Glw Apt 2020 July

Thankfully the number of people succumbing to Coronavirus across the UK fell to pre-lockdown levels for the first time since the pandemic began and more and more people were able to travel freely and go about their business. The line of red, white and blue tails of the British Airways A321 and A320s in long term storage here was no longer the exclusive focal point. On Wednesday 1 July, the number of scheduled flights outbound from Glasgow grew to eleven: six easyJet, two Ryanair, two British Airways and one KLM. This was in addition to the Loganair services which have continued to operate to some Highlands and Islands destinations throughout the crisis, albeit on a reduced basis.

Departure boards at all of Scotland's airports began to fill up again as airlines restarted services put on hold during lockdown. At the height of the critical period Scotland`s daily airline passenger numbers were in the hundreds but by the end of this month a selection of overseas routes became available once again. These included a number of major European cities and popular tourist destinations which would normally be packed with Scots tourists and holidaymakers at this time of year. From the local aviation enthusiast`s point of view, July also saw two first visits by aircraft type to Glasgow: a US Air Force Bell Boeing V-22 tilt-rotor Osprey and the latest incarnation of Bombardier`s Global business jet, the Global 7500.

The airport experience has become very different for travellers with anti-contamination protocols probably set to remain in place for years to come. People must wear face coverings and staff will be utilising additional personal protective equipment. Perspex screens have been installed in areas such as security halls, plus temperature checking equipment has been made available at some locations. Social distancing continues to be encouraged and the transition between Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Scottish government`s lockdown easing meant that shops and restaurants in the terminal were able to reopen.

Quarantine-free holidays also became possible under the Scottish government's new plan, but only for a very brief period, with travellers again able to visit a number of countries including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain without having to self isolate for a fortnight on their return. This followed in the wake of the UK government`s decision to lift quarantine restrictions and open up the borders of England and Wales to people arriving or returning from around 60 countries that have been categorised as low risk. Included were New Zealand, Australia and Spain, however, both Australia and Spain subsequently experienced worrying spikes in their infection rates. Following a warning from Spanish officials that a second wave of Coronavirus could be imminent, Catalonia, in the northeast of the country, was forced to crack down on nightlife and order all nightclubs to close for two weeks. A midnight curfew on bars in the greater Barcelona area was also imposed. Rising contagion among young people is a particular worry, as they have been gathering in large numbers late into the night. Other major cities and resorts in Spain also saw a surge which, by the end of July reached alarming proportions. (Following image © Independent).

Less than a week earlier, on Saturday 25 July, Jet2 737s which had been lying dormant at Glasgow, began shuttling holidaymakers to the popular Spanish holiday destinations and the situation looked promising. Then, later that day, both the UK and Scottish governments decided that anyone returning from Spain as of midnight must self-quarantine for 14 days and advised against travelling to the Spanish mainland. This decision unsurprisingly caused chaos with those already abroad and the hundreds of of thousands planning to travel in the near future. It`s estimated that 1.8 million Brits were set to holiday in Spain between mid-July and the end of August. The Canaries and Balearic Islands were initially exempt as they had lower infection rates than the UK but within days there was a blanket ban.

As insurance cover would be invalidated for any holidaymakers who visit an affected area against government advice, many people had no option but to cancel at the last minute. France warned its citizens not to travel to the Catalonia region while Norway, like the UK, said it would start the self-quarantining of inbound travellers. TUI pushed back its imminent restart, but Jet2 and easyJet continued with their schedules for a couple of days before they too were forced to adjust.

July was barely a week old when Barrhead Travel announced that it would be forced to make job cuts as a consequence of the massive dent in the holiday market coupled with the uncertainty over quarantine. (Image © Irvine Herald).

The company, which was founded in 1975, claims to be the UK’s leading independent travel group, booking over 300,000 people on holidays each year, but a company spokesperson said that despite the easing of some travel restrictions customer confidence in overseas holidays had dropped.

The UK government`s furlough scheme is also due to end in October which will place the group`s finances under further strain. Barrhead Travel`s St Vincent Street shop in Glasgow city centre is at risk of closure, however, many staff who are based there could potentially move to the company superstore on Oswald Street. The travel agent currently has 76 shops in Scotland and its network extends to Belfast, Cumbria, Leicester, Newcastle and Southampton.

At the end of July, the UK's largest tour operator TUI Group said that changes in customer behaviour, including a shift to online shopping, has led it to shut 166 High Street stores in the UK and Ireland, affecting up to 900 jobs. The company had already announced in May that it planned to cut around 8,000 positions globally as it sought to reduce overhead costs by 30% in a major restructuring.

But, as the Coronavirus pandemic has drawn on, footfall in high street stores has plummeted. A company spokesperson said it hoped to retain 630 workers, most of whom are staffing its remaining 350 retail stores but some roles will be adapted for home-working. TUI has also closed overseas customer service centres in Mumbai and Johannesburg in a bid to protect UK jobs.

(Above images © BBC / Getty).

England reopened its hospitality sector on Saturday 4 July, and while the majority of people heeded government advice and behaved responsibly, it`s clear that for many others social distancing was the last thing on their mind, especially when the drink started to flow. These scenes show the crowds that evening in the Soho district of London. Figures released earlier that day revealed that a further 67 people had died in the UK after testing positive for the bug, bringing the death toll to 44,198.

Mass gatherings, including illegal raves and football fans celebrating their teams` latest achievements, continued to put pressure on the already stretched emergency services. On 22 July, over 2,000 ecstatic Leeds United supporters partied outside Elland Road after the Yorkshire club`s promotion to the Premier League. Liverpool`s first ever Premier League title win saw two nights of disruption and disorder outside the Anfield stadium and in the city centre itself at the end of last month, resulting in the issue of a Dispersal Order due to fears for public safety. (Images © Leeds Live/ Sky Sports / PA Wire).

In early July, the 5-mile limit for non-essential travel in Scotland was lifted for most of the country, enabling excursions for leisure activities although this initially didn`t apply to parts of Dumfries and Galloway which experienced a number of localised COVID outbreaks. Self-sustained holiday cottages, lodges and caravans with no shared facilities were also able to re-open, as were zoos and garden attractions but the rest of tourism-related businesses had to wait until the middle of the month.

The wearing of face coverings became mandatory in Scotland`s shops and other retail settings as of 10 July following the introduction of a similar requirement on public transport, including ferries and aircraft but, contrary to the above photo, masks don`t need to be worn by the planes themselves. It`s hoped that these measures will suppress transmission rates even further and take away more opportunities for the virus to spread. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon finally issued this directive after a great deal of to-ing and fro-ing.

Above: The drive-through Coronavirus testing facility off Abbotsinch Road.

The mandatory face covering announcement was made in the wake of a warning by UK experts that a second wave of Coronavirus has the potential to kill as many as 120,000 hospital patients / care home residents this winter in a worst case scenario. Senior doctors and scientists convened by the Academy of Medical Sciences said that without urgent action a resurgence of cases in the latter part of the year could overwhelm the NHS when services are already stretched because of flu and other seasonal pressures. A report, compiled by 37 experts, stresses the scenario is not a prediction of what is likely to happen, but a description of how the outbreak could evolve if infections are allowed to surge and little is done to prepare the NHS and social care services.

Following contradictory messages regarding face coverings from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Donald Trump, both now advocate their use. Many welcome this long awaited decision, and the examples now being set, not only by them, but by Mickey and Minnie at Walt Disney World. However, others would no doubt prefer one or both world leaders to each substitute their mask with several rolls of Duck tape - perhaps Donald (the one with the yellow bill) could help? In fact, he`d probably make a better job of leading America`s fight against the virus!

Above images © Orlando Weekly; BBC; Fox News)

Flights between the UK and Florida should be at their peak but the pandemic has left many thousands of British holidaymakers of all ages hugely disappointed. It was set to be a good year for Virgin Atlantic and Glasgow aviation enthusiasts were looking forward to seeing some of the latest airliners on the Orlando run after a couple of Airbus A350s spent time here on crew training and familiarisation flights last year.

Walt Disney World in Orlando started to reopen at the beginning of July, despite a Coronavirus surge across the state. More than a quarter-of-a-million cases of COVID-19 had been reported in Florida, along with 4,197 deaths. Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opened first with Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios welcoming suitably attired visitors from 15 July. Everyone had to wear a mask and adhere to other safety measures throughout the massive complex.

Disney first closed its Orlando resorts back in March when the USA's outbreak was in its infancy. While infections were initially mostly concentrated in New York and California, Florida is currently one of several states recording an upturn. In Orange County, where the Disney resorts are based, authorities have reported 16,630 cases, one of the highest tallies in the Sunshine State. As a result, many cities and counties across Florida have reinstated restrictions that were lifted in May when infections began to drop. (Disney images © BBC).

Disney reported a $1.4 billion (£1.1bn) dent in profits over the first three months of the year, but the upsurge in COVID transmission didn`t deter the thousands of fun seekers who have flocked to the flagship resort since its doors reopened. Numerous selfies are still being taken but with everyone`s face hidden it seems a bit pointless.

With the extent of the pandemic in the United States continuing to grow, it`s doubtful as to whether any of the UK`s transatlantic airlines catering for holidaymakers can salvage anything from this year`s summer season.

For example, in May, Virgin Atlantic announced plans to cut almost a third of its 10,000 strong workforce and sever its ties with London Gatwick. The US represents almost 70 per cent of Virgin`s route network. This month, however, the carrier received welcome news in the form of a £1.2 billion rescue package that will help secure its future for the next five years. The deal, which comes after months of negotiating with shareholders and private investors following the UK government`s refusal to offer state aid, will still have to be signed off by a court.

This, however, is considered a mere formality as the new process was introduced only after all the negotiations had been finalised. The rescue sum total includes £200 million of cash from Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and £170 million of debt funding from US hedge fund Davidson Kempner Capital Management. It will also include £400m of fee deferrals from shareholders, Virgin Group and Delta Air Lines, which owns 49 per cent, as well as agreements with credit card companies to unlock cash, and a cost-saving programme that will involve 3,550 job cuts. Virgin Atlantic set out a finance-saving plan for £280m each year for the next five years and it also aims to save £880 million over that time by agreeing aircraft deferrals.

As of 31 July 2020, 17,296,303 cases of COVID-19 (in accordance with the applied case definitions and testing strategies in the affected countries) have been reported worldwide, including 673,290 deaths, since 31 December 2019. In the Americas, the tally for the region`s two worst-affected countries is as follows: The USA has almost 4,600 million confirmed cases resulting in 155,000 deaths, followed by Brazil with 2,625,600 infections and 91,600 deaths. The country`s President Jair Bolsonaro who has always played down the risk while maintaining that keeping the economy on track is more important than a lockdown to protect the population, has now caught the virus himself. Health experts stress that official data almost certainly under reports both infections and deaths, particularly in countries with limited testing capacity.

Party Time Again in Scotland? - Not Quite.

(Above image © Sky News)

Scotland allowed beer gardens and pavement cafes to resume business on Monday 6 July, followed by pubs and indoor restaurants the 15th.

(Following image © Daily Record; Photo below right © Glasgow Times)

For some it seemed like they had been unable to get a drink at their favourite hostelry for centuries, rather than just during the preceding few months of lockdown. Even the Young Team got in on the act...

The alcohol won`t do much to cheer the hundreds of thousands of UK workers who have lost, or are about to lose their jobs. The already long list of companies affected by the downturn due to COVID grows longer each day with Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Debenhams, Selfridges, Next, Harrods, Swarovski, the National Trust, Dyson, Clarks, Rolls Royce, Jaguar Land Rover, Falkirk-based bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis, Royal Mail, Virgin Money, the BBC, and Microsoft-owned business networking site LinkedIn which has offices in Britain, all announcing or considering drastic reductions in their workforce. This is of course on top of the catastrophic losses experienced by the aviation sector. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) which represents 290 airlines is forecasting that the world's airlines will lose more than $84 billion and one million jobs this year. For example, United Airlines, one of the big three in the USA, warned that it may be forced to axe 36,000 personnel because of the huge fall in demand for air travel.

The cruise industry is in a similar predicament, forcing operators to lay up entire fleets for indefinite periods. Within the past month three vessels from Azamara Cruises sailed up the River Clyde to berth at Glasgow`s King George V Dock. Now, Highlands businesses have expressed concerns after confirmation that almost all cruise ships due to visit Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth this year have cancelled. More than 100 ships were scheduled, making it a record season for the port which is best known for oil rig construction and other engineering work connected with the offshore oil industry.

Each summer, the town`s main private hire company would have a fleet of around 20 coaches waiting on the quayside each time to take visitors to different parts of the Highlands, including Inverness, Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, Dunrobin Castle and Cawdor Castle. The firm has now lost about £1.5 million in turnover following the multiple cancellations. Although the port authority has been able to replace some of what it has lost from the cruise trade through its work in offering berths for oil and gas industry structures, such as rigs, the numerous small, independent shops on Invergordon's High Street have been forced to write off the entire season and can only hope that things improve by next year. The last time I was up that way, the cruise liner Marina had docked so I stopped for a few shots. A kilted piper was blasting away, doing his best to generate a bit of atmosphere on a gloomy Scottish morning as the suitably attired passengers, hats on, hoods up, stepped ashore. Now, a far darker cloud hangs over not only this town, but Scotland`s entire economic future.

Still Self Isolating? Fancy hopping over to your very own Island Retreat? - Time to put a bid in!

Despite the desperate financial situation that the world currently finds itself in, anyone with a strong desire to continue to self isolate and half-a-million pounds to spare, may be persuaded to put in a bid for Inchconnachan, an uninhabited private island on Loch Lomond. At 103-acres, Inchconnachan, is the largest in the cluster of islands that define the scenic, sheltered channel known as `the Narrows`. On either side of the Narrows, tucked in against the water`s edge against either this island or Inchtavannach opposite, yachts and motor cruises berth in summer while day-trippers explore the wooded interiors or picnic on the shore.

