Glw Apt 2019 November

Glasgow Airport Movements 2019

November

January 2019

July 2019

November 2019

Glasgow Airport Movements 2015

Glasgow Airport Movements 2016

Glasgow Airport Movements 2017

Glasgow Airport Movements 2018

Glasgow Airport Movements 2020

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Glasgow International Arrivals & Departures

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Traditionally a quiet month for movements, this November was no exception although it did see a handful of interesting airliners, mostly connected with European football matches. Celtic have already qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League and Rangers will join them if they at least draw with Swiss team BSC Young Boys at Ibrox on 12 December.

CAA data for September 2019 confirms Glasgow Airport`s continuing decrease in passengers numbers. Totals are down 8% at 882,000 compared to 955,000 in September last year. With regard to international travellers, those from the EU saw an 8% drop, although non-EU was up a modest 1%. The domestic total was even worse than international, experiencing an 11% drop which equates to around 40,000 less passengers.

The vast amount of seats lost following the collapse of Thomas Cook earlier this year will obviously have a detrimental impact on Glasgow Airport`s future totals, however, TUI, easyJet and Flybe have announced additional capacity for Season 2020 which should go a long way to reducing the shortfall. TUI are also resuming flights to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt as from November next year from all their bases including Glasgow.

The new flights to Egypt next year will mean another choice for Glasgow passengers wishing to escape the traditionally wet and cold Scottish winter. This November was very mild and although the hill tops to the north turned white for a time, there was hardly a heavy frost in the Glasgow area, let alone snowfall. That didn`t stop the airport`s runway clearing teams getting in a bit of practice though - these two units were heading back to base on the 1st after training on the old runway.

With the operation to transform the fields off Abbotsinch Road into the new business park progressing well it was only a matter of time before access to the unofficial lay-by opposite Area Juliet, the executive aircraft ramp, would end. Sure enough, at the beginning of the month the full length of Abbotsinch Road was coned-off and the parking spot bulldozed, leaving anyone wanting to take photos from the fence-line anywhere along this stretch facing a long walk. The Area J `pull-in` and the farm track off Abbotsinch Road, several hundred metres to the north, were very popular with spotters and families just stopping to watch the planes, so this marks the end of an era. Once the new buildings go up, photos from this side of the airport may well be ruled out altogether. More views of the ongoing construction work can be found at the bottom of this page.

At the end of the month, new `Glasgow Airport Investment Area` boards were put up at access points around the site.

`Site Access 1` relates to the ground on the west bank of the Black Cart Water beside the track leading to the old All Hallows Churchyard, off the A8 Greenock Rd. The river at this location will be spanned by a new cycleway / pedestrian footbridge which will run parallel with the existing stone road bridge, on the latter`s south side. The area on the east bank has been totally cleared of trees so this may well become the favoured spot for photographing `23` arrivals.

A Grand Gathering of Geese

On Tuesday 5 November, what must have been close to 1,000 geese descended on the fields to the north of the airport to feed, taking around 10 minutes to select the optimal landing spot. There were so many formations spread over a wide area that I couldn`t get all the birds in a single frame. A large flock of Fieldfare that had been roosting took to the sky too, no doubt spooked by the new arrivals overhead. Although all the birds were well away from the runway, the tower advised aircraft on approach at the time, the first of which was Air Hamburg Phenom 300 D-CASH, seen here, to exercise caution. The visibility was excellent with the distant Luss Hills on the west side of Loch Lomond and, further north the summits of the Arrochar Alps, all clearly defined, the profile of the Cobbler being instantly recognisable.

During the winter months the geese tend to feed in the fields around the airport, then relocate to preferred locations close to the south bank of the Clyde for their overnight roost. With the river at their backs foxes can`t approach from that direction so the birds feel far less vulnerable. Newshot Island at Erskine attracts large numbers every year as does Longhaugh Point, further west towards Bishopton.

On 15 November, HMS Tamar (P233), the fourth of five Batch 2 River-class Offshore Patrol Vessels being built on the Clyde for the Royal Navy, startled a flock of geese at the Point as she headed downriver to Greenock to start her sea trials.

Years ago, Longhaugh Point was also a popular Grey Heron roost with well over twenty often present at any one time.

The name of collapsed holiday firm Thomas Cook is set to live on after the brand was bought up by the Chinese owner of Club Med for £11m. Fosun Tourism Group, which took over Club Med in 2015, said the acquisition of the iconic tourism brands would enable the company to expand its foothold in the travel business. According to the deal, the assets bought include the trademarks, domain names, software applications, social media accounts and licences relating to the 178-year-old British travel firm. However, Fosun insists it's not planning to snap up any other parts of the now defunct business, including its aircraft, which I believe have already been disposed of anyway.

Meanwhile, Thomas Cook Scandinavia has been acquired by a consortium of investors and rebranded as Sunclass Airlines, which was an old name for Thomas Cook`s premium class.

On 8 November, low-cost carrier easyJet reported that it has staved off competition from rivals including Wizz Air and Virgin Atlantic to successfully acquire lucrative takeoff and landing slots at two major UK airports. The slots became available following the collapse of Thomas Cook in September. The slots were one of the most sought after assets coming from the group’s liquidation. The deal to secure additional positions at London Gatwick and Bristol airports will cost easyJet around £36 million. At the same time, leisure carrier Jet2, the UK’s third-largest airline, announced the purchase of Thomas Cook’s slots at Birmingham, London Stansted and Manchester airports for an undisclosed amount.

Takeoff and landing slots are highly coveted assets as airlines seek to expand their passenger and cargo networks. When UK-based low-cost carrier Monarch Airlines collapsed in 2017, its administrators generated £54 million by selling takeoff and landing slots at Gatwick and London Luton airports to British Airways and Wizz Air. Reports at the time speculated that the Gatwick slots accounted for as much as £50 million of that total. When it went bust, Monarch was Gatwick’s fifth-largest operator, with 18 daily takeoff and landing slots.

Scottish regional airline Loganair plans to build a fleet of around 20 ATR 42-500 turboprops over the next several years as it begins to replace its long-serving Saab 340s and 2000s. The first of five Saab 2000s has already moved on and the remaining four are expected to end their long run with Loganair by mid-April 2020. The smaller Saab 340s will be progressively retired as their leases expire. The airline currently operates two Saab 340As and fourteen 340Bs, with four of the fleet converted to freighters.

