Just before I finished work today, Bobbi from Air Traffic let us know that a Tornado had booked a number of low approaches at Kirkwall for around 1820 local.  It was too good a chance to miss as usually Tornadoes fly past so fast, I miss the opportunity of a picture.  Something like this one as it did a high speed fly past prior to the approaches

As luck would have it the next approaches were gear down so a lot better

And all to soon it was time to say goodbye

Worth a bit of indigestion but also made my Mrs happy as she is from Forres which is right next to RAF Kinloss and not far from RAF Lossie so since she moved to Orkney she misses the sound of the Tornadoes.

As always, thanks for reading

All the best

Neil 😉

More of that in a second.  The poor weather on friday made us busier than normal.  Over and above the usual extras we had a Texas based Citation N514DS flying from Friedrichshafen to Montreal.

We also had an S92, G-CGYW amongst the usual Super Pumas

And all too soon my shift was finished.  Today turned out to be much better than expected.  I caught up with an old colleague, Alan Mossman, who was part of Highland Airways and now flies on a freelance basis, this time in G-HEBI.

And then we come back to P38, in this case the Red Bull P38 Lockheed Lightning which passed overhead en-route Wick.  Thanks again to Peter Henderson at ATC who gave us 5 minutes warning.  Pretty soon all noses were looking to the north waiting on its arrival.

Sadly I got it badly wrong as the resolution settings on my camera were all wrong and I only managed to catch the aircraft in 2 megapixels.  Gutted 😦

Anyway on approach there is no mistaking this aircraft

And a lucky shot, even if not in Hi-Res

What a stunning aircraft.  My understanding is it was on its way to Duxford as part of the Flying Legends but here is a link to the Flying Bulls which will give you all the information you need to know.

http://www.flyingbulls.com/#/en/Terminal/About/-/About/

If you are using google chrome, use the translate into english function otherwise there is more information here

http://www.hangar-7.com/en/the-flying-bulls/the-flying-bulls/

As always, thanks for taking the time to read

All the best

Neil 😉

Been a lot more interesting since my last post.  Yesterday I was told a Junkers 52 tri-motor flew over the airport.  Of course, I missed it but have been asked that many questions about it, I had to do a bit of research.

The aircraft in question is HB-HOT which was on its way across the atlantic.  I didn’t get a picture although there are many on the net.  Here is the website that tells you all about it.

http://www.rimowa-in-the-air.com/northamerica/home/

Anyway, back to Grimsetter.  We have had a number of RAF visitors over the last couple of weeks starting with these Tucanos which were in on the 13th June.  ZF289 and ZF379.

The next day Peter Henderson from the tower phoned and said there was a fly past from a Herc expected at 1308 that day.  As always camera to the ready and sure enough at 1308 the Herc appeared in the distance and proceeded to do an outstanding low pass.  Luckily enough the light was excellent and I got a couple of decent pictures.  The aircraft had minimal markings and I could not make out the tail number.

My photograph at full resolution is clear as a bell so I can only assume someone does not want the tail number easily seen.

Shortly after, I heard a racket outside and looked through the window to see this R44, G-CMCC, had just arrived.  This aircraft is on a charity flight called the three capes challenge.

http://www.maf-uk.org/Three_Capes_Heli_Challenge/12822.id

And the inside

And the last visitors for this post, 3 Tucanos in from Leuchars who, like the previous 2 are on exercise at Leuchars.  Here are ZF140, ZF448 and ZF289 for the second time in this post.

And a group photo

That’s it for just now and, as always, thanks for taking the time to visit.

All the best

Neil 😉

A couple of unusual aircraft this week and a first for me in the shape of G-APXU, a PA22 which was 60 years old on friday.

This aircraft is the only one of its type in Scotland and one of about 10 still flying.  It was the first evolution model from tail dragger to tricycle and the last of the models with the wings above the cockpit.

And the inside

Thanks to the owner and co for the guided tour.

We also had a visit from G-KSFR, a CL30 operated by London Executive Aviation.  I never got a chance to look at the inside sadly but at least the sun came out for a minute for me to take some pics.