The property agent`s schedule description of Inchconnachan being currently uninhabited is not strictly true, although there are no permanent human residents. Inchconnachan`s main claim to fame is bizarrely where Loch Lomond`s colony of Red-necked Wallabies live. Lady Arran, who had a holiday home on the island, was responsible for bringing the animals to Inchonnachan in the 1970s. She was formerly the fastest woman on water having broken her last power boat record at the age of 62.

Despite harsh winters the small marsupials thrived but for many years their existence wasn`t common knowledge. In the early 1980s, following a night-time road accident on the A82 when a tanker ended up in a ditch, the police breathalysed the driver, despite his protests that he was stone cold sober, when he insisted that he was forced to swerve to avoid a Kangaroo!

I managed to snap the little chap in the above shot on the island years ago and I`m glad to hear his descendants are still bouncing around, but you have to be very lucky to spot one from a boat. The Wallabies tend to remain hidden in dense undergrowth but occasionally one or two are seen at the waters edge, particularly late in the day when they come down to drink. At least one pair of hairy hoppers are much braver though...

(Wallaby campsite images © BBC / Alastair Taylor).

The only dwelling on Inchconnachan is a bungalow, with its own jetty, built in the 1920s by a man thought to have been a returning tea plantation owner, or a retired naval officer, or possibly both as he was known as Admiral Sulivan. He lived there for a number of years until finances, or lack of them, forced him to vacate the island.

The bungalow was subsequently bought by William C. Buchanan, a Glasgow stockbroker but I`m unsure as to how long it took before it degenerated into its current dilapidated state. (Above images © The Herald; The Times and The Scotsman).

Back to Brexit...

At the start of the year, Brexit was still very much locked in the media spotlight as the UK prepares to leave the EU Customs Union on 31 December. Although officially `out` of Europe already, the country is now in an 11-month transition period, during which existing trading rules and membership of the customs union and single market apply. What the UK's relationship with the EU will look like when the transition period ends will depend on whether a trade deal is reached, but in any case, customs checks on EU goods will be delayed until July 2021.

This month, a £705 million funding package to help manage Britain's borders was announced. Plans include new border control posts and the appointment and training of 500 extra Border Force staff.

The funding follows a leaked letter from International Trade Secretary Liz Truss raising concerns about the readiness of Britain's ports. Under the plans, new border posts will be created inland where existing ports have no room to expand to cope with the extra checks that will be required at the existing points of entry.

The substantial financial allocation relates only to the external borders of England, Scotland and Wales. The government is expected to publish specific guidance and measures for Northern Ireland in the coming weeks. The new funding is intended to cover not only improved port and inland infrastructure, but IT systems, new equipment, staffing and recruitment.

Meanwhile, government approval has been given for the re-opening and development of Manston Airport (right & above), which closed in 2014. Located on the Kent coast some 100 km east of London, it will primarily serve as an air freight facility. A new control tower, fuel farm, maintenance centre, flight-training school, and a fixed-base operation for executive travel, will all be constructed.

Official consent for the project was granted on 9 July. Under the proposal, put forward by current owners RiverOak Strategic Partners, Manston would be capable of handling at least 10,000 air cargo movements annually. It will also be able to offer a number of passenger and executive aviation services, as well as aero engineering.

Some of the infrastructure from the old airport would be revived. Runway 10/28 will be refurbished and upgraded and a parallel taxiway will be re-aligned.Nineteen stands will be built to typically accommodate Boeing 777-sized aircraft with the flexibility to handle larger types. With regard to passenger airline travel, a new government information campaign aims to raise awareness about how visiting the continent will be different for UK citizens from 1 January next year. For example, they will no longer be able to take advantage of zero mobile phone roaming charges, and the fairly relaxed pet passport which removes the requirement for a long quarantine period will end too. It`s no surprise that travel insurance premiums are also expected to rocket once eligibility for free healthcare for Brits in EU countries ends. This is on top of a substantial price hike for cover as result of the Coronavirus outbreak. Some companies are no longer insuring policy holders for COVID-related illnesses. (Manston Airport images © KentLive / James Stewart; Invicta Kent Media).

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Even though passenger numbers are well down, cleaning and sanitising both inside and outside the Glasgow Airport terminal building is keeping staff busy...

At the airport as of Monday 1 July the following were in long term storage: From the British Airways fleet...

Airbus A321s G-EUXC, G-EUXG, G-EUXH, G-EUXK, G-EUXL, G-EUXM, G-MEDF, G-MEDG, G-MEDJ, and G-MEDU; A320s G-EUUF, G-EUYH and A319 G-DBCE.

Most of these aircraft remained parked on Taxiway Yankee but several ended up at the BA Engineering facility on the opposite side of the airfield for a time, either being worked on inside the hangar or parked on one of the adjacent stands. It`s impossible to get decent photos of anything on the apron at this location from landside due to the security fence and the layout of the buildings.

Virgin Atlantic had A330-3 G-VKSS was also parked up but it left on the 5th.

No change with TUI who had Boeing 757 G-BYAY plus 737-8s G-FDZD and G-TAWX. Jet2 had Boeing 737-8s G-DRTB, G-DRTT, G-JZBE, G-JZHM, G-JZHU and G-JZHZ. G-JZBE went out on the first post-COVID Jet2 passenger flight from Glasgow on Wednesday 15 July, conveying holidaymakers to the Greek island of Kefalonia. ATR 72-202(F) EI-FXK in FedEx colours, which had been here since the start of the lockdown period, finally departed on Tuesday 7 July to resume operations. Also the sole ex-Flybe DHC8-4 G-JEDV (below) stayed on Area R until Thursday 9 July when it left for Saarbrücken, Germany, where it remains awaiting disposal.

Jet Airliners

As mentioned above, Airbus A330-343 G-VKSS, the last of four Virgin Atlantic heavies in long term storage at Glasgow, finally departed on Sunday 5 July, in its case bound for Ciudad Real Central Airport in Spain. The above distant, greyed-out shot, possibly my last ever of this airliner, was taken the day before.

Also on the 5th, fruit pickers were out in force at East Yonderton Farm despite the dismal conditions. Obviously lots of people, especially those with young families, were just desperate to participate in outdoor activity, whatever that may be, after being locked indoors for so long. Strawberries go down better with ice cream if the weather`s nice but there wasn`t much sign of summer this month.

Although it was raining steadily, people just put their hoods up. The swans on the nearby Black Cart Water didn`t seem to mind either...

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.

It`s no surprise that there was very little variety this month with regard to airline traffic so the colours in this section are predominantly red, white and blue, orange & white and silver & grey. Visiting airliners from non-UK carriers were also few and far between. Most of the following shots are uncaptioned.

There was some movement with the stored BA airliners. For example, G-EUXK, see here, moved across to BA Engineering on 6 July, G-EUXH went up for an engineering test flight on 8 July and A320 Neo G-TTND positioned to Glasgow for maintenance on the 9th.

Above: Berry pickers at East Yonderton Farm look on as A321-231 G-EUXG takes to the air for a check flight.

By July 16, British Airways Airbus A321-231 G-EUXM had moved to Area N (western apron) and was allocated a remote stand next to A320-232 G-TTOE. These parking positions were previously occupied by Virgin Atlantic heavies. Later on the 16th, British Airways A321-231s G-MEDL and G-EUXJ repositioned from Bournemouth. This meant that 14 out of the carrier`s 18 senior A321s have flown in to Glasgow for long term storage and / or maintenance during the pandemic.

The remaining four BA A321s were stored elsewhere at that time: G-EUXD and G-EUXE remained at Bournemouth and G-EUXI and G-MEDN at Heathrow, but `XD and `XE flew up on Sunday 19 July. Present then were G-EUXC, G-EUXD, G-EUXE, G-EUXF, G-EUXG, G-EUXH, G-EUXJ, G-EUXK, G-EUXL, G-EUXM, G-MEDF, G-MEDG, G-MEDJ, G-MEDL, G-MEDM, and last but not least G-MEDU!

The following day, British Airways, which is the world`s largest operator of the iconic Jumbo Jet, announced that it was retiring its entire fleet of 747s with immediate effect.

Boeing 747s have always been part of the BOAC / British Airways fleets since I first became interested in aviation decades ago and although the type will remain in service with various operators around the globe, especially as freighters for many years to come, BA`s decision to axe the type ahead of the expected retiral date, certainly marks the end of an era.

(Above shot © Sky News. Right hand image © Getty).

The flypast of a retro-liveried 747 in BOAC colours escorted by the Red Arrows at RIAT Fairford last year makes a fine tribute...

In its quarterly report this month, Boeing confirmed production of the Jumbo will end in 2022 when assembly of the final 747-8F is complete. The final passenger 747 was delivered to Korean Air Lines in 2017. The manufacturer also announced production changes for its other aircraft. New Boeing 787 Dreamliners will drop further to six per month next year. At one point Boeing`s facilities in South Carolina and Washington State were turning out 14 Dreamliners per month between them, but earlier this year the company said this would be reduced to ten per month. (Following image © P6K).

Also falling is the production rate on the combined 777 / 777X line. Boeing will now produce just two of this type per month, down from three, the change also beginning sometime in 2021. The entry into service for the 777X also slips to 2022. Slowing its planned increase in 737 MAX output, Boeing now aims to produce 31 per month by 2022, moving that target back a year. The company optimistically said it expects to begin returning the troubled plane to service by the end of this year and hopes to deliver those currently stored over the following 12 month period.

Above: An easyJet flight lifts off from Runway 23 on Thursday 16 July. The Paisley Moss Local Nature Reserve is a colourful place at this time of year.

Above: VIP Boeing 737-300 G-SWRD (ex OY-MAS, G-OGBE, OY-JTE) of 2Excel Aviation (call-sign `Broadsword 21P / Broadsword 21` flew in on the afternoon of Wednesday 15 July to collect Glasgow Rangers FC. The team were heading for France to compete in a couple of season pre-restart friendlies at the Groupama Stadium, Lyon. Their first match was against Olympique Lyonnais on the 16th followed by OGC Nice on the 18th.

KLM Boeing 737-8 PH-BXZ flew in late on Saturday 4 July and stopped overnight. The next morning marked the partial resumption of the type on the Glasgow-Amsterdam route which had previously been served by the carrier`s smaller Embraer commuter jets. Two flights each day meant one aircraft night stopping to work the following day`s early morning flight. Boeing 737-8AS(WL) SP-RKM Ryanair Sun and Airbus A320-251N G-UZLL (f/v) easyJet (5th); Embraer ERJ-170LR G-CIXW Eastern Airways flew in from Humberside early afternoon and left for East Midlands later (6th); Boeing 737-8AS(WL) SP-RKP Ryanair Sun (8th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EGE Emirates, Boeing 737-8AS(WL) SP-RSA Ryanair Sun and Boeing 737-300 G-SWRD 2Excel Aviation (15th); British Airways Airbus A321-231 G-MEDL and G-EUXJ flew in from Bournemouth on the 16th.

Left: KLM Boeing 737 PH-BGQ descending for landing on Monday 13 July.

Visiting jet airliners continued with a pair of Emirates Triple-sevens arrived on 17 July with A6-EPH operating cargo only flight in the morning and A6-EPY on the scheduled passenger run. VIP Boeing 737 G-SWRD brought the Rangers team back from Lyon in the early hours of Sunday 19 July, plus Airbus A321-231s G-EUXD and G-EUXE flew up from Bournemouth to add to the mass gathering of BA airliners at Glasgow. Emirates Boeing 777-36N(ER) A6-ECD (Expo 2020 Orange livery) appeared on the 22nd. It left for Dubai around 90 minutes late; Boeing 777 A6-EPJ was on the today`s Emirates weekly morning cargo run with A6-EBQ operating the scheduled passenger / freight service later (24th); Airbus A321-271NX C-GOIH (f/v) from Toronto operated the first Air Transat flight to Glasgow since the majority of the world`s passenger flights were grounded at the start of the pandemic. Airbus A320-251N G-UZLM (f/v), one of the the latest additions to the easyJet fleet, also called in (26th); easyJet A320-251N G-UZLK (f/v) appeared the following day (27th); Boeing 777-36N(ER) A6-ECD (Expo 2020 orange) returned (29th); Still Emirates-wise A6-EGQ worked the weekly freight service with A6-ECK on the standard run later (31st).

Triple-seven A6-EGE on 15 July operated the first Emirates Dubai / Glasgow passenger service since flights were suspended at the start of the pandemic.

Left: Friday 10 July saw the start of a weekly Emirates Dubai - Glasgow freight-only run (EK25 / EK26), the first one being served by Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPF in Expo 2020 Green Livery, which touched down on Runway 23 at 07:30 hrs, twenty-five minutes ahead of schedule.

The following day, Emirates revealed plans to reduce its workforce by 15% as it struggles to mitigate mounting catastrophic financial losses. Prior to the onset of COVID-19, the carrier employed around 60,000 people worldwide but now 9,000 face the axe. The news came via a BBC interview with Emirates president Sir Tim Clark. Up until this point, the Middle Eastern giant had not disclosed the magnitude of any job losses. At the height of the pandemic, the airline had to park its Airbus A380s and rely mainly on its Boeing 777s for repatriation and cargo operations, although passenger services are gradually resuming.

Above: Emirates Boeing 777-36N(ER) A6-ECD (Expo 2020 Orange livery) preparing for departure on the afternoon of 22 July.

It`s likely that this latest 9,000-job figure includes the layoffs of 700-800 pilots in addition to the 600 that Emirates already let go of last month. So far focus has been on those who fly the Airbus A380, rather than their Boeing aircraft, however, reports suggest that the latest round of cuts includes Indian expats, as well as both A380 and Boeing Triple-seven flight crew.