Loganair has traditionally focused on Public Service Obligation routes in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, but has expanded dramatically over the past nine months, taking over UK and European routes plus Embraer ERJ135/145 jets from its defunct sister company bmi. The first three ATR 42-500s will be based at Aberdeen, with another stationed on the Isle of Man from where it will operate flights to London City Airport on behalf of British Airways` subsidiary BA CityFlyer. The initial ATRs will be leased, but it`s possible that some will eventually be purchased outright.

These shots were taken back in November 2015. Saab 340b G-LGNF, seen here in British Airways colours, is still current with Loganair and will soon be celebrating its 30th birthday. The carrier`s Britten-Norman Islanders, including G-BPCA shown here, were a familiar sight at Glasgow and many other Scottish airports for many years before being phased-out.

Jet Airliners

At the end of last month, Air Transat announced that it will be expanding its transatlantic services to Toronto and Montreal next summer. The Gatwick-Toronto route will double to twice daily and the number of Gatwick-Montreal flights will rise from three to five per week with many flights operated by Air Transat`s new 199-seat Airbus A321neo long range single aisle airliner. A mix of A330 and A321neo LR services will run from Dublin to Toronto five times per week.

The expansion will also help to address Glasgow`s falling passenger numbers as flights currently served by A310s will be replaced by the larger A330 which will fly five times weekly. Although no plans had been announced to utilise the new A321neos on the Glasgow run, Airbus A321-271NX C-GOIE made a surprise appearance on October 31st. Since then both it and sister aircraft C-GOIF have made numerous visits here so it looks as though the latest additions to the Air Transat fleet will be working the Glasgow - Toronto run throughout the winter.

Virgin Atlantic have extended their winter season from Glasgow to Florida, but have substituted their Boeing 747s workhorses with newer Airbus A330-223s. G-VLNM (f/v) kicked-off the service, taking the first batch of holidaymakers to Orlando on the 2nd. Most airliners getting a mention this month are Emirates Expo-liveried Triple-sevens. Visiting airliners as follows: Airbus A321-251NX G-NEOW (f/v) British Airways (f/v) (2nd); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPK Emirates (Expo 2020 blue) (4th); Airbus A340-313 9H-SOL Hi-Fly Malta and Boeing 737-8BK(WL) SP-ENV Enter Air (6th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) Emirates A6-EPL (Expo 202 green), Airbus A321-251NX G-UZMA (f/v) easyJet, plus Boeing 737-8BK(WL) SP-ENV Enter Air returned (8th); Airbus A330-223 G-VLNM Virgin Atlantic (plus other dates) and Boeing 767-319(ER) Icelandair TF-ISW (9th); Airbus A320-251N G-UZLF (f/v) easyJet (12th)...

Jet2 Boeing 757-27B(WL) G-LSAE on the 6th made a welcome change from the carrier`s based 737s.

Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-ENR Emirates (Expo 2020 orange livery), Airbus A321-251NX G-UZMF (f/v) easyJet and BAe Avro RJ100 C-GZRJ (f/v) Summit Air (15th); Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIR Icelandair (80 years of Aviation Livery) (16th); A319-111 EI-GFO (f/v) I-Fly (17th); Boeing 757-3E7(WL) TF-ISX Icelandair (100 Years of Independence livery) and Airbus A319-111 D-ASSK (f/v) Sundair (18th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPL Emirates (Expo 2020 green) (19th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPI Emirates (Expo 2020 green) and Airbus A330-243 G-VYGL (f/v) Jet2 (20th); Boeing 777-31H(ER)s A6-EPI Emirates (Expo 2020 green) again and A6-ENM (Expo 2020 orange) (22nd); Airbus A330-343 G-VSXY Virgin Atlantic, Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPD Emirates (Expo 2020 blue), Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIU Icelandair (Aurora Borealis Livery) and Airbus A321-271NX C-GOIF Air Transat (23rd)...

Airbus A321-251NX G-UZMB (f/v) easyJet (24th); British Airways A318-112 G-EUNA arrived from London City Airport for maintenance (25th); Boeing 777-36N(ER) A6-ECC Emirates (Expo 2020 blue) (26th); Airbus A330-243 G-VYGL Jet2, A320-233 G-POWK Titan Airways, Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIR Icelandair (80 years of Aviation Livery), Boeing 737-8CX(WL) SP-ENG Enter Air and Boeing 737-505 9H-OME Air X Charter (27th); Boeing 737-8K2(WL) PH-HXM Transavia (football charter f/t from Rotterdam, plus Boeing 737-8CX(WL) SP-ENG Enter Air (28th); Boeing 737-8K2(WL) PH-HZJ Transavia and BAe Avro RJ85 EI-RJO CityJet (29th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPI Emirates (Expo 2020 green) and Airbus A330-223 G-VMIK (f/v) Virgin Atlantic (30th).

Manchester-based Airbus A330-243 G-VYGL of Jet2 is leased from AirTanker. AirTanker Services, referring to itself simply as AirTanker, is actually a British charter airline rather than a military outfit, which operates charter flights using reserve aerial refuelling aircraft. In 2008 the Ministry of Defence signed the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) contract with AirTanker to provide the Royal Air Force (RAF) with an air transport and air-to-air refuelling capability. As well as supporting the RAF, AirTanker holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Type A Operating Licence, permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail on their aircraft. The big jet is pictured here a few hours after it landed about 06:30 hrs on Wednesday 20 November, flying in from Newark, New Jersey.

A330-223 G-VMIK of Virgin Atlantic sets-off for Florida via Runway 05 on a hazy afternoon. Saturday 30 November 2019.

With widebodies lacking in variety this month Airbus A340-313 9H-SOL of Hi-Fly Malta, on a round trip from Porto, was a welcome visitor on 6 November.

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.

BAe Avro RJ100 C-GZRJ of Canadian operator Summit Air arrived from Keflavik on Friday 15 November and stayed until the 18th.

On 2 November 2019, Icelandair Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIT, ready for departure, heads for `Alpha One`.

Above: Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIR in (80 years of Aviation Livery) heads back to Iceland on the 16th. Alongside is a distant shot taken through the morning haze of Enter Air Boeing 737-8BK(WL) SP-ENV climbing rapidly after lifting-off from Runway 05 on Wednesday 6 November.

