal. Despite the grey skies and heavy showers I waited until just after midday, but there was no activity whatsoever so I headed back home in plenty of time for the World Cup Final.
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Air Force One left at 16:10 hrs with the C-32A five minutes behind. The only aircraft to land during the day before Air Force One departed was civilian Gulfstream V N1SF at 15:00 hrs, however, between 16:30 and 21:15 hrs, the two C-5s returned, plus a USAF KC-10, an RAF C-17 and a German Air Force A400M all flew in.
The Boeing C-32 is a military passenger transport version of the Boeing 757-200 as designated by the United States Air Force. The C-32`s main role is to serve as an aerial taxi for the United States government`s high ranking diplomats and take them to locations around the world. Pictured below are Airbus CC-150T Polaris 15004 of the Royal Canadian Air Force and USAF C-17A Globemaster III, serial number 93-0604, from 437th AW/315th AW at Charleston AFB, which were also present on Sunday.
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I don`t bother too much with domestic football but really enjoyed watching the World Cup Final. Although those in the know don`t regard this year`s tournament as one of the classics, I found it extremely entertaining with the usual crop of tension and surprises, made all the more interesting by the exit of some of the `big guns` early on, including Germany, Argentina, Portugal and Spain. France went on to beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow`s Luzhniki Stadium and take the trophy. England finished a commendable 4th after losing to Croatia in their first World Cup Semi-final in 28 years, then losing to Belgium in the Third-place play-off. England Captain Harry Kane, won the Golden Boot finishing as the competition`s top goalscorer, becoming only the second English player to do so, after Gary Lineker in 1986.
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Needless to say, France was in uproar following the win and Paris and other major cities and towns came to a standstill as the celebrations continued throughout the night and well into the following day. Comprehensive information on the tournament and the personalities involved, as well as stats and a superb collection of images can be found on the www.fifa.com website.
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Around the same time that the US President and his entourage jetted off from Prestwick bound for Helsinki, it was announced by the UK government that the tiny A’Mhoine peninsula in Sutherland, on Scotland’s remote north coast is the location preferred by the UK Space Agency for the country`s first spaceport. The agency said the site, between Tongue and Durness, was chosen as it is the best place in the British Isles from which to reach highly sought-after satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets. The UK government has given the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), a Scottish government agency, £2.5m to develop the facility which could potentially be up and running by the early 2020s.
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The government also intimated that an additional £2 million development fund for “horizontal launch” spaceports across the UK would be made available subject to a successful business case. Sites in the running for this side of the industry include Prestwick, Macrahannish near Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute, Llanbedr in Gwynedd, Wales, and Newquay Airport in Cornwall. Prestwick is running at a horrendous loss, and has been for many years, with Ryanair operating its only scheduled passenger service. The airport`s current owners were hoping that the Ayrshire airport, which has the best weather record of any airport in the UK, would become the main horizontal launch site, however, the press appear to be focusing more on Newquay.
The consortium behind the Sutherland Spaceport proposal includes US aerospace firm Lockheed Martin and the space agency says the spaceflight market is potentially worth £3.8bn to the UK economy over the next decade. Sadly, if given the go ahead, the new facility in Sutherland won`t be launching any large Dan Dare or Gerry Anderson-style spacecraft, or those similar to the ones sent up from NASA’s many launchpads in the US. Instead the UK’s spaceport will become the home of smaller rockets that can quickly and cheaply launch scientific experiments and small communications satellites into orbit.
The consortium behind the Sutherland Spaceport proposal includes US aerospace firm Lockheed Martin and the space agency says the spaceflight market is potentially worth £3.8bn to the UK economy over the next decade. Sadly, if given the go ahead, the new facility in Sutherland won`t be launching any large Dan Dare or Gerry Anderson-style spacecraft, or those similar to the ones sent up from NASA’s many launchpads in the US. Instead the UK’s spaceport will become the home of smaller rockets that can quickly and cheaply launch scientific experiments and small communications satellites into orbit.
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A horizontal spaceport, which Prestwick hopes to become, launches spacecraft via a conventional plane which takes off, reaches an extremely high altitude and then launches the rocket from there. This piggyback approach, similar to that used in the Space Shuttle program, drastically reduces the overall cost of missions. One such organisation that’s already investing heavily in this approach is Virgin Orbit which uses a converted Boeing 747 to piggyback its LauncherOne rocket into orbit.
And Back at Glasgow...