In an all-out attempt to get people flying again, Emirates has become the first airline to offer free COVID-19 insurance. Passengers will be covered for medical treatment, hotel quarantine, and in the event of an individual`s death due to Coronavirus while travelling, a sum of approximately £1,370 (€1,500) towards the cost of their funeral.

Group Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum confirmed that the company`s offer, which is valid for 31 days from the start of a passenger's journey, would be available immediately and run until the end of October. The coverage is free to all customers regardless of class of travel or destination and is applied automatically with no need to register. The Dubai-based carrier said the insurance would cover medical expenses of up to £137,000 (€150,000) plus the cost of quarantining in a hotel for up to two weeks at €100 per day if required. (Above image © BBC / Getty).

It wasn`t just the United Arab Emirates` national carrier that was making world headlines this month. On a more positive note, it was destination Mars following the successful launch of the Sovereign State`s first ever interplanetary mission. Liftoff had originally been scheduled for July 14 but was delayed multiple times due to poor weather at the launch site. The $200 million Hope Mission, (Amal in Arabic) also called the Emirates Mars Mission, blasted off from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre atop a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket on Sunday 19 July at 17:58 hrs. The spacecraft separated from the rocket about an hour later and deployed its solar panels to power the seven-month, 300 million mile (500 million km) journey to the Red Planet.

Hope's arrival in February 2021 has been programmed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the UAE's formation. The orbiter`s cameras and scientific instruments will study the Martian weather and climate. This should give scientists the data they need to piece together how complex weather systems on Mars, which is losing its atmosphere, change on daily basis. The intention is to monitor its meteorology over the course of a Martian year which is the equivalent of nearly two Earth years. (Space Image credits: MBRSC; Mitsubishi Heavy Industries; artist`s impression © Alexander McNabb-MBRSC/AP).

The Hope launch heralded a spree of Red Planet-bound liftoffs as scientists sought to capitalise on a three-week window of favourable orbital alignment between Earth and Mars that only occurs every 26 months.

Next to take to the skies was China`s Tianwen-1 which set off on July 23. This mission will include an orbiter, lander and rover and aims to study the Red Planet's geology and environment in depth.

Then, NASA's Mars 2020 Mission (below) headed onwards and upwards on July 30. This project stars Perseverance, a massive six-wheeled, life-hunting rover carrying a tiny helicopter that will, if all goes well, become the first aircraft to fly on another planet.

(US Mission images © NASA; BBC News and Business Insider).

Wizz Air A320-232 HA-LWH approaches its allocated Runway 23 exit link after landing on Monday 6 July 2020.

On Monday 13 July, a security scare on a Ryanair Sun flight, which was over the English Channel at the time, saw the RAF scramble two Typhoon fighter jets from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, with a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) tanker from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire as backup.

Shortly before 18:30 hrs, a note claiming that explosives had been planted on-board was found in one of the toilets. The aircraft, Boeing 737-8AS(WL) SP-RSQ (ex EI-FZA), was on a flight between Krakow, Poland, and Dublin. After the pilot alerted UK authorities, the plane was diverted to Stansted Airport, the country's designated hijack airport. The two RAF fighters escorted the airliner without incident and after landing, SP-RSQ parked at a remote stand to facilitate checks. Essex Police later confirmed that nothing giving cause for concern was found and spare aircraft were brought in to transport passengers whose journeys were affected. Following enquiries two men, aged 47 and 26, were arrested on suspicion of making threats to endanger an aircraft and were held in custody pending appearance at court. (Image: © Mirror/ Thomas Saunders).

Ryanair Sun Boeing 737 SP-RKM arriving at Glasgow on Sunday 26 July. The aircraft had also flown in from Krakow.

On Sunday 26 July, Airbus A321-271NX C-GOIH from Toronto operated the first Air Transat flight, and the first transatlantic flight to Glasgow since the majority of the world`s passenger routes were cancelled at the start of the pandemic. The aircraft, which was only delivered to the carrier this February, also operated the next service on the 28th.

Turboprop Airliners

Sunshine after the rain - departing Loganair Twin Otter G-SGTS taxis past the puddles en route to `Alpha One` on Monday 6 July.

Wednesday 8 July: Flybe DHC8-4 G-JEDV being worked on in preparation for its departure the following day.

As mentioned previously, ATR 72-202(F) EI-FXK in FedEx colours, which had been here since the start of the lockdown period, finally resumed operations between Glasgow and Newcastle on Tuesday 7 July. ATR 72-202(F) EI-SLV (f/v) (above) of ASL Airlines Ireland flew in later. Another of the carrier`s ATR 72s, EI-SLU appeared on the 31st. Swiftair Embraer EMB-120FC Brasilia EC-HTS was present most days,

ATR 42 G-LMRB (f/v) was training at Glasgow Airport on Thursday 9 July when it did numerous circuits. Loganair currently has six ATR turboprops on strength: ATR 42-500s G-LMRA (Clan Adair / Clann am MacÈigeir), G-LMRB (Clan Baxter / Clann am Bacastair) and G-LMRC, plus ATR 72-600s G-FBXA, G-FBXB and G-LMRZ (RMA Western Isles Flyer / RMA Itealaiche Na h-Elieanan Siar). I believe G-FBXB is stored at present and not currently operational.

ATR (Aerei da Trasporto Regionale or Avions de Transport Régional; Regional Transport Aeroplanes in English) is a Franco-Italian aircraft manufacturer headquartered at Toulouse Blagnac International Airport in France. The company was formed during 1981 as a joint venture between Aérospatiale of France (now Airbus) and Aeritalia (now Leonardo) of Italy. The ATR 42 and ATR 72 are the main types produced with multiple variants, both civil and military, in service with over 200 operators in more than 100 countries across the globe. ATR has sold more than 1,500 aircraft to date.

When company demonstrator ATR-72-600 F-WWEZ (above) arrived back January 2017, it seemed very unlikely that Loganair would adopt the type. The aircraft visited several Scottish airfields, primarily for Loganair executives to evaluate ATRs as possible replacements for their ageing Saab 340 / 2000 turboprops. A number of pilots had questioned the ATR`s suitability for the role as it has a reputation of performing poorly in crosswinds, a regular hazard in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

In January, the Austrian Airlines fleet numbered around 80 aircraft, a total which it plans to reduce by 25% by the end of the year. Three out of the carrier`s six long haul Boeing 767s, all seven Airbus A319s, and the entire fleet of eighteen Dash 8s are being retired. The phase-out of the latter type began last year with OE-LGF going into storage across the Pond to await disposal. It was followed by Bombardier DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 OE-LGB Tirol, (f/v) pictured below, which called in at Glasgow on Wednesday 15 July for fuel to carry it on to its next stop in Iceland...

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Biz-Jets

German-registered Cessna 750 Citation X D-BOOC, seen here on Monday 6 July shortly after arriving from Brussels, was the first corporate jet photographed by me this month. According to the manufacturer, this long-range medium-sized business jet model, powered by two turbofan engines, is currently the fastest civilian aircraft in the world. It has a top speed of 1,127 km/h and a range of 5,956 km. D-BOOC remained on Area Juliet until 07:00 hrs on Saturday 10 July.

No corporate visitors stopped over from June. The first to arrive in July was Bombardier Challenger 350 CS-CHJ (f/v) followed by Hawker Beechcraft 750 9H-BSA (1st); Bombardier Global 7500 F-HFHP (f/V) on 2 July was also a first visit by type. Embraer Phenom 300 D-CSCE Luxaviation and Citation Bravo OY-EVO (3rd); Hawker Beechjet 400XP SP-TTA and Phenom 300 G-JMBO (8th); Hawker Beechcraft 400XT OK-ESC Time Air, plus G-JMBO returned and made other visits throughout the month (9th)...

Cessna Citation XL G-IPAX (10th); Citation XLS+ YU-PCC (f/v) (11th); Citation Mustang OE-FZD Globe Air (12th); Gulfstream VI M-JCBB and CitationJet CJ2+ G-LFBD (14th); Bombardier Challenger 604 OY-INV (f/v) and Citation M2 G-CMTO (16th); Embraer ERJ 135BJ Legacy 650 D-ALOA Air Hamburg, Citation Bravo G-CMBC and Citation Sovereign SE-RFL European Flight Services AB (17th); Challenger 850 (Bombardier CRJ-200ER) 9H-JOY Air X Charter and Gulfstream IV N405QS (f/v) (18th); Bombardier Global 5000 CS-GLY (f/v), plus Citation Sovereign SE-RFL returned (19th)...

US-registered Gulfstream IV N405QS, having flown-in from Bridgetown, Barbados, parked on the Royal Pan after an overnight stop. Sunday 19 July 2020.

Biz jet traffic continued with Cirrus Vision SF50 N94AD (f/v) which stopped off briefly to refuel en route from Oxford to Keflavik on the 20th; Next, Raytheon Hawker 400XP SP-ATT Smart Jet, Hawker Beechcraft 750 9H-BSA and CitationJet CJ2 D-ISJP (21st); Bombardier Global 6000 CS-GLD (22nd); Citation Mustang F-HIBF and CitationJet CJ4 D-CEFE (23rd); Citation M2 G-CMTO again, plus Citation Mustang G-FFFC (24th); Challenger 601 C-GORD Chartright Air Group (27th); Challenger 850 9H-BOO Air X Charter (28th); Cessna CitationJet CJ1 N525HA (f/v) (29th); Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 D-AVIB Air Hamburg, Citation Bravo OY-EVO and Citation M2 G-CMTO (30th); Gulfstream IV N44CE (f/v) (31st).

Above: Bombardier Global 6000 CS-GLD about to start engines, late afternoon on Wednesday 22 July. The NetJets aircraft left for Farnborough shortly after this shot was taken. Cessna Citation M2 G-CMTO (below) has made several visits to Glasgow since the start of the Coronavirus crisis.

General Aviation

Pilatus PC-12 G-OMSL has also made multiple visits to Glasgow during the crisis. The Swiss-built aircraft is pictured here coming in to land on Monday 6 July.

Below: Piper PA-31-Navajo G-ILZZ on finals for Runway 23 shortly before midday on 7 July. This twin biz-prop landed shortly before a Luftwaffe Global 5000 did a couple of go-arounds. (See military section below).

Left: Thales King Air 200 G-FPLD, seen here arriving on 30 June, stopped over into July. Among the GA visitors for July were Pilatus PC-12 G-OMSL and King Air 200 G-CDZT (plus other dates) (2nd); PC-12 G-OMSL returned (plus other dates) (6th); Piper PA-28 Cherokee Warrior II G-BMUZ (8th); Cessna F406 Caravan II G-RVLG (9th); HM Coastguard AgustaWestland A189 G-MCGR (13th); King Air 200 G-IASB (13th)...

Glasgow`s GA visitors continued with King Air 200 G-WVIP (14th); Airbus Helicopters EC-145T-2 G-GMAH Gama Aviation (15th); Piaggio P-180 Avanti OY-RIB (f/v) Sun Air (20th); Piper PA-46-600TP M600 G-PMCM (f/v) (above) (22nd); Cessna T206H Turbo Stationair N297CS (f/v) Textron Aviation (24th); King Air 200 G-WNCH (25th); SOCATA TBM 850 N616CM (f/v), AgustaWestland AW109SP GrandNew G-MAOL and PA-31 Navajo G-ILZZ made a return visit (28th); King Air 350 G-SRBM, King Air 200s G-CDZT and G-IASB, plus Eurocopter EC 155 B1 G-LCPX (31st).

The following slideshow features views of Gama Aviation`s Airbus Helicopters EC-145T-2 G-GMAH coming in to land on the Gama apron around noon on Wednesday 15 July 2020...

Below: Resident Piper Tomahawk G-BGIG, about to do some local flying, taxis to line up for takeoff on 19 July...

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Military

On Thursday 2 July, USAF Boeing CV-22B Osprey 09-0042, (f/v) call-sign `Knife 71`, arrived for a fuel stop before returning to Mildenhall following a training sortie in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs area. This was the first time one of these unique aircraft had visited Glasgow International, although they have flown in to Prestwick before. The Osprey parked on Stand 6. I don`t have its arrival time as yet and it departed mid-afternoon, Unfortunately I didn`t manage to capture it on camera but the following slideshow features an identical Mildenhall-based machine being put through its paces at last years RIAT...

This American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft has both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It was designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft and although still appearing futuristic, the highly versatile Osprey`s first flight was back in March 1989. Over 200 have been built to date with variants also in service with the US Navy and US Marine Corps.

(Sentry image © Royal Air Force).

I missed out on a snap of another outstanding military visitor on Tuesday 7 July when RAF E-3D Sentry ZH106, call-sign `NATO 30` did a single go-around of Runway 23 at 11:20 hrs. This was during a long training sortie which took it over Denmark before crossing the North Sea for its brief call at Glasgow International. Usually aircraft such as these and other RAF heavies favour Prestwick, probably due to the fact that the Ayrshire airport is usually far quieter and there`s less chance of circuits being interrupted. After leaving the Glasgow Zone, the distinctive aircraft headed southeast for Northumberland and went into a high-level holding pattern above the Berwick-upon-Tweed area.

The RAF AWACS plane is very similar to NATO Boeing E-3A Sentry LX-N90451 which, like the Osprey, is pictured at last year`s RIAT. This particular aircraft was tasked with leading the flypast celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the NATO Alliance but the plane went tech shortly before takeoff. The RAF also operate the Sentinel R1, (see below) an airborne battlefield and ground surveillance aircraft, which was present on the Static Park. More shots from RIAT Fairford 2019 can be found here.

With regard to NATO, Donald Trump, who has never been a fan, has long complained that European members of the alliance should spend more on their own defence rather than rely so heavily on the United States. The target contribution agreed by all member nations is that defence spending should reach 2% of GDP (gross domestic product; the total value of goods produced and services provided) by 2024. Germany, along with many other countries, has yet to meet this target. (Following images © BBC / Getty).