The poor weather on friday brought a few extra aircraft in and I snapped this one in between the fog, G-CERZ which is obviously a Saab 2000

As you can see it is much bigger than the Saab 340’s we are used to.

Finally, I got a chance to catch up with the Watchdog crew on Friday morning.  I met Dave and Will who are regular visitors and was pleased to meet Jake Thackeray who is now with Directflight and was previously based at RAF Kinloss on Nimrod duty.

That’s it for now, have a nice weekend if you see the sun and as always, thanks for reading

Neil 😉

In my time I have met some fascinating people and learned some fascinating information and none more so than this next post which I have permission to share with you.

One of the Loganair Islander pilots left us some time ago to join the British Antarctic Survey Team and over the last few years has sent some fantastic images and notes.

I bumped into him last week as he was about to head off for a well deserved break with his wife, Petra .

What you are about to see proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Gene Roddenberry was right when he created Star Trek in the 60’s.

The building is extremely high tech and could be used in any sci-fi movie.  I have just checked my em-mail client and there are many fascinating pictures which I will share with you.

Anyway over to Ian

Hi All

Now that I’m on my way home again (day off in Cozumel today), & have a fast internet link (Rothera has got very slow). I’m taking the chance to catch up on a few emails that I really meant to send days or weeks ago.

On 10th of Feb I went over to Halley base on the Brunt Ice Shelf for my last visit of the season, & I had the privilege of overnighting on the new Halley VI station on the first night that it had residents. Especially privileged as there were only 6 of us on that first night, & the other 5 were all people who had been heavily involved in designing & building the base for several years. I think the Base Commander referred to us as the guinea pigs.

It still was n’t quite finished though. The building work continued around us during the day, & most other people were still staying in the temporary construction site accommodation (modified shipping containers). This work will be going on until the ship leaves at the end of February.

Going from left to right. The first 2 modules are bedrooms. Third is the Command Module, with Base Commanders office, comms centre, computer servers, & doctors surgery.

The big red 4th (Robert Falcon Scott) module is a 2 storey structure. Downstairs is the dining room, kitchen, & bar. Upstairs is the gym, film watching area, & reading area.

5th along the line is the power module. As the name implies this has the generators. It also has hydraulic pumps for adjusting the legs of all the modules. Lastly it deals with water, drinking water, waste water & sewerage (all being kept separate of course).

The open bridge in the middle of the platform is of both aesthetic & practical benefit. Aesthetically it provides a gap between the living areas on the left & the working areas to the right. Practically it is a fire break, so that a fire occurring on the living modules would be unlikely to pass over to the work modules. The work modules are designed so that they could provide safe (albeit cramped) emergency shelter for all base members for up to 10 months.

The 6th module is another power module, which is a backup & near mirror image of 5th module.

Module 7 is the science offices. With emergency food & clothing store.

Module 8 is laboratories. There also other smaller laboratories & facilities such as the Clean Air Sector Lab beyond the area of this pictures.

As well as getting to stay on Halley VI on it’s first night, I also claimed the first landing at the new skiway.

New bedroom accommodation

.

Various views from my bedroom window during night & day (Weather deteriorating).

Dining room. Which had been in use for just over a week for all people on site. The upstairs was still work in progress at the time.

Kitchen. Washing up view!

No 8 Science module. This the upper floor Meteorological Observatory. The instrument at the back of the pic’ is the Dobson Spectrometer. Which was crucial to the discovery of the ozone hole in the 80s, & continues to monitor it now.

I was also interested to see the building getting it’s annual jacking. The process which keeps it all above the snow. At Halley V this used to require the efforts just about every one on base, & all other work stopped for 2 days. Now at Halley VI most folk get on with their regular work. Whilst jacking requires only 7 people, plus some big machines, & a bit more technology.

The tripod was pushed under the module by a dozer, so that the module did n’t tip as the legs were lifted. Then the internal hydraulics lifted each module leg/ski in turn, whilst a second dozer packed snow under the raised leg/ski.

