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A
flight to the “Outer Hebrides“ by Stephan Weidenhiller 27 July 2008 |
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It’s Monday
morning 06:30 o’clock. Thick clouds lie over the awaking airport of the
Scottish city Glasgow. On the departures board, there are several
destinations, you won’t find in other parts of Europe: Stornoway, Islay or
Benbecula. The latest is my destination today. Benbecula is a small island
on the Outer Hebrides, the north-western most islands of the British
isles. It is 820 kilometres away from London and 254 kilometres from
Glasgow. The island is framed by the bigger Hebridian islands of Northern
and Southern Uist. At 07:00 o’clock it’s time to board the aircraft. Out
of 1960s terminal’s Gate 1 25 passengers walk towards the British Airways
flight 8807 operated by Loganair. With this amount of passengers, the Saab
340B G-LGNA of the Scottish regional airline has a good load. After a few
minutes the flight is fully boarded, the aircraft pushed back and the
General Electric turboprop engines are started. 5 minutes later I took
already off Glasgow’s runway 05, climb through the thick clouds and head
toward north-west. Loganair is still a franchise of British Airways. The
entire aircraft interior is like the interior of the London based British
flag carrier: The seats, safeties and the catering. Also the stewardess
wears the pretty uniform of the Speedbird. Effective winter timetable
08/09 the franchise with BA will be halted and flyBE will become the new
partner of Loganair. First Saab aircrafts wear already the basic colour
scheme of the British low cost carrier. |
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....An
hour later my connecting flight, the Dash 6-300 G-BVVK of Loganair coming
from Barra arrives. Shortly after the arrival of the aircraft, all
passengers are called forward to go to the security check. Boarding is a
bit delayed, as the Jetstream is now also ready (it waited for connecting
passengers from Barra) and taxies out. But the small delay doesn’t bother
anyone here, as the clocks go a bit different here on the islands.
Including me, four passengers climb the Twin Otter, to fly 52kilometers to
the south to the island of Barra. On board the aircraft there isn’t a
stewardess and so the copilot has to show the safety demonstration. A few
minutes later we are airborne and head towards the beach airport of Barra.
The airport is a speciality: It is the only airport worldwide being
flooded twice daily. There isn’t any concrete runway, as you land on sand.
The beach of North Bay is a bay which is open to the east and is ideally
suited for an airport beach. At the western end of the beach there is the
terminal building. 3 runways are marked in the sand and they are used
according to the wind direction.
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After a 20 minutes flight over South Uist and other small
Hebredian islands we are already on final approach. In low altitude you
fly over a dune, along the terminal and then you touch down softly on the
sand. Some water splashes up the gear, as it is left from the last high
tide. In contrast to a landing on concrete or asphalt, the touch down is
ways softer. After a short distance to break, the aircraft turns and hops
over the sandy hills towards the terminal. The building just consist of a
large combined check-in and waiting area inclusive a small coffee shop.
Baggage reclaim takes place in a small hut resembling a bus stop outside
the airport terminal. About 20 minutes later, the Twin Otter is ready for
its onward flight to Glasgow. Along the beach there are several tourists
waiting to watch the spectacle “take off from the beach”. Until the
engines are running the spectators take the time to collect some empty
mussels. The spotters are indicated via a wind sock, if they may stay on
the beach or not. Whenever the windsock is flying, flying operations are
going on and you have to keep off the beach. If the windsock doesn’t fly,
no flights are expected and you can walk freely across the airport beach.
In the meantime both mighty Pratt and Whitney Canada engines are running
and the Twin Otter hops again over the sand to it’s holding point. A few
seconds later and throwing around some sand and water, the aircraft heads
toward Glasgow. I do now have 3,5 hours to discover the islands. Quickly the very nice station manager of Loganair organized me a competent guide with a car to show me round. The history dates back very long, as the Vikings were already on the islands. Some ruins are well over 1500 years old and tell about the long history of Barra. The main village of Castlebay is dominated by the Kismuil Castle, which is located on a rock right in the middle of the bay. About 1200 men and women do live on the island. The most well known thing about the isle is the book “Whisky Gallore” written by Compton MacKenzie. After a 2,5 hour long intensive island tour, I’m back at the airport. |
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After check-in I do have the possibility to visit the tower. Both controllers tell me about the specialities of this unique airport. The timetable is different every day, as operations can only take place at low tide. Flights have to be planned according to the tide. Therefore there is the small but important remark in the BA timetable booklet: “Timing are subject to tides at Barra”. Only on 10 days in the year, the weather is this lovely, as it is today, but the airport is closed just a few times per year. The minimum visibility of 800metres is given on most of the days. With a few minutes delay, just before 15:00 o’clock my aircraft, again the G-BVVK, arrives from Glasgow. After a short turn around and a coffee for the crew, boarding takes place. A last walk over the beach and it’s time to say good-bye from this inherent natural beauty. This flight is now nearly fully booked, but that isn’t a problem for the Dash 6. The take-off run lasts 16 seconds and now heads towards Glasgow again. Now there is again silence on the beach and it’ll take two floodings until the airport opens next morning again. Slowly but smoothly I cruise over the Hebridian Sea and pass by the islands of Coll and Mull, the Firth of Lorne and the harbour of Oban till I land at Glasgow again after an hour flight. Now I’m back in civilisation. Mobile phones, which don’t even work on Barra and Benbecula, take now charge of the life again. I do now have 4 hours of time till, my onward journey brings me unspectuarily with an A319 of easyJet to Belfast.
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