The American president`s latest response is to order the withdraw of almost 12,000 troops from Germany in what he described as a `strategic repositioning of US forces in Europe`. About 6,400 military personnel will be sent home with the remainder, including at least one air force squadron, moved to other NATO countries such as Belgium, Italy and Poland. The decision has attracted widespread opposition in Congress from those who believe it will embolden Russia. Senior German officials have also expressed concern. The move is set to cost the US government several billion dollars and will reduce the country's military presence in Germany by more than 25%. Also, this may further reduce the amount of US military transatlantic flights that pass through Prestwick.

Next, an RAF heavy which I did manage to photograph, but this time from 15 years ago: This Lockheed L-1011 TriStar C.2, serial number ZE705 of No.216 Squadron visited Glasgow International on Thursday 27 October 2005.

At that time the RAF operated a fleet of nine of these aircraft, all of which previously saw service as civilian airliners with either British Airways or, in this case, Pan Am. The first operational aircraft was delivered to Brize Norton in August 1983.

Only six of the RAF`s TriStars, designated K.1s and KC.1s, had an air-to-air refuelling capability with the remainder including this C.2 in the passenger-only role.

The three ex-Pan Am aircraft were relatively unchanged from their airline days and could accommodate up to 266 troops and transport them to far flung destinations around the globe. All versions of RAF TriStar could additionally operate in an aero-medical evacuation role and could swiftly be adapted to host all the necessary staff and equipment required for the repatriation of casualties.

(Above image © Wikipedia / Anna Zvereva).

Around 40 minutes after the RAF Sentry departed the zone on Tuesday 7 July, German Air Force Bombardier Global 5000 14+02, call-sign `GAF 689` contacted Approach and requested two go-arounds which it carried out at 12:08 and 12:20 hrs. The Luftwaffe VIP transport was on a training flight which took it from Cologne-Bonn to Aalborg, Denmark, before it appeared at Glasgow, taking in Bordeaux/Marseilles on the way back to Cologne.

Having just missed the E-3, I went over to Newshot Island and got a few shots of this one as it descended on finals for Runway 23, but even though I was fairly close to the flight path heat haze proved problematical. Luckily a decent photo of the same aircraft (above) is available on Wikipedia. I believe it was taken at Tallinn, Estonia.

The Bombardier Global 5000, and the ultra long-range 6000 followed on from the manufacturer`s successful Global Express business jet. The Global 5000 was announced on 25 October 2001 and took to the air for the first time on 7 March 2003. By 2018 there were over 220 flying with various civilian and military operators worldwide.

As well as the Luftwaffe, other military operators of the Global Express and its derivatives include include the Royal Air Force, United States Air Force, United Arab Emirates Air Force and the Turkish Air Force. Rather than just providing VIP transport some of these aircraft serve as AWACS or stand-off jammers.

These interior shots of a civilian variant are on the Bombardier website.

On 16 April 2019, Luftwaffe Global 5000 serial number 14+01 was severely damaged and written-off in a forced landing at Berlin Schönefeld Airport due to a malfunction with its flight control systems. Investigation revealed that the aircraft, which had just undergone extensive maintenance, had reacted uncharacteristically after the torque tube assembly had been wrongly installed by an aero-engineer, causing a flight control reversal. Almost immediately after lifting off from Schönefeld on a Functional Check Flight the crew realised there was a serious problem. The jet began to bank and turn steeply exposing those inside to forces of up to +5G. The pilot managed to return to the airport and execute an emergency landing during which both of the plane's wings touched the runway. There were no passengers on board and fortunately no one was seriously injured, but the aircraft was found to have been damaged beyond repair. It had been scheduled to fly German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Stuttgart the next day.

German government planes have had a series of embarrassing mechanical problems in recent times. Last December, Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived late to the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires after her plane experienced mechanical problems over the Netherlands, forcing it to land in the western German city of Cologne. In January, Steinmeier arrived in Ethiopia three hours later than scheduled after his plane encountered problems in Berlin. Later that month, Development Minister Gerd Müller had to cancel a trip to Namibia during his tour of Africa, then in February German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was stranded in Mali after his Airbus A319 was unable to depart, both of these incidents due to a mechanical issue. (Above Images © Picture Alliance; DW.com DPA / M Russ).

The Royal Air Force Sentinel R.1 is based on Bombardier’s BD700 Global Express business jet and provides long-range, wide-area battlefield surveillance, via its powerful multi-mode radar, delivering critical intelligence and target tracking information to British and coalition forces. The aircraft has been operationally deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan, Libya and Mali, and is currently operating in support of British and Coalition missions in Iraq and Syria.

On 26 May 2020, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) confirmed that the Sentinel R.1 fleet will be withdrawn from service as planned in March 2021. In the statement, the type was referred to as increasingly obsolete with the expectation that it will likely face increasing reliability issues in the near future.

Of the five Sentinel R.1s on strength, only two, ZJ691 and ZJ694 (seen here at RIAT Fairford in 2019), are currently available to RAF Waddington-based 5(AC) Squadron. The others (ZJ690 and ZJ692) are undergoing deep maintenance with Raytheon at Hawarden, while the final example (ZJ693) has been stored at the latter location since 23 May 2017.

The first operational Sentinel R.1 mission took place in November 2008 and the aircraft immediately proved its worth over Afghanistan and again during Operation Ellamy, the UK`s 2011 military intervention in Libya, becoming a vital link in the chain of target identification and prosecution, especially where fleeting or ‘pop-up’ targets were concerned. The 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review nominated Sentinel for withdrawal as soon as the UK`s commitment in Afghanistan ended, but such was the system’s value to British and allied commanders that it was given a reprieve. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 530kt (982 km/h) with a range exceeding 5,000 nm (9,260 km) and a maximum altitude of more than 40,000ft.

(Image © FlightGlobal)

The Saab GlobalEye AWACS (Airborne Early Warning and Control System) aircraft, which is also based on the Global 6000, was launched at the 2016 Singapore Airshow. The Swedish manufacturer had received a $1.27 billion contract from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in November of the previous year to supply three of these planes which incorporate a new variant of Saab`s Erieye radar, the Swing Role Surveillance System (SRSS).

The first GlobalEye AWACS was delivered in April last year and unveiled to the public at the 2019 Dubai Airshow. The new jet will supplement a pair of Erieye radar-equipped Saab 2000 turboprops which the United Arab Emirates Air Force currently utilises in the AWACS role.

The SRSS being procured by the UAE is the most advanced version of the Erieye system to date, in that it provides surveillance capabilities over air, land, and sea, effectively acting as a combined AWACS, JSTARS (Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System), and Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

(Above image © Middle East Online).

(Swordfish artist impressions and airborne shots © Saab / Wikipedia).

Saab has also developed a dedicated Maritime Patrol Aircraft known as the Swordfish which is another extensively modified Global 6000 in a clear attempt to target Boeing's 737-based P-8 Poseidon. The Swedish company highlighted Swordfish as `the` alternative to far larger, costly airliner-based platforms. The Swordfish has a payload of up to six torpedoes, anti-ship missiles combinations, over 200 sonobuoys and the world’s most modern sensor suite, with a mission endurance close to 13 hours.

Saab was initially confident that its new MPA could compete with existing international manufacturers. Apart from Boeing, Japanese company Kawasaki has its own MPA, the P-1. Saab also believes that the Asia-Pacific is an important market and has talked to a number of potential customers in that region including South Korea. The Swedes were optimistic that this country would choose the Swordfish to replace its existing fleet of Lockheed P-3C Orions but in 2018, the South Korean government announced their intention to purchase six Poseidons. The Royal New Zealand Air Force, another operator of the Orion MPA, was identified as another possibility, but the New Zealand government also went with the larger Boeing jet, placing an order for four.

Saab had also hoped that the Swordfish would replace the Swedish Air Force`s Saab S100B Argus aircraft, one of which is shown above right. The Argus is a military version of the Saab 340 turboprop airliner. Two out of a total of six produced for the Swedish Air Force are still active. Only four of this original batch were permanently equipped with the distinctive Erieye Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) early warning radar. This system can provide 300 degree coverage and detect airborne targets up to 350 km away. It also has a sea surveillance mode. The remaining pair were fitted-out for transport missions during peacetime. I photographed one of these latter types, serial number 100005, while it was parked up on Area Juliet at Glasgow on 5 September 2006. This aircraft remained on strength until retirement in May 2010 after which it returned to the manufacturer as SE-B09.

Military training flights at Glasgow International continued with RAF P-8A Poseidon ZP801 call-sign `Sealion 01` on Friday 10 July and A400M Atlas C.1 ZM408 call-sign: `Ascot 486`on Sunday 12 July. The latter aircraft did several go-arounds of Runway 23 with both left and right climb-outs. I took these shots from the house.

Late afternoon on Tuesday 14 July a pair of RAF Boeing CH-47 Chinook HC.6As, namely ZH777, call-sign `Pegasus One` and ZA708 `Pegasus Two` stopped in for fuel. The pair had intended to carry out a navigation training sortie in the Loch Lomond / Perthshire area before returning to their base at RAF Odiham in Hampshire but the former machine went tech entailing a night stop. Meantime ZA708 departed as `Vortex 521` and brought up replacement parts the next day. Both helicopters left later on the 15th.

Above: CH-47 Chinook HC.6A ZH777 at Glasgow awaiting spares.

The current operational Chinook fleet, based at RAF Odiham and RAF Benson, comprises MK.4 and MK.6 variants, all of which have been fitted with digital glass cockpits. The MK.6 also benefits from a Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS), greatly enhancing handling and safety, especially when operating in re-circulating dust or snow conditions.

(Mali CH-47 images © RAF)

The RAF confirmed last month that its deployment in Mali has been extended following a UK Government announcement. The ongoing mission is to support the French-led counter-terrorism operation in the Sahel region of West Africa and the RAF currently has three Chinook helicopters and 100 personnel based in Gao, a city on the River Niger, 320 km east-southeast of Timbuktu. For much of its history Gao was an important commercial centre involved in trans-Saharan trade. UK personnel from RAF Odiham have been deployed in non-combat roles in Mali since 2018, with the choppers contributing a unique logistical capability. The heavy-lift Chinooks transport troops, support units and vital equipment to the French bases spread across the region, eliminating the need for dangerous road moves, and enabling the French forces to protect an increased a number of strategic locations.

Since arriving in Mali the RAF has clocked over 2,000 hours of flying, moved over 13,000 personnel and transported 1,100 tonnes of equipment. Currently, the Chinooks are being flown by aircrew from 18(B) Squadron and are supported by personnel drawn from various RAF and British Army units. The conditions are often challenging, with over 40 degree heat in the summer months and regular sandstorms. The main threat in the Sahel is from militants linked to groups such as Al-Qaeda and Daesh. Forces deployed on this mission have had a number of successes and recently killed the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and several other high-profile members of this faction.

Although the Chinook is seen as a robust and reliable workhorse today, this wasn`t always the case. Just over 26 years ago, on 2 June 1994, an RAF Chinook helicopter, similar to the one pictured on the right, crashed into the hillside 500 metres east of the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse on Scotland`s west coast. The location was shrouded in cloud and mist at the time with visibility reduced to just a few metres. Tragically, every one of the twenty-nine people on board the machine, serial number ZD576, perished.

The Mull of Kintyre lighthouse sits in an elevated position at the southwest tip of the Kintyre Peninsula. From here, Rathlin Island and the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland are only around 12 miles (20 km) across what is a hazardous stretch of water and can seem much closer when the weather is clear. (Large wreckage image above © The Times).

This stretch of coastline rises steeply from the waters edge with sheer cliffs in places. Weather can deteriorate rapidly and the area is prone to the conditions that prevailed at the time of the accident. Often the fog and cloud can linger for days at a time. As a result there have been many air accidents on the Kintyre peninsula over the years, the majority of which occurred during the Second World War.

At the controls of Chinook ZD576 when the tragedy occurred were Flight Lieutenants Jonathan Tapper, 28, and Richard Cook, 30, both experienced Special Forces pilots. They were supported by two other crewmen. Most of the twenty-five passengers on board were senior British intelligence experts from MI5, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and the British Army, who had been en route from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to attend a security conference at Fort George near Inverness. The initial point of impact was 810 feet (250 m) above sea level, but the bulk of the helicopter remained airborne for a further 187 metres horizontally north and 90 feet (27m) vertically before coming to rest, further fragmenting as it did so. Fuel ignited immediately and set fire to a vast area of heather-clad hillside.

Pictured above is The RVP (rendezvous point) for the incident which was established at the top of the single track road leading to the lighthouse.

The Troubles in Northern Ireland were at their height and the death of so many high-ranking British Intelligence personnel gave rise to various theories, including that the heavily laden helicopter was deliberately destroyed by the Provisional IRA. The wreckage was strewn over a wide area with small to moderately large pieces, plus sensitive documents and maps, ending up a considerable distance from the two main points of impact. Due to the complex and dangerous nature of the scorched terrain mountain rescue teams were brought in to assist with marking aircraft parts for recovery and securing every scrap of written material.

The ground here sweeps steadily upwards to the summit of Beinn na Lice (Mountain of the flagstone) (428m), a commanding viewpoint on a clear day. The hill makes for an easy ascent from the highest point on the lighthouse road, with the top reached in just 10-15 minutes. (Image above right © STV)

In 1995, an RAF board of inquiry ruled that it was impossible to establish the exact cause of the accident. This ruling was subsequently overturned by two senior reviewing officers who were of the opinion that the pilots were guilty of gross negligence for flying too fast and too low given the restricted visibility at the time. This finding proved to be controversial, especially in light of irregularities and technical issues surrounding the then-new Chinook HC.2 variant which were uncovered. A Parliamentary inquiry conducted in 2001 found the previous verdict of gross negligence on the part of the crew to be unjustified.