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Turboprop Airliners

Not a lot happening here this month with regard to turboprops, although as previously mentioned, three ex HOP! ATR 42-500s have been acquired by Loganair with the first due in January next year. Glasgow movements saw the usual crop of the Scottish carrier`s Saab 340s along with Flybe Dash 8s and Stobart ATRs, most of which I didn`t bother to photograph, but ATR 72-500(F) EI-SOP on the 19th and ATR 72-212 EI-SLP (f/v) on the 27th, both of ASL Airlines Ireland, get a mention. Swiftair Embraer EMB-120FC Brasilia EC-JKH (above) was on the Gama apron doing engine runs in the morning sunshine on Friday 29 November.

This is Aer Lingus Regional ATR 72-600 EI-FAX coming in to land on Runway 05 on 5 November, Guy Fawkes Day. Visibility was excellent with the Luss Hills and the distant Cobbler above Arrochar all easily identifiable from the airport`s south western perimeter. The weather held into the evening with clear skies which was ideal for watching the mass of fireworks rocketing skywards. There was a great panorama from my back window including an impressive and lengthy organised display which I think was held in Dalmuir Park.

Below: In the last shot of the ATR landing sequence the top of Dumbuck Quarry, which is located at the west end of the Kilpatrick Braes above the north bank of River Clyde, can be seen in the centre of the shot, under the aircraft`s wheels. The massive operation has removed most of Dumbuckhill and is understandably not popular with local residents, especially those in the village of Milton directly below. Complaints about the blasting have been going on for more than quarter of a century. (Drone shots courtesy of Steve Moyes).

Back in April 2015, a planned extension of the site by quarry operators Paterson’s of Greenoakhill was rejected. The firm had applied to West Dunbartonshire Council to change existing planning permission to allow excavations to the east of the quarry which lies off the A82 between Milton and Dumbarton.

The firm wanted to lower the quarry edge facing Milton by 19 metres and extend the site by 29 metres at that side. But permission was unanimously refused after councillors were swayed by local residents who claimed the move would increase the risk of rocks sliding down the hill into their properties, or onto the main road.

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Biz-Jets

US-registered Bombardier Challenger 604 N604EP, named Dzata, has a striking lion motif on the tail. From /to Luton on Friday 15 November.

Gulfstream V SE-RKL, Gulfstream IV N156WJ and Cessna Citation Sovereign N7777B all stopped over from last month. November`s corporate visitors included Dassault Falcon 2000 N215RE, Cessna Citation M2 M-KNOX, Gulfstream G100 OE-GFC Tyrol Air Ambulance and Citation Mustang N101FU (f/v) (1st); Falcon 900EX N312PV (f/v), Falcon 7X N166CK (f/v) and Learjet 31A D-CGGG (2nd); Citation Mustang OE-FIT Globe Air (4th); Gulfstream V N818SS (f/v), Dassault Falcon 2000EX CS-DLG and Embraer Phenom 300s D-CASH of Air Hamburg and G-JMBO (plus other dates) (5th); Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 650 G-SUGR and Gulfstream VI M-JCBB (6th)...

A distant view of Swedish-registered Gulfstream V SE-RKL on Area R. Friday 1 November 2019.

Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign OO-KIN (f/v) (7th); Cessna Citation Sovereign SE-RFH European Flight Service and CitationJet CJ1 D-ICEE (8th); Gulfstream IV-SP N728LB and Citation Excel CS-DXQ (9th); Phenom 300 D-CKJE (f/v) Air Hamburg, Learjet 45XR D-CQAB (f/v) and Citation Excel CS-DXQ which left but returned later (10th); Gulfstream IV N903G (f/v) and Phenom 300 CS-PHB (11th); Gulfstream IV N156WJ and Falcon 2000EX CS-DFG (12th); Bombardier Global 6000 OE-IGL (f/v) and Cessna CitationJet CJ3 2-RBTS (13th); Hawker Beechcraft 750 9H-BSA, plus CitationJet CJ2+ G-TWOP from Farnborough (14th)...

Bombardier CL604 Challenger 604 N604EP (f/v), Learjet 31A D-CGGG and Cessna CitationJet CJ1 G-KION (f/v), Citation Mustang G-FFFC (15th); Falcon 2000EX N147CJ (16th); Dassault Falcon 7X OY-EJD and Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign OO-KIN (17th); Challenger 300 OE-HDC (f/v) and CitationJet CJ1 D-ITRA (f/v) (18th); Citation XLS+ OK-XLS operated by Silesia Air, plus Hawker Beechcraft 750 9H-BSA returned (19th); Citation Excels OO-SKS and CS-DXK, plus Embraer Phenom 300 G-KRBN (21st); Falcon 2000EX CS-DLB and Phenom 100 D-IAAY (22nd); Gulfstream V N56BU and Challenger 604 N777J (24th): Gulfstream G150 D-CGEP (25th); Embraer Legacy 500 G-WLKR (f/v), Phenom 300 G-JMBO and Phenom 100 D-IAAT Arcus-Air (26th); Gulfstream VI OE-LLL (pictured here) and Phenom 100 OE-FTP (f/v) (27th); Challenger 300 OE-HLL (f/v), CitationJet CJ1 G-KION and Citation Excel CS-DXM (28th); Embraer Legacy 500 G-WLKR and Learjet 60 N202N (30th).

US Falcon 2000 N215RE, which has been temporarily based here several times in recent years, made a brief fuel stop on 1 November.

Above: A distant view of Embraer Legacy 650 G-SUGR parked on Area Juliet. Thursday 7 November.

Below: Another view of Austrian-registered Bombardier Challenger 300 OE-HLL on Friday 29 November, and a distant view of US Falcon 900EX N312PV on November 6th, climbing after take-off from `05` about 08:30 hrs. The latter aircraft was returning to Edinburgh after parking up here on the 2nd.

Below: Cessna 680 Citation Sovereigns OO-KIN and SE-RFH were snapped together on 9 November...