Glasgow International`s military traffic in July consisted of NHIndustries NH90 Caiman 9 of the French Navy, call-sign `French Navy 5367`which was on the tarmac between 16:20 and 17:15 hrs on Monday 2 July. I saw this helicopter from the back garden but never had my camera to hand. US Air Force C-146A Wolfhound (Dornier Do-328) 95-3058 (above) call-sign `Rich 1043` arrived at 21:45 on Friday 6 July and remained on Taxiway Y until 09:50 hrs on Sunday 8th. Also on the 8th, US Marine Corps VH-60N Whitehawk 163259, call-sign `Nighthawk 55`, which was here for the Trump visit, transited east above the River Clyde towards Glasgow city centre at approximately 14:00 hrs.
On Thursday 19 July, RAF BAe146-200QC C.3 ZE707 call-sign `Kitty 25` made two visits, the first between 09:10 and 10:50 hrs, appearing again at 20:15 hrs when it parked up overnight. It`s thought that the aircraft brought Secretary of State for Defence, Gavin Williamson to Glasgow. The Minister was joined by Marise Payne, Minister for Defence, Australia, on a visit to BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard. During the visit the Ministers discussed BAE Systems’ selection as preferred tenderer for the Australian Government’s SEA 5000 Future Frigates Programme, before viewing recently constructed units of the first UK Type 26 Global Combat Ship, HMS Glasgow.
The visit comes almost a year after construction started on Glasgow and just days after the announcement by the Australian Government that the nine anti-submarine Hunter-class frigates will be based on the UK’s Type 26 design and will be built in Australia for the Royal Australian Navy. During the visit the UK Defence Secretary and Minister Payne viewed the first ten units of Glasgow, which are being integrated to form the hull and main machinery spaces.
The Global Combat Ship will be a state-of-the-art anti-submarine warfare vessel capable of undertaking a wide range of roles, from high intensity warfare to humanitarian assistance, either operating independently or as part of a task group. The UK Type 26 will replace the Royal Navy’s existing Type 23 anti-submarine warfare ships, with the first of class expected to enter service in the mid-2020s. The Australian Future Frigate will be built in Australia over the next two decades to replace the Anzac-class frigates with the first expected to enter service in the late 2020s.
The visit comes almost a year after construction started on Glasgow and just days after the announcement by the Australian Government that the nine anti-submarine Hunter-class frigates will be based on the UK’s Type 26 design and will be built in Australia for the Royal Australian Navy. During the visit the UK Defence Secretary and Minister Payne viewed the first ten units of Glasgow, which are being integrated to form the hull and main machinery spaces.
The Global Combat Ship will be a state-of-the-art anti-submarine warfare vessel capable of undertaking a wide range of roles, from high intensity warfare to humanitarian assistance, either operating independently or as part of a task group. The UK Type 26 will replace the Royal Navy’s existing Type 23 anti-submarine warfare ships, with the first of class expected to enter service in the mid-2020s. The Australian Future Frigate will be built in Australia over the next two decades to replace the Anzac-class frigates with the first expected to enter service in the late 2020s.
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Above: ZE707 gets a welcome windscreen wash before final departure at 12:25 hrs on Friday 20th. With the continual Defence cuts taking their toll on RAF resources I wouldn`t be surprised if this is the Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson lending a hand!
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Returining Stateside after appearing at this year`s Farnborough Airshow, Beechcraft Texan T-6C (Raytheon 3000) demonstrator N3000B landed at 10:30 hrs on Friday 20 July and remained until 10:00 hrs on Sunday 22nd.
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The Texan T MK.1 will eventually replace the Tucano T.Mk 1. in the basic fast jet training (BFJT) role for both Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots. Training is currently provided by 72(R) Sqn with No.1 Flying Training School (FTS), at Royal Air Force Linton-on-Ouse. Students will progress onto the new aircraft from the Prefect and then move onto the Hawk T.2. Under Raytheon ownership, Beech developed the T-6A Texan II from the Pilatus PC-9, in response to the long-running US Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) requirement to replace the Cessna T-37. After reworking a Pilatus-supplied airframe, Beech flew a production standard Texan II, known then as the Beech Mk II, for the first time in December 1992. On June 22, 1995, Beech was announced the winner of the JPATS competition and the Texan II began re-equipping USAF flying training squadrons in May 2000. |
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The above slideshow features some general views taken in and around the airport (and a squirrel in my garden!).