The discovery of an internal MOD document on 4 January 2010, which had been written nine months prior to the accident, described the Chinook`s engine software as 'positively dangerous' and stated it could lead to failure of both engines. The following year an independent review cleared both pilots of gross negligence and heavily criticised the RAF. The RAF report, which had cast doubt on the reliability of the Chinook HC.2`s entire navigation and communications systems, effectively meant that the type had no legitimate clearance to fly. This information had been withheld from the pilots when issuing the Release to Service (RTS) (the authority to fly). The RAF had therefore made a false declaration of compliance with regulations but in December 2012, the Minister for the Armed Forces, Andrew Robathan, confirmed that although misleading, the declaration was a procedural failing and did not constitute wrongdoing, despite it having led directly to the deaths of service personnel.

(Above image © Alamy)

Above: A search team continues north above the Kintyre shoreline with the Paps of Jura immediately identifiable in the distance. A long stretch of coastal terrain was thoroughly checked with personnel often having to abseil down sheer ground to examine otherwise inaccessible crags and cliff ledges.

Above: A Sea King helicopter surveys the crash site before the largest sections of wreckage were airlifted to a secure location and prepared for shipment to the AAIB (Air Accidents Investigation Branch) at Farnborough. The left hand image below shows the memorial cairn on a fine day looking over to the coast of Northern Ireland. No other trace of the accident remains today. The other shot shows a pair of RAF Chinooks off the Isle of Skye during a Joint Warrior military exercise. (View of the Memorial Cairn © BBC).

On the 29th of this month, an RAF Typhoon fighter jet, like the ones pictured here at Fairford, had to make an emergency landing at Aberdeen Airport due to a technical issue. The aircraft was on a training mission when the problem arose requiring the pilot to divert to the nearest suitable airfield. Aberdeen Airport confirmed a full emergency response had taken place and that the aircraft had landed safely shortly before 13:00 hrs. (Image below right © BBC / Newsline Media).

Back at Glasgow Airport, there were no more military training flights in the second half of the month. The only other military visitor was Grob G115E Tutor T1 G-BYYA (f/v) of the University Air Squadron which called in on Tuesday 21 July.

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The R34`s Record Breaking Atlantic Crossings

Next, three anniversaries featured this month, the first relating to the Inchinnan-built airship R34 which set several records in July 1919. Nicknamed `Tiny`, HMA (His Majesty's Airship) R34, at just under 196 metres, was enormous - well over twice the length of an Airbus A380, currently the world`s largest passenger plane. The state-of-the-art airship was powered by five engines, each of 275 horse power.

William Beardmore & Co, one of the most diverse and enterprising heavy engineering companies on Clydeside, was awarded the R34 construction contract. By 1916, the company`s 15,000 strong workforce was turning out ships, aircraft and a range of vehicles specifically for the Government in the war effort. Beardmore had already established itself as an airship manufacturer and had a purpose-built construction facility at Inchinnan on the south side of the River Clyde, close to the present-day Glasgow Airport.

The Airship Construction Shed at Inchinnan.

The site of 600 acres, which also had its own hydrogen production plant, was acquired here because the company`s main complex at Dalmuir on the opposite, Clydebank side was in an industrialised zone surrounded by tenement housing. Inchinnan had already successfully completed the smaller R24 and R27 airships before the R34 project began. A massive shed, similar to that at Cardington, Bedfordshire, enabled construction to take place and protected the workers and evolving structure from the elements. The company also provided decent accommodation for its employees, the small estate unimaginatively named Beardmore Cottages. Most of these houses survived the passage of time and are still occupied today.

The above sculpture is one of nine by environmental artist and filmmaker Kenny Munro which line one side of the main path through Clyde View Park in Renfrew. Kenny, who trained at Edinburgh College of Art and Royal College of Art, has designed many public art works in Scotland. His examples here, each enclosed in a stainless steel sphere, represent a part of the area’s history including the construction of the R34 and other airships. Below: Although not obvious, both of Beardmore & Co`s main factory sites feature in this view which I took in late 1976...

On the left (north) bank of the river immediately beyond the Erskine Bridge, is the now defunct MOD Mountblow Oil Terminal near Old Kilpatrick. Originally built during the Second World War as a naval facility It wasn`t part of Beardmore & Co but fuel from it would have likely been used to power some of the ships that were built there.

This site has been substantially cleared since the fuel depot ceased operations in the 1960s but perhaps contamination has put any redevelopment on hold.

Next are the sheds of Chivas Regal`s Dalmuir Whisky Bond with Beardmore`s already partially cleared shipyard and factory facility immediately beyond.

The Inchinnan site, by this time more often referred to as India Tyres, is in the top right hand corner of the above shot. The following earlier views of William Beardmore & Co`s shipyard are far clearer. The left-hand photo is taken from the west with the adjacent shot looking in the opposite direction. In the photograph below right John Brown`s complex is in the foreground with the Cart / Clyde confluence bottom left. Newshot Island and Beardmore Shipyard are in the middle distance. (Images © Canmore).

The stretch of the Clyde between these two locations was known as the Dalmuir Bend. The shallow riverbed was prone silting up here and often proved problematical for larger vessels, especially when visibility was poor. The great Clyde-built Cunarder Queen Mary grounded temporarily here on her first (and only) traverse of the Clyde on 24th March 1936.

Beardmore also built various winged aircraft, one of which was the Beardmore Inflexible, also known as the Rohrbach Ro VI. It was a three-engined all-metal prototype bomber which rolled off the production line at Dalmuir in 1928. Although the type wasn`t adopted, it was the largest British non-seaplane built before World War II. It had a span of 157 ft 6 in (48 m) and a maximum takeoff weight of 37,000 lb (16,783 kg).

During the Great War, Beardmore was one of several companies contracted to build the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c single-engine, two-seater biplane.

Early versions of the type entered squadron service with the Royal Flying Corps in 1912 and the B.E.2 continued to serve throughout the First World War. It was initially used as a front-line reconnaissance aircraft and light bomber but modified as a single-seater it proved effective as a night fighter, destroying several German airships.

Around 3,500 were manufactured in all, serving in a variety of roles which included reconnaissance, light bomber, night fighter, trainer, and coastal patrol aircraft.

Below left: Officials and company representatives pose beside the first B.E.2c produced by Beardmore at Inchinnan. February 1915. By the end of that year, the type was proving inadequate in defending itself against German fighters such as the then-new Fokker Eindecker, leading to increased losses during the period known as the Fokker Scourge. Although by now obsolete, the B.E.2 it had to remain on the front line while suitable replacements were designed, tested and brought into service. The other shot shows the company`s B.E.2 production line later in the war.

William Beardmore and Company vacated the Inchinnan site in 1922 which cleared the way for India Tyres to buy it and utilise part of the original shed as a rubber mill, as well as a store for raw materials. In 1930, the India of Inchinnan building was created for the company as their flagship office. Following a multi-million pound refurbishment in 2003 after a period of neglect, India of Inchinnan was taken over by software firm Graham Technology. Today the building is home to several businesses. Prior to the COVID outbreak, the R34 Restaurant on the ground floor, was open to the public.

The India of Inchinnan building was designed by Thomas Wallis (1873–1953), the founder of Wallis, Gilbert and Partners, a British architectural partnership responsible for the design of many Art Deco buildings in the UK in the 1920s and 1930s. Among the best known are the Albion Motor Car Company works in Scotstoun, Glasgow, plus the Wrigley`s Factory, Victoria Coach Station and the Hoover Factory in London.

India of Inchinnan showcases many of the typical traits associated with Art Deco. Red, black and green tiles tie in with the corporate colours of the building’s original tenants and spell out the company’s logo within a terrazzo floor in the entrance vestibule. The original structure has been extended to feature supports and an airship-inspired roof that covers the offices of the various businesses within.

Above: The Inchinnan site after the India Tyres takeover with the airport visible beyond. (Dates unknown).

Present day views of the location.

Before the 20th Century, civilians in Britain were largely unaffected by war, but this was to change on 19 January 1915 with the first air attacks on home soil during the Great War by the German Zeppelin. The brainchild of Count von Zeppelin, a retired German army officer, the flying weapon was lighter than air, filled with hydrogen, and held together by a steel framework. When hostilities broke out in 1914, the Germans had several Zeppelins available, each capable of travelling at about 85 mph and carrying up to two tonnes of bombs. As the deadlock on the Western Front continued, the Germans decided to use them against British towns and cities. The first such raid took place on the eastern coastal towns of Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn, on 19 January 1915. In the months that followed, Zeppelins would hit towns across the southeast including Southend, Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and even the capital, London, but casualties were relatively slight and contrary to expectations, the attacks did not destroy British morale.

During World War I, military Zeppelins occasionally climbed to 15,000 to 20,000 feet during bombing operations, but those sorts of altitudes could not be sustained, mainly because of fuel usage and the effect so little oxygen in an un-pressurised cabin on the human body. Passenger Zeppelins rarely climbed above 1,000 feet.

Even though the R34 was designed during wartime, the airship was never fitted with a full armament. In addition to bomb racks, the original plan had been to include a ventral 'gun house' behind the rear car, which would carry a one-pounder Pom-Pom and two Lewis machine guns. Another Lewis gun was to be mounted on the rear platform behind the tail, while six more were to be shared equally among the two wing-cars, the forward gondola and the top gun platform.

A further arsenal of weapons was to include two-pounder quick-firing guns which were to be placed on each side of the hull with another pair on top to supplement the Lewis guns already there. This heavy armament was intended primarily for defence but in the event the amount of fire power was scaled back. The original specification showed that the R34`s offensive capability was considerable with twenty 100 lb and four 550 lb bombs.

The aerodynamic shape of R34 was a distinct improvement on most earlier designs with streamlining twice as effective as that of her British predecessors, drastically improving air resistance. In later airships, this was reduced even further. As Armistice was declared before R34 became operational, she was never used in anger.

It was then decided to attempt the first ever return Atlantic crossing, with Major George Herbert "Lucky Breeze" Scott, CBE, AFC, a British pilot and engineer who had served in the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force during the Great War, in overall command of the mission. As R34 had never been intended as a civilian passenger carrier, extra accommodation was arranged by slinging hammocks in the keel walkway. The crew included Brigadier-General Edward Maitland and Zachary Lansdowne who was the representative of the US Navy. The above view of R34 shows her emerging from her shed at Inchinnan.

(B&W images © Imperial War Museum; National Museums Scotland; Wikipedia; Airship Heritage Trust; Historic Environment Scotland).

R34 made her first flight on 14 March 1919 and was delivered to her service base at East Fortune (above) on 29 May after a 21-hour flight from Renfrewshire. R34 had set out the previous evening but thick fog made navigation difficult, and after spending the night over the North Sea the airship was unable to moor in the morning due to fog. After cruising as far south as Yorkshire, R34 returned to East Fortune to dock at about 15:00 hrs. Other test flights followed.

Left: This painting, by artist is A. E. Cooper, is held by the Imperial War Museum. It shows R34 alongside R29 in the massive hangar-like airship shed at East Fortune in 1919. The two enormous airships are being worked on within. Engineers are visible on the ground, dwarfed by the massive structures.

Fully gassed for the challenge ahead, R34 slowly lifted into the night sky above East Fortune, which was then a Royal Navy Air Station, at 01:42 hrs on 2 July 1919. All British airships came under the command of the Navy as their primary duties were convoy protection and anti-submarine activities. Propellers roared into life and the massive aerial vessel was on its way to America, initially following the Firth of Forth. By the time she reached Rosyth she had reached an altitude of 1,300 ft, and continued west to Glasgow, following the line of the River Clyde as dawn broke. As they edged over the open ocean, the morning fog lifted and the crew saw that they were stuck between two cloud layers, the upper obscuring the sun but conditions soon improved. Navigation, technical issues, adverse weather and greater fuel consumption than expected, all tested the resilience of the crew, then, to cap it all, a dishevelled stowaway, William Ballantyne and his cat Whoopsie, the ship`s mascot, were found to be hiding on board. (See below).

R34 at East Fortune airfield in 1919.

A northerly coastal route was chosen in the eventuality that should the airship run out of fuel, she would have a good chance of drifting to make landfall. As backup, the Admiralty detailed two warships, HMS Renown and HMS Tiger to shadow the route. They would carry supplies including items to assist with the turnaround, and provide additional meteorological information en route. Either vessel could take the R34 in tow, should she get into difficulty.

This dramatic painting of R34 heading west across the Atlantic is thought to be by artist Alfred Egerton Cooper (1883–1974).
The work is part of the Clydebank Museum and Art Gallery collection. © West Dunbartonshire Libraries and Cultural Services: West Dunbartonshire Council.

On 6 July 1919, after a flight of 108 hours, R34 arrived in the USA at Mineola, Long Island to becoming the first aircraft to make an east-to-west crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. By the time her epic journey ended she was virtually out of fuel. As the landing party waiting on the ground had no experience of handling large rigid airships, Major E.M. Pritchard jumped from R34 by parachute to organise recovery and so became the first person to reach American soil by air from Europe. This east-west crossing of the Atlantic came just two weeks after Alcock and Brown`s Transatlantic flight in the opposite direction. They used a modified World War I Vickers Vimy bomber. Had the R34 not experienced some minor damage during her trial flights which required repair before the main attempt, the airship may have set both records.

Above left: Another of the officers on the R34 during her epic return journey was Air Commander E.M. Maitland CMG of the British Airship Service. The adjacent shot shows some of the crew in the control gondola during the outbound leg. In addition to RNAS uniforms, the men were issued with heavy duty flying suits, which were redesigned to include parachute harnesses and integral life saving collars. Some 112lb of mail and parcels were loaded aboard the ship for delivery to the United States, including letters from the King and British Prime Minister to the US President.