General Aviation

Pilatus PC-12 G-FLXI (above) was a stopover from last month. November`s GA visitors kicked-off with King Air 2OO G-KVIP (1st); PC-12 M-YBLS, King Air 200 G-BGRE and AW189 G-MCGV (f/v) HM Coastguard (2nd); King Air 200s M-LENR and M-CDBM, plus Diamond DA62 2-SALE (4th); King Air 200s G-YVIP and M-LENR (5th);

Cessna 421C Golden Eagle N60GM (f/v), King Air 200 M-LENR and AW-109SP Grand New G-MAOL (6th); King Air 350 G-SRBM, King Air 200 LN-KGW plus Diamond DA62s 2-SALE and G-DVOR, the latter aircraft operated by Flight Calibration Services (8th); King Air 350 G-SRBM (plus other dates) and King Air 200 G-WNCH (11th); King Air 200 G-JASS (12th)...

Cirrus SR-22T G-JRSH (f/v) (above) (14th); King Air 350 M-LLMW, Diamond DA62 2-SALE and Bell 206L-4 Longranger IV G-PTOO (16th); Cirrus SR22 N223KB (f/v) (19th); Pilatus PC-12 2-DARE, SOCATA TBM-930 N314MA (f/v) plus King Air 200s M-CDMS and M-CDJC (22nd); Pilatus PC-12 OH-JEM (f/v) and King Air 200 G-BGRE again (23rd); King Air 200 M-LENR (25th); Pilatus PC-12 9H-WIT (f/v) (27th); King Air 350 G-SRBM (28th); SOCATA TBM-940 N940DK (f/v), King Air 200 G-REXA and Bell 505 Jet Ranger X 2-BELL (29th).

Temperatures throughout November were fairly mild although it did get frosty at the end of the month, as these shots of a couple of local residents and visiting TBM-940 N940DK taken on the morning of the 30th show. Just visible through the haze in the above view is CityJet BAe Avro RJ85 EI-RJO.

Military

The weather was miserable on the morning of Friday 1 November when Lockheed C130H Hercules G-988 (f/v) of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, call-sign `NAF 20` made a brief stop. It didn`t park on Taxiway `Y` as most of these military transport do, but was directed to Stand 82, a remote bay near the tower, which meant it was impossible to get a decent photo. It was on a trip f/t Eindhoven.

The only other military aircraft visiting Glasgow during November were Royal Air Force British Aerospace Bae 146 CC.2. ZE701 which called in on Sunday 3rd, followed by ZE707 on Friday 8th. Hawker Beechcraft UC-12W Huron, serial number 168209 (f/v), of the US Marine Corps stopped off on Thursday the 14th en route from Stuttgart to Keflavik.

Now that 2019 is nearing its end, it won`t be long until the UK has its long-overdue Maritime Patrol Aircraft capability restored. The MOD has invested £3 billion in nine state-of-the-art Poseidon MRA1s which have been designed to carry out extended surveillance missions at both high and low altitudes. The aircraft is equipped with cutting-edge sensors which use high-resolution area mapping to find both surface and sub-surface threats. The photo on the left shows the first RAF P-8A Poseidon landing at NAS Jacksonville, USA, after a training sortie. RAF personnel are currently being trained to operate the type at this Naval Air Station in Florida. (Image © seawaves.com).

US Navy P-8s have temporarily operated from Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire during recent Joint Warrior exercises with the following shots taken during JW192 in October this year. Usually, any Maritime Patrol Aircraft operate from Lossiemouth but due to base upgrades necessary to accommodate the RAF Poseidons, they were forced to relocate, which was a welcome bonus for local aircraft enthusiasts.

RAF Lossiemouth in Moray has been chosen as the sole UK base for the new MPAs with the first Poseidon due to arrive in Scotland in early 2020, with all nine aircraft set to be delivered by November 2021. The Poseidons will be flown initially by 120 Squadron which was originally stood up on 1 January 1918 and went on to become the leading anti-submarine warfare squadron during WWII. No 201 will eventually be joined by 201 Squadron as more P-8s are delivered.

The P-8 can carry up to 129 sonobuoys, small detection devices which are dropped into the sea to search for enemy submarines. Depending on the nature of the threat, the crew can liaise with Allied submarines or surface vessels, or respond directly with either Harpoon anti-surface ship missiles or Mk.54 torpedoes, the latter capable of attacking both surface and sub-surface targets.

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The 30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

At a press conference on Thursday 9 November 1989, East German spokesman Günter Schabowski announced that East Germans would be free to travel into West Germany, starting immediately. At the end of the Second World War, Germany was divided into four zones of occupation under the control of the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union. Berlin, having been the capital of Hitler`s Third Reich, although located within the Soviet zone, was also split amongst the four powers. The American, British and French sectors would form West Berlin and the Soviet sector became East Berlin. The division of Germany and the nature of its occupation had been confirmed by the Allied leaders at the Potsdam Conference, held between 17 July and 2 August 1945.

By 1946, one year after the end of the World War II, the Soviet Military administration had become increasingly concerned by the amount of East German citizens who had sought refuge in the west. Apart from the diminishing population they feared that much scientific expertise and technical knowledge was being lost to their rivals. On 26 May 1952, prompted by the Soviet Union, the East German government closed the border and created a secure frontier between East and West Germany. Berlin`s Friedrichstrasse became the only official crossing point but many East German citizens continued to risk heavy prison sentences, or worse, in their attempts to escape to the west. For those who made it unscathed, it was a real cause for celebration.

On August 13, 1961 the Soviets instructed the East German government to close the last remaining `door` and the construction of the Berlin Wall began. Only those whose houses were adjacent to the wall were allowed within 100 meters of it. In the early days, numerous people attempted to escape by climbing or tunnelling under the barrier, but several died in the attempt or were shot and wounded by East German border guards.

Officials and residents in West Berlin look on as the Wall takes shape.

Below: This souvenir brass cigarette case-lighter (H 8.7cm x W 12cm) held by the Imperial War Museum is engraved with 'Germany BRITISH-ZONE' on one side, with a post-Second World War map of the British Occupation Zone in Germany on the other.

Checkpoint Charlie on Friedrichstrasse became a world-famous crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War following the city`s partition. Contrary to popular belief, tensions between the Soviet Block and the Western Allies didn`t escalate because McDonald`s only opened a fast food outlet on the American side of the Berlin Wall! This restaurant was a post-Cold War addition.

The main function of the checkpoint was to register and give cautionary information to members of the American, British, and French armed forces before they entered East Berlin. Foreign tourists and diplomats could also cross to East Berlin via the Friedrichstrasse check point. The Checkpoint hut is a replica as the original was moved into the adjacent Checkpoint Charlie Museum for safekeeping some time ago.