Resurfacing work on the busy A8 Greenock Road was carried out between the River Cart and Inchinnan this month but a longer term project to improve the sewage system here is currently ongoing. The above view is looking west towards McGill`s Bus Garage, and the route of the new sewage pipe runs left from above the purple sign in the centre of the shot towards the Black Cart Water. I take it that the pipe will be buried underground and will continue north (on the right side of the carriageway in the above view), linking with the treatment works beside the Clyde / Cart confluence, or to Erskine, also on the south bank of the Clyde, where large-scale improvements have just been completed. I believe these operations are part of a multi-million pound project to improve not only Renfrewshire`s sewage disposal, but water quality and flood prevention.
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Below: This shot, also looking north towards Inchinnan, was taken from the works compound. The Rolls Royce factory in the Inchinnan Business Park is just visible on the extreme left. The red sign on the gate identifies the muddy track as the `Pedestrian Route`, obviously for workers only, but this will likely become part of the proposed footpath / cycle-way included in the forthcoming upgrade of the area. Authorities in Renfrewshire, Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire are currently considering proposed details for the Clyde Waterfront & Renfrew Riverside Project, which aims to regenerate the Clyde Waterfront with additional residential, industrial, business, retail and leisure opportunities.
The project, led by Renfrewshire Council, would include a new bridge to replace the Renfrew / Yoker ferry which will be the only opening road bridge across the River Clyde, plus new approaches and cycle routes. Renfrewshire Council have produced an interesting 5 minute-long video on the proposals featuring computer generated graphics. A copy has been uploaded to YouTube - Click here to view.
Abbotsinch Road, which runs along the airport`s eastern perimeter, will be realigned to allow expansion and the creation of an external business park, currently referred to as the Glasgow Airport Investment Area. There will also be a new 70-metre long, two lane bridge over the White Cart Water, from Wright Street to an approach road linked with Arran Avenue.
Abbotsinch Road, which runs along the airport`s eastern perimeter, will be realigned to allow expansion and the creation of an external business park, currently referred to as the Glasgow Airport Investment Area. There will also be a new 70-metre long, two lane bridge over the White Cart Water, from Wright Street to an approach road linked with Arran Avenue.
Off road cycle-ways will include a 2km section, initially running parallel with the busy A8 between Renfrew and the Inchinnan Business Park, which will incorporate a new 100 metre-long cycle / pedestrian bridge spanning the Black Cart Water. It`s hoped that the project will support the continued expansion of Glasgow Airport and bring £430m in private sector investment. Renfrewshire Council said the scheme will create 365 jobs during construction and up to 10,600 jobs as a result of the Investment Area`s business opportunities. It`s estimated that it will deliver 250 new homes and bring 60 hectares of vacant and derelict land back into use. If things go ahead as planned, the first phase should be completed sometime in 2020 but there doesn`t seem to be a great deal of movement so far. With uncertainties over the UK`s departure from the European Union and the potential financial consequences we could be in for a very long wait.
The above view, with the new pipeline running parallel with the runway, was taken from Abbotsinch Road.
Below: An even larger pipe-laying operation is currently underway nearby on the banks of the Clyde with work taking place beside the Erskine Bridge on both sides of the river. The project, which is due for completion sometime next year, will see two High Pressure (HP) gas pipelines currently suspended under the bridge removed and replaced with an underground alternative. The team will use trenchless techniques, Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) and Micro Tunnelling to install the new kilometre-plus stretch of pipe which will not only run beneath the river but under the A82, the Forth and Clyde Canal, and main Glasgow to Oban / Fort William railway line.
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and finally, World of Wings
Still on a flying theme but of the feathered variety, these shots are from a recent visit to World of Wings near Cumbernauld which is promoted as Scotland`s largest publicly accessible Bird of Prey Centre with around 80 birds on show, not all of which are raptors. During the summer months flying demonstrations, each usually lasting around an hour with four individual birds, take place at 12:00 hrs and 15:00 hrs so, if you time your visit accordingly, you can see eight birds in action with plenty of time to look round the collection between shows.
Having visited a fair number of Bird of Prey centres over the years I`d rate this one as about the best so far. There`s terraced seating overlooking the flying field which is ideal for photography, the falconers are very knowledgeable and there are some great close-up views when the birds perch on posts or swoop low overhead. The birds flown during my latest visit were a Kookaburra, Saker Falcon, Bateluer Eagle and a Barn Owl, however, the undoubted star of the show was a fluffy Barn Owl chick, being hand reared by the falconer after being rejected by its mother.