Right: Almost at the point of touchdown - US servicemen at Roosevelt Field, near Mineola, Long Island, chase after the R34 as it drifts across the airfield, hoping to catch a trailing anchor rope and bring the huge airship to a halt.

All secure!

William Ballantyne, one of the R34`s crew members was picked to stay behind to save weight, but not wishing to miss out on the historic adventure, stowed away with the crew's mascot, a small tabby kitten called Whoopsie; they emerged at 2.00 p.m. on the first day, too late to be dropped-off and unsurprisingly generated a lot of press interest on arrival in the States. (Above images © National Museums of Scotland).

The above shots show the R34`s hydrogen gas tanks being refilled at Roosevelt Field for the return trip.

A triumphant Major Scott meets the American press and reads a congratulatory telegram from the King. Several crew members can be seen with a gramophone presented to them by American inventor and businessman Thomas Eddison (11 February 1847 - 18 October 1931). Whoopsie, the first transatlantic cat, can be seen seated on the lap of a crew member, checking out the record label. The airship can just be made out in the distance, nose-on.

Just before midnight on Wednesday 10 July, a huge, cheering crowd looked on as the R34 rose into the air to begin her return journey. Strong tail winds helped to propel the ship and the crew was unprepared for the swiftness of their eastward crossing of the Atlantic. The return home was mostly uneventful and as the R34 was making such excellent progress with far less fuel expenditure compared to her outward journey, the ship change her flight route to fly over London before heading north for East Fortune. However, a slip by an engineer damaged the clutch on one of the engines which required it to be shut down.

Although the reduction in power didn`t affect the overall speed, it was decided to cancel the voyage over the capital and head straight home. However, a message was received from the Air Ministry diverting the ship to Pulham Air Station in Dorset due to bad weather over southeast Scotland.

Even though a message from East Fortune a few hours later confirmed that conditions there had improved, the Air Ministry ordered that the ship land at Pulham. No explanation was given. She was met with a modest reception committee of mostly RAF personnel and far less excitement than the New York reception, or the celebrations expected at East Fortune. The return trip had taken three days three hours and three minutes, during which the airship had travelled some 7,420 miles at an average speed of 43 mph. In 1921, the R34 was scrapped following an accident.

Battle of the Somme

On a more sombre note, this July marks the 104th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme which was one of the most bitterly contested and costly phases of the First World War. After failing in 1914-15 to break the muddy stalemate of trench warfare, the Allies developed a new plan. A ‘Big Push’ on the Western Front would coincide with attacks by Russia and Italy elsewhere. The British wanted to attack in Belgium, but the French demanded an operation at the point in the Allied line where the two armies met. This was along a 25-mile (40 km) front on the River Somme in northern France. On 21 February 1916, aiming to wear down the French in a battle of attrition, the Germans attacked at Verdun. In order to assist their ally, the British launched their offensive on the Somme earlier than planned. The bulk of British troops involved were inexperienced volunteers of the 'New Armies'. They had been recruited in 1914-15.

The Somme Offensive lasted almost five months but it is generally the notorious first day of the battle that is most remembered. The men went over the top on Saturday 1 July 1916 after a week-long artillery bombardment of the German lines. As a prelude to the launch nineteen massive mines were detonated under the enemy positions, including one close to Beaumont Hamel, intended to destroy the German redoubt known as Hawthorn (below). The joint eruptions of these mines ranks among the largest artificial non-nuclear explosions.

As happened elsewhere along the length of the front, the huge blasts only served to warn the surviving defenders of the impending assault. The massed ranks of infantry left their trenches at walking pace and were massacred, many even before they had the chance to advance more than a few yards. It is estimated that in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment alone, only 68 men were left unwounded out of the 801 who made the attack.

Rather than delivering the long-awaited Allied breakthrough the offensive quickly degenerated into another of the Great War`s many battles of attrition. On 15 September, tanks were used for the first time with limited success but they did not hasten the expected total collapse of the opposing forces. Operations on the River Ancre continued with some gains but in deteriorating weather, as autumn turned to winter, high command ended the offensive on 18 November.

Over the course of the battle, British forces took a strip of territory 6 miles (10 km) deep by 20 miles (32 km) long. By the end of the first day on 1 July 1916, British forces had suffered 57,470 casualties, of whom 19,240 were killed. This represents the largest losses suffered by the British Army in a single day. While casualty rates were not as high as that for the remainder of the offensive, they were consistently heavy as both sides fought intensively for every yard of ground within a relatively small geographical area. In total over a million men from both sides – including Britain and her Empire forces, France and Germany – became casualties during the battle.

Below: This Imperial War Museum image taken in June 1916 shows a British gas attack on German positions in preparation for the launch of the Somme Offensive. The Royal Flying Corps took more than 19,000 aerial photographs and produced 430,000 prints over the five months of the engagement.

Compared with the events that took place at ground level during the battle, the air campaign is often overlooked. The Allied commanders saw control of the skies as a vital element, since it was impossible to enable the other activities to take place without significant interference from German aircraft if this were not obtained.

Unsurprisingly, it was the fighter pilot and his aircraft which received the vast majority of publicity because of the supposed glamour associated with aerial combat, embellished by newspaper accounts and overwrought rhetoric from high profile public figures such as Prime Minister Lloyd George, enthusing about the ‘Cavalry of the clouds.’

The RFC was also tasked with trench strafing and bombing frontline troops, assembly areas at the rear, marshalling yards and the road and rail networks, as well as spotting, mapping and adjusting the fall of live artillery barrages.

The main challenge faced by the RFC, which had by the time of the Somme grown to 27 squadrons and over 400 aircraft, was the scale of the operation, far greater than anything that it had faced before. The rate of expansion of the air service between late 1915 and the spring / summer of 1916 had been such that many of the new squadrons then in France were dominated by pilots and observers who had received relatively little training, and whose experience levels were notably lower than those who had fought in the battles of 1915.

Since then, the German air service had begun to introduce new fighter types which would gradually tilt the balance in their favour, reaching to a nadir in the losses of ‘Bloody April’ in 1917. Also, the prevailing westerly wind on the Western Front largely favoured the German aviators.

Nevertheless, the commander of the RFC in France, Brigadier-General Hugh Trenchard (3 February 1873 – 10 February 1956), pursued a policy of a constant offensive over German lines, seeking to dominate the airspace in the battle area and push enemy planes away from Allied observation aircraft as they went about their work. The attrition rate was horrendous and replacement pilots were being sent to France with pitifully few flying hours.

Well over 1,000 aircraft were used by the Royal Flying Corps during the Battle of the Somme, and over the course of the four-and-a-half month campaign, 972 were destroyed beyond repair or went missing. There were 410 aircraft available on the opening day, 1 July 1916, and by the time the order was given to stand down on November 18, there were 550 aircraft available. The number of squadrons had grown from 27 to 35 during that period. As the painstaking progress on the ground stagnated, many aircraft were flown in from Britain or relocated from other areas of France to support the efforts on the Somme. By the end of the battle 767 of the Royal Flying Corps` airmen had become casualties.

Above: The Fokker E.III monoplane first flew in action on the Western Front in May 1915. It was the main variant of the Eindecker fighter which was also supplied to Germany`s allies, Austria-Hungary and Turkey. A total of 249 E.IIIs were produced but this includes a number of E.IIs which were upgraded. This example, equipped with a 7.92mm Spandau machine-gun, is on display at the Luftwaffe Museum, Berlin. Although not a great aircraft, the Eindecker E.III was faster and more manoeuvrable than the RFC’s Vickers FB.5 Gunbus and, with a good pilot, the British aircraft stood little chance of surviving in equal combat.

Right: The Bristol MC.1 was an early example of a British monoplane fighter. During the spring of 1916, casualties among Royal Flying Corps’ aircrew began to mount as their machines were found to be no match for the Fokker monoplanes used by the Germans. To meet the urgent demand for new and better aircraft, the Bristol Aeroplane Co. designed a new single-seat monoplane incorporating much of the experience gained from earlier types.

The new aircraft was said to have sparkling performance and manoeuvrability but a combination of prejudice against monoplanes, a dislike for its high landing speed and poor downward view, meant it found little favour in the War Office and only 125 were ordered. Only five squadrons were partly equipped with the M.1 for operational use although a number were issued to flying schools.

The M.1 served in the Middle East and Balkans during the last two years of the war. The MC.1 replica pictured above is on show at the RAF Museum Cosford.

Left: Another WWI era replica displayed here is the Sopwith Strutter. The 1½ Strutter, so named because of the unusual arrangement of its central mainplane bracing struts, was designed in 1915 as a high performance combat aircraft. It was significant as the first British two-seat tractor fighter (pulled rather than pushed by its propeller) and the first British aircraft to enter service with a synchronised machine gun.

These planes were originally produced for the Royal Naval Air Service, but with a shortage of modern aircraft available for the Somme Offensive, it was agreed that a number of Strutters would be transferred from one service to the other, allowing No. 70 Squadron to reach the front by early July 1916.

The Arras Memorial takes the form of a wall and encloses the Faubourg d`Amiens CWGC Cemetery. Almost 36,000 names of the Missing from various battles in and around Arras during the Great War are inscribed on the wall and the cemetery contains 2,700 burials. Panels provide information on the history of the conflict, local campaigns and the creation of the memorial which was unveiled on 31 July 1932 by Lord Trenchard, who served as the commander of the Royal Flying Corps in France from 1915 to 1917.

Just inside the entrance, in a space occupied by the remains of French soldiers, stands the Arras Flying Services Memorial. It commemorates almost 1,000 airmen of the Royal Naval Air Service, the Royal Flying Corps, and the Royal Air Force, either by attachment from other arms of the forces of the Commonwealth or by original enlistment, who were killed on the whole Western Front and who have no known grave.

From 1923, discussions took place on how the Flying Services Memorial could be incorporated into the main design and it was decided to site it in a prominent position within the main courtyard.

This memorial is a free standing pylon some five meters high, supported by a winged globe. The globe was carefully situated with poles pointing north and south, with a flight of doves following the path the sun took around the earth on Armistice Day, 11 November 1918.

Its four faces bear the names of the missing. Sir William Reid Dick was selected to carve the special features of the memorial in 1928. The Scottish sculptor had a distinguished career in the military, serving with the Royal Engineers in France and Palestine from 1915 to 1919. During the Great War, the French handed Arras over to Commonwealth forces in the spring of 1916 and the system of tunnels upon which the town is built were used and developed in preparation for the major offensive planned for April 1917. During the Second World War, Arras served as British forces` headquarters until the town was evacuated on 23 May 1940. Arras then remained in German hands until retaken by Commonwealth and Free French forces on 1 September 1944.

Above: Air mechanics at the 9th Wing RFC HQ at Fienvillers dismantling an Albatross C.III two-seat biplane (J7) brought down during the Battle of the Somme.

This huge monument, visible from miles around, is the Thiepval Memorial. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, and bears the names of over 73,000 British and South African men who fell on the Somme between July 1915 and 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. This is a staggering number for a relatively small area, especially when one considers that the total does not include identified burials, nor casualties from Australia, Canada, India, Newfoundland and New Zealand who are commemorated elsewhere.

Unveiled on 31 July 1932 by HRH Prince of Wales, the Thiepval Memorial is the largest British war memorial in the world.

The IWM image on the left shows the Thiepval Ridge under intense artillery bombardment early on 1 July 1916 before the initial assault began. Above is a photo of the ruined Thiepval village taken on 30 June 1917. Additional panorama and slideshow images © Imperial War Museum & National Army Museum.

I`ve visited the Great War Battlefields on three separate occasions taking in not only the Somme but also the Ypres and Verdun areas which include places such as Beaumont-Hamel, La Boisselle, High Wood, Delville Wood, Vimy Ridge, Pozières, Passchendaele, Fort Doumont and Fort Vaux which will forever more be associated with the carnage, chaos and wholesale slaughter of trench warfare.

I have a dedicated Great War Battlefields section on this website which I`m still working on, but many pages, mostly relating to France, are complete, or almost finished.

I`ve combined historical photos, many of which show the horrific conditions that had to be endured, with my own shots showing how the ground looks today.

Museums and war memorials are covered too, as well as the present day peaceful, benign landscape, long since transformed to conceal the horror that was witnessed there.
The Somme Index Page can be accessed via this link: France: Somme Battlefields.

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The Battle of Britain

10 July 2020 marks 80 years since the start of the Battle of Britain. Hitler`s plan was to soften up the British Isles for a proposed invasion. At the very least, the Nazi leader was sure that if he could get his forces ashore and capture sizeable areas of southern England, the British would sue for peace which would allow him to turn his attentions east, towards the Soviet Union.

But he was not dealing with the same country that signed away Czechoslovakia at Munich, ignored the call for aid when Poland was overrun and failed to stop the German blitzkrieg as it rolled across France and the Low Countries and overran Norway. By the summer of 1940, Great Britain was fast becoming both the sanctuary and arsenal of democracy. It wasn`t only civilian refugees fleeing from the terror of fascism that flocked to her shores, but soldiers, sailors and airmen, all of whom`s only aim was to rejoin the fight. Fortified and inspired by their leader Winston Churchill, the British and their allies knew that the fate of the West could very well hinge on their courage on land, sea and on their aggressive spirit in the skies.

The Luftwaffe was able to use the entire North Sea and Channel coastline of Occupied Europe to launch its aerial assault. The Royal Navy, at that time the most powerful in the world, posed a serious threat for Hitler, but less so if the Luftwaffe had control of the air. Prior to Commander-in-Chief Hermann Göring giving his pilots the order to launch and destroy the RAF in the air and on the ground, it was mainly raids on Scottish east coast naval bases including Scapa Flow and Rosyth, and attacks on convoys, as well as mine-laying, that the Allied forces had to deal with. Hurricane IIC PZ865/EG-S and Spitfire Mk.LFIXe MK356/QJ-3 from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight are pictured above, performing at last year`s Royal International Air Tattoo.