On an outside wall, above the Checkpoint Charlie Museum entrance, are wings and a propeller blade from PZL-Okecie 104 Wilga 35 D-EDDG , that was used on 22 May 1982 to make a daring escape from East to West. This Polish-built light aircraft has excellent short-takeoff-and-landing capabilities which were put to good use.

The pilot, Rolf Schauss, an East German, took to the air without permission, and `hedgehopped` to Hungary where he landed in a field to rendezvous with a family of four GDR (East German) citizens. Once they had boarded he flew as low as possible and, despite being shot at, crossed the Hungarian border and landed safely in Austria. The flight took a total of 19 minutes.

Also affixed to an outside wall of the museum is a replica `Hammer & Sickle" One of the actual Red Flags that flew over the Kremlin in Moscow hung here from October 1992 until May 1994 but was moved inside the museum to protect it from the elements. It wasn`t until 9 November 1989 that the Berlin Wall came down. Germany was reunited the following year. During the period that the Wall stood, around 5,000 people successfully defected to West Berlin.

An outdoor exhibition on Friedrichstrasse with large-format photos and short texts in German and English, explains the history of the Wall and Checkpoint Charlie.

It also illustrates how a basic sentry booth-controlled crossing was gradually expanded over the years to become a modern nine-lane border control installation. An adjacent open-air gallery on Zimmerstrasse gives visitors further details on important memorial sites, remaining sections of the actual Wall, and other relevant museums that focus on a Germany divided.

At one stage, Soviet and American tanks briefly faced each other on either side of the line. This conflict was over the right to unrestricted movement in both sectors of Berlin for members of the Allied forces. It was during this stand-off that the East German Government erected the Berlin Wall.

On 26 June 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited the city and delivered his famous `Ich bin ein Berliner` speech in front of an audience of 450,000. This was 22 months after the Soviet-backed East German Government erected the Wall. Speaking from a platform erected on the steps of the West Berlin City Hall (Rathaus Schöneberg) Kennedy said: "Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was civis Romanus sum ("I am a Roman citizen"). Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner!"... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner!"

Following the dissolution of the Eastern Bloc and the reunification of Germany the wall came down during November 1989 but Checkpoint Charlie, on the city`s Friedrichstrasse, soon became a tourist attraction. There are still a number of small sections of the wall at various locations throughout the city.

Potsdamer Platz is just one of several locations where visitors can (for a fee) have their actual passport stamped with the original GDR (East German) Visa although by the look of this `Border Guard` who was yawning continuously, business is slow!

Many of the remaining sections of the Wall have become a canvas for graffiti artists and some of the surviving sections feature work that wouldn`t be out of place in a modern art gallery. The scene below, however, depicts army officer Conrad Schumann defecting to West Berlin during the Wall`s construction. On 15 August 1961, the 19-year-old Schumann was sent to the corner of Ruppiner Strasse and Bernauer Strasse to guard the Wall three days after work began. At that time and place, the wall was only a single coil of concertina wire. From the other side, West Germans shouted to him, "Komm' rüber!" ("Come over!"), and a police car pulled-up to wait for him. Schumann jumped over the barbed wire while dropping his PPSh-41 sub-machine gun and was promptly driven away from the scene by the West Berlin police. West German photographer Peter Leibing photographed Schumann's escape. His picture has since become an iconic image of the Cold War era.

On display within the foyer of the Deutsches Technical Museum in Berlin is Reims Cessna F172P, registration D-ECJB. It was used in May 1987 by Mathias Rust, a West German teenager, to fly to Moscow and make an illegal landing not far from Red Square and close to the Kremlin. After circling overhead several times his touchdown attracted looks of surprise from stunned passersby and world-wide publicity. He spent an hour chatting to people before the KGB came to arrest him. Rust was subsequently sentenced to four years in a labour camp, but was released after 14 months.

The amateur pilot had flown from Finland to Estonia in the rented aircraft and once across the Russian Border, he amazingly managed to reach the capital without being shot down by air defence missiles or aircraft. Although he was tracked for most of the journey, there was so much confusion that Soviet interceptors never received permission to shoot him down. On several occasions he was mistaken for a friendly, domestic aircraft. Tensions between East and West were high at that time and Rust's successful penetration of the USSR`s supposedly impregnable air defence system led to the firing of many senior officers. Rust's intentions, as he stated, were to create an "imaginary bridge" to the East, and he claimed that his flight was a peace mission, intended to reduce tension and suspicion between the West and Soviet Block.

Prior to reunification, a Trabant, often called "a spark plug with a roof" was about the best car many East Germans could hope to own. Now, many of these vehicles are operated by companies who take tourists through the streets of Berlin in `Cold War luxury!` Around 3.7 million were produced over a 30 year period.

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A WW2 Martlet & Some High-flying Heavies

On Friday 8 December, I finally got round to making my first ascent of Beinn Bheula (779m). It rises steeply above the forestry plantations of northern Loch Goil and Loch Eck, a rugged, complex peak of ridges and crags. The visibility was excellent with no hint of a breeze at the top and it was so mild and sunny that some midges thought spring had arrived and took to the air in the late afternoon sunshine.

Two aircraft are known to have crashed on Beinn Bheula, the most famous being Boeing B-29A Superfortress, serial number 44-62276, of the 301st Bombardment Group USAF, which plummeted into the ground in Succoth Glen on Monday 17th January 1949. Tragically there were no survivors and twenty airmen lost their lives. A wartime photo of a B-29 Superfortress, similar to the one that crashed is pictured here. The bomber that ended up on the hillside above Loch Goil was one of a pair en route to the USA after a deployment to RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire.

The first leg of the journey was to Keflavik in Iceland but as the weather deteriorated the captain of the other plane decided to turn back, but 44-62276 continued and came to grief soon after. The cause of the crash was never determined although ice forming on control surfaces while flying through thick cloud may have been a contributory factor.

A large amount of wreckage remains in pockets as debris was strewn over a wide area. Much of this ground is now covered by forestry plantation restricting access and potentially making some remains difficult to find. There are some large pieces of interesting wreckage at the main site including one complete section of the undercarriage mechanism and the tail gun housing. A memorial cairn now stands at this spot with poignant messages from relatives of those who died.