Finally after all legs of all modules have been raised & under packed. The whole structure can be raised to it’s new height.

This final bit of the raising process is achieved from a control panel within the modules. It was gratifying to see a few low-tech spirit levels amongst the technology. Some things just can’t be beaten.

Overall I was very impressed by the new base, even though I was n’t quite seeing the finished article. To me it has a space station feel (not that I’ve ever been on a space station of course), both outside & inside. It seemed quite surreal to stand by the big dining room windows watching a blizzard out side (wind chill -40) whilst comfortably dressed in a T-shirt.

I trust you are all well.

Very best regards

Ian

I told you it was fascinating stuff.  Hope you have a great holiday, Ian and Petra and look forward to seeing you on your return.

All the best and thanks for reading

Neil

No, I haven’t missed a word or words.  It is amazing what a small world it is.  I was speaking to Captain Garth Morgan of Bergen Air Transport and discovered I knew their new recruit who was joining as First Officer the following week.

Are Stangeland has been coming to visit us for a number of years collecting Orkney lobsters for the tables of Norwegian restaurants.

Couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.  What is disconcerting is that Are speaks english much better than I do and its not his native language.

Anyway well done and it was nice to see you at Kirkwall this week in your new role.

I just have a couple of pictures this week. First of al G-CGUZ, a A Gama Cessna 525 dropped in on thursday for a few hours.

And the second picture is the same Aircraft with LN-BAB, King Air 200 on its way to Haugesund and Bergen with the Norwegian element of the Subsea Viking.

Thats it for this week, as always, thanks for taking the time to visit.

Cheers for now

Neil 😉

As always, things start to get busier in march.  As well as a couple of new aircraft arriving, we have also had the first of our school visits.

St Andrews nursery has visited us over the last two thursdays.  We hope you enjoyed your visit.

Many thanks to the children for being so well behaved and thank you to the Airport Fire section, Loganair and AMSL for your assistance.

Thank you also to the children for the lovely cards and the goodies which I promised I shared with everyone else.

At the beginning of this week a group of young Orkney dancers jetted off to London for their annual workshop.  The group was led by Jo Davis who most will know owns the Just Dance studio at Hatston.

Find out more about Just Dance at http://www.justdanceorkney.co.uk

And now for something completely different.  We had a short visit from an aircraft en-route from Iceland to Jersey in the shape of an Eclipse Aero EA50.  Reputedly the most economical jet on the market.  I had never seen one before but was surprised at just how small it was.

And finally a visit from A Bristows S92, G-CGUX

That’s it for now.  As always thanks for taking the time to read

Till next time

Neil 😉

Last week saw one of the busier weeks as far as february goes.  Over and above the normal schedules we had a Subsea Viking crew change and 3 Tucanos overnighting.

One of the pilots, “Wildy”, is the son of Chris and Julia Wild, who are the owners of Craigies Taxis in Kirkwall.  The three aircraft were ZF407, ZF287 and ZF347.

We had a further visit from an Eastern Dash 8, G-WOWB which was livery free on this occasion?

And finally a photograph of aircraft that I rarely feature on the blog.  I don’t think there will be many people who have not seen a Saab 340 in Orkney but someone noticed the livery had changed.  Next the terminal was plastered with stickers and balloons.

It turns out Loganair are now the ripe old age of 50.  A considerable achievement.  In 10 weeks I will reach my half century so its not too bad an age to be 🙂

Here is the new livery with a minor change

Many happy returns, hope I am around at the centenary!

That’s about it for this week, there have been a number of flypasts by Typhoons and Tornados this week and I seem to have missed each and every one.

A couple of people to mention this week.

Flt Sgt Justin Morris, Happy 50th birthday, hope to catch you for a dram in April.

Nigel Pendrey, my dentist, without him I would have jumped off a cliff yesterday as I was in agony, Absolutely nothing to do with aviation but appreciation where appreciations is due.

All the best from a snow and windless Orkney and as always, thanks for taking the time to read.

Neil 🙂