The above slideshow features various Battle of Britain images taken by both sides. Some photographs show the invasion barges allocated for Hitler`s Operation Sealion, British ground defences, and members of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) who played a vital role in ferrying warplanes between the factory, maintenance units and frontline RAF and Royal Navy squadrons. This British civilian organisation was set up during the conflict and initially, to comply with the Geneva Convention, many of the ferry pilots were nominally civilians and / or women. During the war, 1,250 men and women from 25 countries ferried a total of 309,000 aircraft of 147 different types, without radios, with no instrument flying instruction, all the while at the mercy of the British weather. Often they were presented with a type of plane they had never seen before.

(ATA mages © IWM & atamuseum.org)

Above: Luftwaffe JU-87 Stuka pilots at an airfield in northern France in the summer of 1940. This distinctive gull-winged dive bomber proved extremely effective during the Blitzkrieg in Poland and the subsequent conquest of France and the Low Countries when the Germans largely enjoyed air superiority, but in the skies over Britain the story was very different. After some initial successes by heavily escorted formations, the Stukas became easy prey for the faster and more agile RAF fighters. (Image © Bundesarchiv).

Above: Preserved and still airworthy, Hawker Hurricane Mk XII Z5140 at Duxford. Below right: Seen through German eyes, a British fighter pilot bales out of his stricken Hurricane somewhere over England. The pilot himself can be seen at the top of the shot, with his parachute canopy about to open just out of shot...

Amongst those playing a vital role in the Battle on the British side were Sir Sydney Camm, CBE, FRAeS (5 August 1893–12 March 1966) who became Chief Designer in the Hawker Aircraft Company and contributed to many aircraft designs during his career, from the biplanes of the 1920s to fighters of the jet age. The Hurricane and Typhoon are his best known planes of the Second World War era.

Above: The Hurricane production line at Langley, Berkshire. In 1935, in a dramatic commercial gamble and without a single order on the books, the Board of Hawker Aircraft had immediately ‘tooled-up’ at the new Langley Factory, ready to start production on 1,000 Hurricane aircraft. Flight trials the following year clearly showed the Hurricane`s potential and full RAF acceptance was granted in June of that same year.

No less than 24 variants of the Hawker Hurricane were produced with around 14,483 aircraft built in total. The Hurricane proved significantly cheaper to build than the Supermarine Spitfire and was even simpler to overhaul and repair when battle-damaged. A total of 1,715 Hurricanes flew with Fighter Command during the period of the Battle of Britain, far in excess of all other British fighters and ground defences combined. It`s estimated that Hurricane pilots were credited with four fifths of all enemy aircraft destroyed in the period July - October 1940. The Hurricane was designed in 1934 and entered service in 1937 to become the fastest fighter in service by more than 100 mph at that time. By 1939, 500 were on RAF strength with 32 squadrons eventually being equipped with the type. They were also used in North Africa and later in the Far East against Japan. (Production line Image © MediaDrumWorld.com).

Hurricane IIc LF345 /ZA-P is on display between a Spitfire LFIXC and Bristol Bolingbroke IV at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces in Brussels.

During 1939 General Aircraft Limited converted approximately 250 Mk.1 aircraft to the Sea Hurricane Mk.1A. The latter type was launched from Catapult Armed and Merchantman Ships (CAMS), which were fitted with equipment for launching but unfortunately did not have the capability for recovery. Consequently, this method could only be used when in range of land otherwise the pilots were forced to ditch and abandon their aircraft at sea. Both options frequently ended in the death of the pilot and so Merchant Aircraft Carriers (MAC) were created. These were predominantly cargo vessels with a flight-deck, catapult apparatus but with the addition of on-board winches for retrieval.

Messerschmitt BF109E-3 (ME 109E) `White 4`, currently on display at IWM Duxford, dates from 1939. On 30 September 1940 the aircraft was being flown by Unteroffizier Horst Perez when it was attacked by Hurricanes over Beachy Head, later belly-landing in a field at East Dean, Sussex with only superficial damage. It was taken to the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) and later dispatched to the United States and Canada where it was used for fund raising. The fighter arrived by sea in Nova Scotia early in 1941 and is known to have been exhibited in the New York area the following June. At the end of hostilities it was delivered to the Arnprior Research Establishment in Ontario but returned to the UK in 1966.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding (1882-1970) (left) oversaw the defence of Britain in the summer and autumn of 1940. He was a career airman, having first joined the Royal Flying Corps (later the Royal Air Force) at the start of the First World War. In 1936 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of RAF Fighter Command and spearheaded the development of the air defence network that gave the RAF a critical advantage during the Battle of Britain.

Dowding was 58 years old at the start of the battle, the oldest of the RAF’s senior commanders, and nearing the end of his career. But in July 1940 he delayed his retirement at the request of the Chief of Air Staff Sir Cyril Newall.

Dowding had a central role in directing British defences throughout the battle. Although viewed by many as stubborn and difficult to work with, no one had a better grasp of how to run Britain's defence system or manage Fighter Command's precious and relatively limited resources of men and materiel. But as the summer and autumn of 1940 wore on, Dowding found himself increasingly at odds with some of his subordinates, as well as senior officials at the Air Ministry, and was replaced. After a short period at the Ministry of Aircraft Production, he retired in July 1942.

Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park (1892-1975) (right) oversaw 11 Group, which covered London and the south-east and suffered most heavily during the Battle of Britain. He had previously served as senior air staff officer to Dowding, who maintained a deep respect for Park. As a leader Park was tough, but well liked and highly respected by the men under his command. He clashed with other members of the RAF leadership, particularly the commander of 12 Group, Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory, over the use of the 'Big Wing'. Leigh-Mallory was a key supporter of this controversial tactic, which involved deploying a large formation of fighters to intercept incoming German bombers. But getting such a large number of aircraft airborne took time and Park's fighters in the hard-hit 11 Group were left vulnerable by the delay.

In December 1940, Park was replaced as leader of 11 Group by Leigh-Mallory and transferred to RAF Training Command. He was later appointed Air Officer Commanding in Malta, where he organised the air defence of the heavily besieged island. Park received a knighthood in 1942 for his role in Malta’s defence. He continued to hold a number of senior positions in the RAF, ending the war as Allied Air Commander-in-Chief of South East Asia Command.

Above: The Ops Room at RAF Duxford during the air battle. The Dowding System, although incomplete, was the most technically advanced air defence system in the world at the time. The early warning supplied by radar stations, which in the southeast of England could pick up enemy formations before they crossed the French coast, inland tracking by the Observer Corps, the control of British fighters from the ground in light of this information and the continuous reporting of friendly fighters` own positions, removed the need for standing patrols. This meant that the RAF squadrons sent up could be used with economy, and with a good chance of making an interception.

As the battle progressed, despite the rising losses sustained by the Luftwaffe, the RAF was suffering too. Attacks on airfields took an additional toll of not only aircraft and pilots but ground crew and essential buildings and equipment. It therefore came as some relief when Hitler switched his focus towards London. This decision was inspired by three beliefs. Firstly by attacking the British capital, Fighter Command would have to commit even more aircraft to defend it resulting in greater wastage which would have far worse consequences for the RAF. Secondly, attacks on London and other major cities might paralyse the British machinery of government just before the invasion began, plus the bombing may terrorise the population making them more likely to submit to German forces on the ground. Lastly, an attack on the British capital would be seen as retribution for an attack made by Bomber Command in August 1940 on Berlin. (See the Hermann Göring entry further down this page).

The single seat, all metal Messerschmitt Bf 109 served with the Luftwaffe from 1937 until 1945, becoming one of the most famous aircraft in aviation history and forever associated with its adversary during the Battle of Britain, the Supermarine Spitfire. The example shown above, Bf 109G-6 `Red Three` is alter production model currently on display at the Polish National Aviation Museum at Krakow. The aircraft bears the factory number 163306. It left the Messerschmitt Works in Regensburg on 11th May 1944 and was assigned to the Jagdgruppe West training unit. On 28th May 1944 Feldwebel Ernst Plein took off early that morning on a training flight but the aircraft crashed into the waters of nearby Trzebuń Lake and Plein was killed. Thanks to the efforts of the `Polish Eagles Foundation` the wreckage was recovered in 2000 and restored.

Three air fleets (or Luftflotten) were involved in the assault against Britain in the summer of 1940: Luftflotten 2, 3 and 5. Their commanders, with Hermann Göring overseeing proceedings, were most heavily responsible for planning and executing the air assault against Britain.

Hermann Göring (1893-1946) (centre photo) was Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe throughout WW2. He was a fighter pilot during the Great War and a long-standing member of the Nazi party he became one Adolf Hitler's closest political associates and named successor. Goring`s arrogance was a likely factor in him making critical errors during the Battle of Britain, including his failure to fully understand the importance of radar in Britain's defence network and his ultimate decision to shift the weight of the Luftwaffe's attacks away from RAF targets and onto London in September 1940. His influence declined after the Luftwaffe's failure in the Battle of Britain and then against Soviet forces on the Eastern Front, as well as its inability to respond effectively to the Allied strategic bombing campaign later in the war. In the last weeks of the war, with Hitler trapped in an encircled Berlin, Göring sought authorisation to assume power and was denounced as a traitor. Following German surrender in May 1945, he was arrested and became the highest-ranking Nazi tried at the war crimes trials at Nuremberg. Convicted of crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity, he was sentenced to death. Göring committed suicide on 15 October 1946 – the night before his scheduled execution.

Field Marshal Albert Kesselring (1885-1960) (above left) commanded Luftflotte 2, which carried out the main weight of attacks against southeast England during the Battle of Britain. He had been a career army man, joining up in 1904 and serving on the Western Front during the First World War.

In 1933 Kesselring was given an administrative post in the then-secret Luftwaffe and, at the age of 48, learned to fly. He led Luftflotte 1 during the invasion of Poland, before taking command of Luftflotte 2 ahead of the campaigns against France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in May 1940. During the Battle of Britain, Kesselring remained in command of Luftflotte 2. He was instrumental in the decision to switch from attacks on RAF targets to attacks on London in September 1940. This was an error of critical importance and one which put Kesselring further at odds with the commander of Luftwaffe 3, Hugo Sperrle. After the Battle of Britain, Kesselring's air fleet went on to support the Germany Army during the invasion of the Soviet Union.

Portrait above right: Rino Corso Fougier (14 November 1894 – 24 April 1963) was a Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) general. From 1940 to 1941 he served as the commander of the Corpo Aereo Italiano. A small contingent of Italian Air Force bombers and fighters took part in air operations over the UK during the Battle of Britain but their involvement was not a successful one. From 1941 to 1943 Fougier commanded the entire Regia Aeronautica.

Adolf Josef Ferdinand Galland (19 March 1912 – 9 February 1996) (above) was a German Luftwaffe general and flying ace who served throughout the Second World War. He flew 705 combat missions, and fought on the Western Front and in the Defence of the Reich. On four occasions, he survived being shot down, and he was credited with 104 aerial victories, all of them against the Western Allies in Europe. Included in his score are at least seven victories flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter and four 4-engined bombers. A wound received during a dogfight with a US Air Force P-47 Thunderbolt late in the war was serious enough to end his combat flying. Galland surrendered himself to American forces at Tegernsee, Bavaria, on 5 May 1945. He was held in military custody for two years and released in 1947. In October 1948, Galland took a position with the Argentine Air Force and later became a wealthy businessman. The following photograph shows Adolf Galland and Werner Mölders, another great German fighter ace of the Battle of Britain, discussing tactics in April 1941.

Mölders (18 March 1913 – 22 November 1941) joined the Luftwaffe in 1934. In 1938, he volunteered for service in the Condor Legion, which supported General Francisco Franco's Nationalist side in the Spanish Civil War. Nazi Germany sided with Franco and Luftwaffe pilots took the opportunity to hone their flying skills and test the efficiency of their combat aircraft. Mölders shot down 14 aircraft during the conflict and by the time the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain had ended his tally stood at 68 victories, In June 1941, he and his unit, the Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51), were transferred to the Eastern Front and were involved in the opening moves of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.

Above: Mölders with Arthur Laumann (4 July 1894 - 18 November 1970) in September 1940. Laumann was a German World War I flying ace who scored 28 victories in just over three months. He rose to become Air Attache to Greece and Yugoslavia during WWII, attaining the rank of Luftwaffe Generalmajor before hostilities ended. (Mölders images © Bundesarchiv).

By mid-July 1941 the number of downed enemy aircraft attributed to Mölders had risen to 101. By then he was highly decorated and a household name. He was prevented from flying further combat missions as the Nazi hierarchy felt that he would be more useful as a propaganda asset. At the age of 28 he was appointed Inspector of Fighters responsible for Luftwaffe units in the Crimea. It was there that he received the order to return to Berlin to attend the state funeral of Ernst Udet, a Luftwaffe general and World War I flying ace. On the flight to the German capital, the aircraft in which Mölders was travelling as a passenger attempted an emergency landing due to an engine failure. It crashed at Breslau, killing Mölders and two others.

Mölders had become the first pilot in aviation history to claim 100 aerial victories. The Wehrmacht and the West German Bundeswehr both honoured him by naming two fighter wings, a destroyer and barracks after him. However, in 1998, the German Parliament decided that members of the Condor Legion such as Mölders, should no longer be honoured. In 2005, the German Ministry of Defence decided to remove the name `Mölders` from the fighter wing still bearing his name.