The B-29 crash site is best visited from Lettermay near Lochgoilhead but the scant remnants of Grumman F4F Martlet, serial number AL251, lie at an altitude of approximately 620 metres, about 1 km south of Beinn Bheula`s summit on a broad grassy bealach which is negotiated on standard approaches, whether from the east or west.

The Grumman F4F Wildcat, an American single-seat carrier-based fighter, first flew on September 1937 and following the outbreak of the Second World War two years later, the French Navy ordered 81 aircraft but these were diverted to Britain when France fell in May 1940. Initially named the Martlet by the Royal Navy they were re-named Wildcats in 1944 to align with combined US and British operations. A total of 1,123 Fleet Air Arm Martlets operated in all theatres of war including Norway, the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Far East. However, Martlets distinguished themselves in the Battle of Atlantic and on Arctic Convoys providing effective fighter support from escort carriers and working effectively with Fairey Swordfish in the hunt for German U-Boats.

In October 1940 two Martlets of 804 Naval Air Squadron, based on Orkney, forced down a German Junkers 88A that was attempting to bomb the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. This was the first victory credited to an American-built fighter in British service. Grumman Martlet l, AL246, currently on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, is the only surviving F4F-4 (G-36A). It spent most of its service life in Scotland at Donibristle, Fife, and Machrihanish near Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula. From 1944 it was used as an instructional airframe at Loughborough Aeronautical College before transferring to Yeovilton in the late 1950s.

This shot, taken in 1940, shows a formation of Martlets from No.804 Squadron, based at RNAS Skaebrae in the Orkney Islands.

The Martlet which struck Beinn Bheula, serial number AL251, had been flown by a Lieutenant Godfrey Frederick Russell, aged 23, of 804 squadron Fleet Air Arm. The circumstances appear to be that he and two colleagues had been sent to Abbotsinch (now Glasgow Airport) to collect Martlets and ferry them back to Donibristle where Captain Eric `Winkle` Brown was based at the time. A British Royal Navy officer and test pilot, he ended up flying 487 types of aircraft during his career, more than anyone else in history. He was also the most-decorated pilot in the history of the Royal Navy. In his book 'Wings on My Sleeve', Brown narrates how the three pilots took off from Abbotsinch on 13th December 1940 but encountered a howling snowstorm soon after.

One plane made it to Donibristle but two went down, apparently having been forced well off course as Brown gives the scene of the losses as Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond. As there were only three aircraft, one of which arrived safely with another recovered after ditching in the loch, the third is likely to be Russell`s aircraft. Not many people, other than locals would have heard of Beinn Bheula so Ben Lomond would be an instantly identifiable mountain to quote in general conversation. Brown also went on to describe Godfrey Russell, as one of the squadron`s most experienced flight leaders.

Russell is buried in Dunfermline (Douglas Bank) Cemetery which actually lies closer to Rosyth, a short distance from the West Gate of Rosyth Royal Dockyard. During the 1939-1945 War the cemetery was used for the burial of servicemen, the great majority of whom were men of the sea and lie in a designated naval plot overlooked by a Cross of Sacrifice. There are, however, a few war graves in other parts of the cemetery. There are currently four casualties from the Great War and nearly 130 from WW2 commemorated at this location. In addition there is one unidentified 1939-1945 burial.

There are three substantial pieces of wreckage on Beinn Bheula, about 50 metres apart, but it appears that over time two of these have sunk into the boggy ground and lie hidden amongst the tussocky grass. The only part I could see in passing was the section of wing. A roundel was supposedly visible for many years but has long since faded. To find the engine and part of the fuselage would have taken a bit more effort. The black & white photos show an aircraft mechanic using a plumb-line to calibrate the aiming point of a fighter`s guns at RNAS Donibristle in May 1944 and an aerial view of the aerodrome, date unknown. (Images © IWM and Graeme Simpson / www.ukairfieldguide.net).

I took the above shot during a Loch Lomond Seaplanes` flight just over a week before climbing this hill for the first time. The crescent-shaped eastern aspect of Beinn Bheula and its craggy nature are obvious and its large lochan, Lochan nan Cnaimh, is partially visible. Although the majority of approaches are made from Lettermay on this eastern side, forestry operations above the western shore of Loch Goil can spoil the walk-in until the open ground is gained.

Above: Looking down toward the impact site from the Creag Sgoilte crags. Had the plane been higher, or slightly to the south, there`s a good chance that it would have missed the hillside altogether. The wing section lies just beyond the large boulder at the bottom of the gully.

In English heraldry a Martlet is a stylised bird with small or ineffective legs similar to a House Martin or Swallow. The Martlet aircraft is renowned for having a small and precarious undercarriage that could make take off and landings difficult. Intentionally named with this characteristic in mind or not, there is clearly a link between the plane and the heraldic bird. The following shots, held by the Imperial War Museum, show Martlets on board the carrier HMS Formidable, plus Martlet MK.III AM958 parked up on an unnamed airfield.

Being almost 3,000ft above sea level in such clear conditions made the views of traffic passing overhead even better...

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic widebodies were the most common but among the other carriers identified by sight were Air Canada, United Airlines and an Air France A380. I was too slow in catching the two most interesting flyovers as they passed directly overhead, namely a military A400 Atlas and a red, white and blue aircraft which may belong to a Fisheries or environmental protection agency. Pictured above is a BA Jumbo with `One World` titles.

Virgin conveniently paint the registrations on their aircraft in very big letters under the wing which means that you can sometimes read them off from a photo taken with a very long lens. The following shots shows Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner G-VWOO `Leading Lady`about to head across the Pond...

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The National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh

Last month I paid just my second visit to the superb National Museum of Scotland situated in Chambers Street in Edinburgh`s Old Town. The museum reopened in 2011 following a three-year £47.4m refit to create one of the UK's largest. The 16 new galleries include 8,000 objects, 80 percent of which were not formerly on display.

Pilcher Hawk Glider.

Among the exhibits are Scottish archaeological finds, medieval objects, and artefacts from around the globe, encompassing geology, archaeology, natural history, science, technology, art, and world cultures. There`s also a cafe on the upper level with access to a rooftop terrace for excellent views over the city.

Exhibits range from a life-sized skeleton cast of a Tyrannosaurus Rex to specimens collected by Charles Darwin, cars, an industrial steam engine, Dolly the Sheep, and 3,000-year-old mummies. There is also a small but interesting collection of aviation-related material, including several light aircraft, the earliest of which is the Pilcher Hawk Glider.

Percy Sinclair Pilcher (16 January 1866 - 2 October 1899) was a British inventor and pioneer aviator who was at the forefront of experimentation in un-powered flight at the end of the nineteenth century.

After a childhood spent in England and Germany, and a period in the Royal Navy as a cadet, Pilcher moved to Glasgow in 1887 to serve an engineering apprenticeship with the shipbuilders Randolph, Elder & Co. of Govan. This was to be the start of his love affair with flight. Inspired by reports of the work of the Prussian aviator Otto Lilienthal, whom he twice visited in Germany, Pilcher began his own glider experiments in 1895. Over the next four years, he would complete a series of gliders: Bat (1895), Beetle (1895), Gull (1896), and Hawk (1896). He was planning a flight with a motor-driven hang glider, but died before he could make the attempt when one of his traditional gliders he was flying in crashed.

Piper PA-38 Tomahawk G-BGXB.

It`s not just aircraft flying around the museum - numerous animals, fish and birds are suspended from the ceiling!

I believe Slingsby T.12 Gull 1 (BGA number 902) currently unmarked, previously bore the registration G-ALPHA which may be fictitious. This was a British single-seat glider designed and built by Slingsby Sailplanes and first flown in 1938. The prototype was sold to Australia before the outbreak of the Second World War and later registered VH-GHL. It is currently on display at the Aviation Heritage Museum in Perth, Australia. The design was developed in 1939 to include what Slingsby called the cantilever Gull, designated as the T.15 but more commonly known as the Gull III and this resulted in some performance improvements,

Below: The DH.82 Tiger Moth on display, G-AOEL is a fairly recent addition having been acquired by the museum in July 2016. This iconic British designed and built biplane was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and many other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. In addition to the type's principal use the Second World War saw RAF Tiger Moths operating in other capacities, including maritime surveillance and defensive anti-invasion preparations, some aircraft even outfitted to function as armed light bombers. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until it was succeeded and replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk during the early 1950s resulting in numerous surplus aircraft being acquired by civilian operators. It remains in widespread use as a recreational aircraft in several countries.

I remember attending the DH Moth Rally at Strathallan Airfield in Perthshire way back in the summer of 1979 when over 50 Tiger Moths, ten Hornet-Moths, two Jackaroos and lone examples of Puss-Moth, Leopard-Moth, Gipsy Moth and Moth-Minor, flew up from Hatfield. The Strathallan Aircraft Museum was also operating then, and its large and interesting collection, supplemented by the historic arrivals made for an impressive gathering. The Moth Rally was instigated to commemorate the 1928/1929 Gipsy Moth Reliability Tour, when a Gipsy I engine was flown 51,000 miles in DH Moth G-EBTD with only routine servicing, after which replacement parts cost a mere £7.2.11d!

The Kay Gyroplane Type 33/1 was a British single-seat autogyro designed by David Kay in the 1930s. The first machine, registered G-ACVA, first flew on 18 February 1935 from Eastleigh Airport, Sothampton. The second of two autogyros initially planned was not completed. Following G-ACVA`s last flight on 16 August 1947 at Scone (Perth Airport), it was stored there for many years. Following refurbishment at Scone in 1967 it was loaned to Glasgow`s Museum of Transport. The autogyro was subsequently purchased from the Kay family by the National Museums Scotland and is now on display in the main building in Edinburgh.

Beagle A.61 Terrier 2, serial number VF581/G dates from 1946 and previously flew under the civilian identity G-ARSL. The Auster Aircraft Company purchased a large number of former British Army Austers during the late 1950s. These were Auster AOP.6, T.7 and T.10 variants which were updated and modified with a de Havilland Gipsy Major 10-1-1 engine. Initially two versions were offered for sale in the civilian market from 1960: the Auster 6A Tugmaster – a utility and glider towing aircraft and the Auster 6B – a three-seat luxury version. When the company became part of Beagle Aircraft in 1960, the Auster 6B was renamed the Beagle A.61 Terrier 1.

In 1962 the Terrier 2 was introduced with a greater span tailplane, wheel spats and a metal propeller. The Terrier, however, was not an economic success for the manufacturer as it was found that more man-hours were spent rebuilding each aircraft after its military use than were spent producing a new aircraft for the Army.

Scottish Aviation Ltd was founded at Prestwick in 1935 by Squadron leader Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, Marquis of Clydesdale and future 14th Duke of Hamilton, and Flight Lieutenant David McIntyre. Both men achieved lasting fame when, in 1933, they became the first to fly over Mount Everest.

One of the company test pilots in the early 1970s was Angus, the 15th Duke of Hamilton. He joined Scottish Aviation after serving as a Flight Lieutenant in the RAF and in 1971 bought this Bulldog, the second prototype, and the first of these iconic trainers to be built in Scotland. He often demonstrated the aircraft and his own flying skills at the National Museum of Flight Airshow at East Fortune in East Lothian. (Image © Simon Grosset / Scottish Museums).

This silver Lancaster bomber was presented to a Scot who was one the RAF top brass instrumental in the planning of the Dam Busters Raids of 1943.

A total of 7,377 Lancs were produced, the majority of these in UK factories, including Woodford in Cheshire (pictured here) although 430 were built under license by Victory Aircraft in Canada. As increasing numbers of the type came on line, it became the principal heavy bomber used by the RAF, the RCAF and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving within the RAF, overshadowing the Halifax and Stirling.

A long, unobstructed bomb bay meant that the Lancaster could carry the largest bombs used by the RAF, including the 4,000 lb (1,800 kg), 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) and 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) blockbusters, loads often supplemented with smaller bombs or incendiaries. (AV Roe Factory images © IWM).

Prestwick in Ayrshire was a major ferry airfield for vast numbers of US and Canadian aircraft routing across the Atlantic during WW2. RAF and Coastal Command types including the Lancaster, B-17 and B-25 Mitchell frequently stopped off as did smaller types including liaison aircraft and fighters. The taxiing Lancasters and Spitfires pictured above, and the pair of Lancs in formation, all snapped in September 2014, are a reminder of that era. They were the star attractions at the first airshow to be held at Prestwick in 22 years.