Below right: This Hurricane IIc, Serial Number LF738 'UH-A', was built in 1944 and used for pilot training until utilised for ground instruction at the end of the war. Following gate guard duties at Biggin Hill it was restored by the Royal Aeronautical Society and finally moved to Cosford in 1995 where it is now an RAF Museum exhibit.

Above right: Some 22,500 Spitfires and Seafires were built between 1938 and 1946 and almost 300 of them survive in museums and private collections around the world today. Approximately 50 Spitfires and Seafires are airworthy with another 20 currently undergoing restoration to flying condition. Pictured here is Solent Sky Museum`s example, serial number PK683, which was built as a Mk.22, but before completion was converted to Mk.24 standard. The aircraft spent time in storage until mid-1951 when it was shipped to the Far East and transferred to the Singapore Auxiliary Air Force. It suffered a heavy landing the following year and due to the damage sustained it was eventually struck off-charge. It was then transferred to the Singapore Air Training Corps before performing gate guard duties at Changi airfield. It returned to the UK in 1970 and was stored by the RAF at various locations until 1976 when it was released for display at the R.J.Mitchell Memorial Museum. When the Southampton Hall of Aviation, the precursor to Solent Sky, was established in 1984 the aircraft became an exhibit there.

602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force was initially based at Moorpark Aerodrome, Renfrew. Moorpark played an essential role in the early days of civilian and military aviation in the west of Scotland, plus it became a training facility and a base during both world wars. 602 Squadron was formed on 12 September 1925 at Renfrew, originally as a day bomber unit of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

In 1939, (City of Glasgow) Squadron became a fighter squadron and was re-equipped with Supermarine Spitfires. At the start of WWII it was initially engaged in intercepting Luftwaffe raids over Scotland and Northeast England, but it had moved south by August 1940 and so participated in the Battle of Britain.

In 1946, 602 squadron reformed as a fighter squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force on 11 June, initially equipped with Spitfires. The unit assembled at Abbotsinch airfield near Paisley, the site of the present Glasgow International Airport. Supermarine Spitfire Mk.21 LA198, currently on display at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, dates from September 1944 and flew with the 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron between 1947-1949. It spent time as a gate guard at RAF Locking, in Somerset, and RAF Leuchars in Fife. The aircraft was used in static scenes while shooting the 1969 Battle of Britain film. On the right is another of Kenny Munro sculptures in Renfrew`s Clyde View Park which pays tribute to the men of the squadron.

Losses of German aircraft over the British Isles during the Battle of Britain not only resulted in depletion of Luftwaffe materiel assets, but also experienced pilots and aircrew. Whether killed or captured, German airmen who failed to return to their bases in mainland Europe were out of the war forever, whereas many of the Allied pilots, crashing or parachuting onto home soil, or ditching in the channel close to shore, were rescued to fight another day,

The historical images on this page, including those above showing the pilots of Fighter Command, have been sourced from various organisations including the Imperial War Museum, the RAF Museum, the German Federal Archives (Bundesarchiv), Library & Archives Canada and Pen and Sword.

Above: This Spitfire, like the ME109 shown above, is also an exhibit at the National Polish Aviation museum at Krakow. It`s painted to represent a machine operated by 308 (Krakowski) sqn, Royal Air Force in 1945. No. 308 was one of many Polish squadrons operating within the RAF during WW2. The aeroplane is actually 'SM411' which served with 421 sqn RCAF in 1945. After being preserved at RAF Wattisham between 1955 & 1967, it was one of many Spitfires gathered at Henlow for the production of the Battle of Britain film. Not airworthy at the time, it was used in taxiing scenes.

With the passage of time, the stories of more and more people`s contribution to the war effort have come to light with many, most of whom are no longer with us, finally being recognised for their efforts. One such person was Hazel Hill (21 July 1920-28 September 2010), the daughter of Frederick William "Gunner" Hill (24 February 1889 – 10 November 1959) who worked in the Armament Research and Development Section of the Air Ministry during the 1930s.

Following the rise of Nazi Germany, many saw a grand scale European conflict as inevitable and it became a priority to develop faster and more potent fighter aircraft to defend the British Isles. All early production models had to be updated and improved upon especially with regard to their engines and firepower. Fred believed the new Spitfire should include eight guns as opposed to the four initially allocated, however, he wasn't able to work out the precise calculations he needed on his own. Lots of people, including many of those involved in the new fighter`s design, felt that eight guns would be too many for what was essentially a small, sleek aircraft and extra machine guns would end up weighing the aircraft down and hindering performance.

Hazel Hill, a 13-year-old schoolgirl at the time, was a mathematical genius, so Fred decided to go home and ask her to help him out. The pair used calculating machines, which were rudimentary computers, at the kitchen table of their London home. It was thought that Hazel probably enjoyed maths so much because she was partially dyslexic and had trouble with spelling. Fred Hill presented their findings which convinced the top brass to increase the Spitfire and Hurricane`s armament as he suggested. One of his original charts is pictured below. Hazel's reward for her contribution was that she was given permission to sit in the cockpit of the plane she had helped design.

The Battle of Britain was a close-run thing and many reckon that without the calculations Hazel and her father came up with, the Luftwaffe would have been in a far better position to win command of the air. Having more guns per plane at the very least, put the RAF on par with the opposing enemy fighters and the Allied pilots were potentially able to dish out double the damage originally planned to bomber formations.

After school, Hazel studied medicine at a university in London and joined the Royal Army Medical Corps after graduating in 1943. At the end of the war, she became a GP and in 1948 married Chris Baker, who was one of the soldiers she had treated in the war. The couple moved to Wednesbury, Staffordshire, where Hazel got a job setting up a child health clinic in the newly formed National Health Service. She later trained as a psychiatrist and published research into school phobia, anorexia and autism. She died in 2010, aged 90, and is survived by four sons.

The Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr (German Air Force Museum) lies on the outskirts of the capital Berlin at Gatow, a former Luftwaffe and later Royal Air Force base. As well as being one of Germany`s premier military history museums, it also houses one of Europe`s finest aircraft collections, and an additional bonus is that there is no admission charge. The main exhibition is in Hangar 3 and shows the history of military aviation in Germany from 1884 to the present day and this is where most of the First and Second World War era aircraft can be found. Other areas have displays about the history of Berlin-Gatow and various themed exhibitions. More aircraft are displayed within Hangar 7 which houses the `Fifty Years of the Federal Luftwaffe` collection. Unfortunately it was closed at the time of my visit (2011) and may only open during the peak summer season or on special occasions.

Gatow airfield`s control tower has various exhibits including a display titled `Call Me Meier` with Herman Goring`s uniform in a glass case. The Chief of the Luftwaffe had famously boasted `If one bomb falls on Berlin you can call me Meier." (a common German surname). The Reichsmarshall did not have long to wait for his name change - the first RAF raid on the city took place on the night of 25 August 1940 when 81 Vickers Wellingtons and Handley Page Hampdens (above), out of a force of 95 aircraft dispatched, successfully dropped their bombs in or around the German capital.

Although damage caused was slight, the raid boosted the morale of the British public, enraged Hitler and likely caused him to concentrate his efforts on `blitzing` British cities in retaliation rather than the RAF airfields which, on hindsight, proved to be a major tactical error.

The above images from Germany`s Federal Bundesarchive show some of the damage Berlin sustained during the initial RAF raids. The following photos show a Hampden being loaded with ordnance and Wellingtons taking off at dusk from a Bomber Command airfield somewhere in England. The large image on the right below shows one of the participating Wellington bombers and crews of 149 Squadron after their return from Bomber Command's first attack on the German capital on the night of 25–26 August 1940. Over 700 men from Bomber Command were lost during the Battle of Britain period.

The British victory in the Battle of Britain was achieved at a heavy cost. Total British civilian losses from July to December 1940 were 23,002 dead and 32,138 wounded, with one of the largest single raids on 19 December 1940, in which almost 3,000 civilians died. With the culmination of the concentrated daylight raids, Britain was able to rebuild its military forces and establish itself as an Allied stronghold, later serving as a base from which the Liberation of Western Europe was launched.

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Construction & Development

At Glasgow Airport, construction work has resumed on the site off Abbotsinch Road and the landscape is gradually being transformed.

On Sunday 26 July, while I was waiting for the first Air Transat flight to arrive, I watched this Roe Deer wander across the area under development, no doubt bewildered by what is happening to its domain. With the loss of these agricultural fields and hedgerows, available space for animals such as these in the Renfrew area is diminishing rapidly. Habitat loss cannot be reversed and remaining wildlife havens are becoming increasingly patchy, creating an increased hazard from people and motor traffic as animals are forced to move between territories in the attempt to find a location free from human disturbance.

The Roe Deer rut usually occurs between mid-July and late-August but it can begin earlier and the bucks, like the larger Red Deer stags, often fight fiercely. Battles may actually last longer and be more bloody than the stag contests but fatalities are rare.

Above: Looking east from Abbotsinch Road. The new road layout is starting to take shape with the first large roundabout in place.

This aerial view, which I took last March, looks in the opposite direction. Not a great deal in this scene has changed since as most of the area under development lies to the right, out of shot. The Long Stay Car Park in the centre is currently being used as the local COVID-19 Test Centre.

Above left: The Testing Centre as seen from Abbotsinch Road. The adjacent view shows more of the area currently under development. The road slanting in on the far right is on the far (east) side of the White Cart Water. A new pedestrian / cycle crossing is being built here to provide an additional link between Renfrew and the new manufacturing district.

Looking north from the mound opposite the entrance to the Gama Aviation / Scottish Ambulance Service hangars. The following slideshow features some general views of the construction work and other locations around the airport perimeter...

Below: A new 1,050-space car park at Harbour Road, Paisley, two miles from Glasgow Airport, was in the news this month after the two companies, Aston Darby and Drake Estates Property, which had raised £25 million to finance this project and a similar operation near Manchester Airport, went into liquidation. The director of both companies, who has an address in Bolton, was taken to court last month by the Insolvency Service which found that the initiative was `misleading` and `unscrupulous`. It ascertained that the funds from later investors were being used to pay returns promised to initial investors, rather than using revenue generated from the car parks.

This was partly because the companies did not own the car parks when they began selling the spaces. The Insolvency Service also revealed that the companies took half of the investment funds in commission and other charges. (Image © BBC).

For the Paisley enterprise alone, more than £14m was raised with each investor spending more than £23,000. The investments were sold from April 2017 until December last year with the Aston Darby company promising guaranteed returns of 11%. The Paisley site, which was run by a separate company using the `My Easy Park` brand, has now been put up for sale.

Gilchrist Gardens Housing Development

By mid-July the first few units at Teucheen Woods between Inchinnan and Erskine were all but complete with the CALA show homes available for inspection, albeit signs emphasised that social distancing must be maintained. Work appears to back in full swing just beyond the publicly accessible area with other houses springing up fast.

Above: I took this photo in March last year. The cleared area in the centre is where the first phase of the development is taking place. Phase Two will see additional houses on the narrow strip branching off to the left. Progress has been fairly swift, especially taking downtime during the Coronavirus pandemic lockdown into account. Some of the north-facing houses would no doubt suit plane spotters as they have an excellent view of the `23` approach...

Above: The Black Cart Water and British Airways` Taxiway Yankee contingent from the north. Resumption of the carrier`s Gatwick short-haul operations has been pushed back from 7 September to 9 November 2020.

Down beside the Clyde at Erskine, possibly prompted by the decrease in footfall along the Riverside Walkway, work has finally got underway to repair a collapsed section of banking opposite Dalmuir. A combination of tidal action, wake from passing vessels, and general erosion over many years has led to the current situation and had the damage been ignored for much longer, the edge of the path itself may have crumbled into the water. The shot on the right above shows what the embankment should look like.

This emergency repair work on the waterfront was carried out by port operator Peel Ports and supplements recent renovation work in the area by Renfrewshire Council. A Local Authority representative said that the reason for lack of action at the Erskine walkway was due to the complexity of land ownership, and that it had taken a significant period of time to identify responsibility and reach an amicable agreement amongst the various interested parties with regard to funding.

In the Garden

July is the quietest month of the year in many gardens as the majority of nestlings have fledged and moved on to search for food and explore their wider surroundings. Most songbirds are moulting, bringing through new, stronger feathers in preparation for the colder, wintry weather ahead. The dawn choruses are over too as male birds no longer have the need to defend a territory or win a mate. The variety of birds also seems to dip with just Goldfinch and a few tits adding some colour to the frenzied scene at the feeders which is monopolised by the drabber species. Our fox is still showing most days but the local squirrels less so.

Summer is reckoned to be a good time to see hunting Sparrowhawks, which feed on young or baby chicks and although I`ve never seen one swoop, I`ve witnessed the aftermath in the garden on numerous occasions. I haven`t spotted one this month but there was a nice silhouette of a Sparrowhawk in attack mode imprinted on the back window. Quite often, possibly due to reflections on overcast days, birds of prey sometimes confuse the mirrored sky with the real thing. Even when I`ve heard the loud bump before, the no-doubt dazed Sparrowhawks always manage to pick themselves up and disappear before I look out.

During lockdown restaurants, pubs and clubs were closed, as were takeaways and there were no drunken revellers discarding fish supper wrappings, leftover burgers or kebabs as they waited in taxi queues or staggered home. Scraps such as these have become a regular source of food for the urban fox. With easy meals harder to source there have been increased sightings of these animals in gardens during daylight hours. With less people wandering around, apart from dog walkers, and traffic so light, there was no need for them to be as wary. Now that we`re back on the streets, many foxes will return to shadowy behaviour, but any who have found a sympathetic human who puts out food will happily make them their first port of call.

Other animals have also changed their behaviour during lockdown, becoming much bolder and exploring places that they`d usually avoid. For example deer were filmed feeding in front gardens in some built-up areas in England for the first time, but the most entertaining report featured the Kashmiri goats who ventured from the Great Orme Country Park, North Wales, into Llandudno town centre.