This is a large-scale model of a Laker Skytrain DC-10. London Gatwick-based Laker Airways was a British independent carrier founded by entrepreneur Sir Freddie Laker in 1966. It was originally a charter airline flying passengers and cargo worldwide. Following on from Icelandic carrier Loftleidir, Laker became the second long-haul, low-cost, "no frills" airline in 1977, initially offering low-fare scheduled services between London`s second airport and New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport. In 1980, I actually flew from Gatwick to Florida on one of Freddie`s Skytrains for my first holiday in the Sunshine State.

The Skytrain concept was targeting people clamouring for discounted air fares across the Atlantic. This was a market the established transatlantic scheduled carriers had ignored, mainly because it wasn`t profitable due to their high cost structures and complex organisations.

Although Laker Airways had lower costs and a simpler organisation, it required high year-round loads to make money at discount prices. As the majority of passengers travelled during the peak summer season, it made it a challenge to achieve high loads off season. The company did not survive the recession of the early 1980s and in February 1982, went bankrupt, owing over £250 million (equivalent to £866.61 million in 2018).

Also on display in the museum is this model of the Vickers VC10, a mid-sized, long-range British airliner that first flew in 1962. The performance of the VC10 was such that it achieved the fastest crossing of the Atlantic by a jet airliner, a record still held to-date for a sub-sonic airliner, of 5 hours and 1 minute. Only the supersonic Concorde was faster. Although only a relatively small number of VC10s were built, they provided long service with BOAC and other airlines from the 1960s to 1981. They were also used from 1965 as strategic air transports for the Royal Air Force, and ex-passenger models and others were used as aerial refuelling aircraft.

Up, Up and Away! - A Hot Air balloon demonstration.

This Saltire pictured below was taken by astronaut Nicholas Patrick when he made a space walk from the Space Shuttle Discovery in December 2006. Although Patrick was born in the northeast of England, he had a Scottish mother, a native of the Isle of Skye, and he carried the flag in her honour. On return to earth the flag was autographed and gifted to the Scottish Parliament, who in turn donated it to the museum in 2008.

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Dundee

And now, from a first-class museum to one of the worst I`ve ever visited, especially when you take into account the hype, its renowned parent museum in London and its £80.1 million construction costs. The V&A Dundee opened on 15 September 2018 as the first `design museum` in Scotland and the first Victoria and Albert museum outside London. Certainly the building, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, turns heads, but not always for the right reasons. The museum`s target of 500,00 visitors within a year was reached just six months after opening with people travelling far and wide to see it.

Without going into detail, I was shocked at how little there was to see inside. There`s a vast amount of wasted space and what there is on display is sparse, dimly lit and uncoordinated. At least the McManus Art Gallery & Museum which I`ve yet to visit, RRS Discovery and Frigate HMS Unicorn help to address the balance - and of course there`s always Desperate Dan (plus Dawg) and Minnie the Minx in the town centre.

Three Cessna biz-jets were present when I stopped-off at Dundee Riverside Airport on the afternoon of Sunday 18 November, namely CitationJet CJ1 OO-EUR, Citation Excel CS-DXH and Citation Latitude D-CAWK. All had departed by Monday morning.

Ex-Loganair Dornier 328-110s G-CCGS and G-BHYG are in storage here. Manx-registered SOCATA TBM-930 M-DSKY was snapped early on the 18th.

Perth Airport

This month I made my first ever visit to Perth Airport at Scone, dropping in briefly on Monday 19th on the way back from Dundee. Conditions were excellent after an overnight frost but there was no activity. The only decent shot would have been of the based charity air ambulance helicopter which was parked in front of the tower, but the view was blocked by a generator.

The airport, which opened in 1936 as Scone Aerodrome, is currently used by private and business aircraft, and for pilot training but there are no commercial scheduled flights. The only such services were short-lived: a British Airways service to Stavanger, Norway, at the beginning of the Second World War, and a post-war BEA service to Glasgow's Renfrew airport.

In 1960 Airwork acquired Air Service Training (AST), an engineering training school, which it relocated from the south of England to Scone. The whole operation took on the AST name. AST gained a worldwide reputation for aviation training, being known as Britain's Air University. Students of more than 100 countries have been trained at Perth. Following a worldwide downturn in aviation, AST pulled out of pilot training in 1996 and a new operator took over the running of the airport. Perth remains Scotland's main airport for general aviation and is the base of the Scottish Aero Club which was founded in 1927. Also on site is an aircraft maintenance company, ACS Engineering, and numerous other non aviation related businesses.

Construction & Development

Back at Glasgow Airport, more shots of the construction work around the perimeter. The first batch was taken in mid-November and covers the area north of the Abbotsinch Road / Arran Avenue roundabout...

Access to one of the new bridges spanning the White Cart to connect with Renfrew will be via the east end of Arran Avenue, behind the airport`s off-site Long Stay Car Park, but the area being worked on is currently fenced off and screened by trees...

Above: Looking south down Abbotsinch Rd from close to its junction with the A8 Greenock Road. The next gallery features more images taken mid-November, and shows Abbotsinch Rd from the Sanderling Rd / Inchinnan Rd roundabout, northwards to the Arran Avenue roundabout...

This distant shot taken from the Kilpatrick Braes at the end of last month shows Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1041 G-VPRD on short finals for Runway 23, flying over the new Cala housing development in Erskine. This was the second Virgin A350 to spend several days at Glasgow for crew training.

Houses are springing up rapidly on the site which is adjacent to the Inchinnan Woods, between Inchinnan village and Florish Road in Erskine. Cala Homes are in the process of cramming in 195 terraced, semi-detached and detached houses into the relatively small funnel-shaped field that runs along the wood`s northern edge.

It`s sad to see yet another area of countryside disappearing, especially when it displaces much of the resident wildlife including deer, foxes and birds.

This aerial view was taken in March this year before construction began. Although the estate backs onto existing houses in Inchinnan existing properties there rule out an entrance from the village. plus no doubt the Inchinnan residents would have something to say! It still looks therefore, as though the only road access from the estate is likely to be from the Erskine side. The only other option is running a new road down the east side of the woods to connect with the A8 Greenock Rd, which may happen over time.