INVERNESS REPORT – DECEMBER 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I hope you saw it in well and can I wish you the very best for 2012.

As for December it wasn’t the best for visitors, but we benefited from extra Easyjet flights with some being upgraded to A320s, a type that doesn’t usually visit. We also end the year needing just one of their A319s (EZGH) to visit after G-EZGF arrived earlier in the month.

Flybe finally took delivery of their Emb. 175s and we received our first one, G-FBJB to be based here late on the 13th to start operations to Gatwick the following day. However the title “First of Type” goes to G-FBJC which visited on a scheduled Birmingham flight on the 11th.

The Christmas mail rush as assisted this year by Aero Nova Metro EC-JCU.

Of the eleven first visits this month, only 4 were GA aircraft.

The one main sadness this year, which was generally average, was what appears to be the loss of the Avantis that used to pass through regularly on delivery. Inverness used to be the favourite of Bill, one of the ferry pilots and his replacement seems to prefer the central belt. Having said that I haven’t seen many passing that way either!

I want to take this opportunity of thanking those who help me make up my daily and monthly reports, especially Gilmar Green, who feeds me the basic movement details. There are others who help with information day to day but prefer to remain anonymous; a shame, but necessary! Last, but by no means least is Ian Sutherland for keeping the main site going, I think we are building quiet an archive! I have made a New Year resolution to send Ian an update to the resident’s list and do better to keep it up to date!

Stephen Lane, 4th JANUARY 2012.

Edited from the daily reports:

1st: December starting quiet, but an interesting visitor with the Met. Office BAe 146 G-LUXE making a rare visit.

2nd: Very quiet for aircraft and very windy on the weather front!

3rd: A quiet day and the weather hinting that winter was on its way!

4th: Some overnight snow delayed the airport opening to 0815, and frequent light showers finally led to another closure from 1830-1940. No flights were lost, and our penultimate required EZY A319 G-EZGF arrived on the evening Gatwick flight.

5th: Snow showers again, but the AFS valiantly kept the airport open. Apart from a couple of ambulance flights there were just three visitors today which included Gulfstream 450 N800AL.

6th: More snow overnight and this morning left Inverness closed until 0830. Based scheduled flights were obviously playing “catch up” and there were only two GA movements.

7th: The weather behaved today but there were delays this morning which I believe were due to aircraft de-icing problems. Other than that it was a usually quiet winter’s day for movements.

8th: The main talking point today was the windy weather, and Inverness fared better than those to the South of us. It was fascinating listening to reports of the pressure falling like a stone as the wind increased. For most of the day it was gusting at 35 to 45 knots but almost straight down the runway. At around 1800 the wind veered to 290 with gusts up to 55knots. A Falcon 2000 (OY-CKI) went around, and after being refused at other airports in Scotland it returned to Billund! It was the Island flights that were most affected with most Stornoway and Kirkwall flights cancelled, but tonight’s Gatwick flights have also been cancelled. The airport was closed at 1845 due to the extreme weather and re-opened at 2000, when the wind had dropped considerably. The good news was a first visit from Gulfstream N100HG and Citation 750 N750NS arrived for only its second visit.

9th: After yesterday’s wind, everything was going swimmingly until it started snowing at teatime resulting in the airport closing from 1845 to 2100. This resulted in the evening EZY from Gatwick diverting to...... Gatwick! There were a couple of go-a rounds this morning when a SAAB had to avoid a deer, and the EZY A320 had to avoid a skein of geese on finals. It may be quiet here at the moment but life is interesting.

10th: We managed another A320 from Easyjet today when G-EZTG brought some of the passengers from last night’s cancelled flight.

11th: Inverness finally got a look at an Embraer 175 when today’s scheduled Birmingham was operated by G-FBJC, one of four currently registered to Flybe.

12th: Metro EC-JCU that arrived today is here for a week to operate extra Christmas mail flights.

13th: There was another low pressure area that passed to the North of Scotland causing more high winds at Inverness. Luckily these were again nearly straight down the runway, but in Aberdeen they were nearly across it bringing diversions here and to Edinburgh. Inverness finally received its first Embraer 175 today when G-FBJB positioned in this evening.

14th: Just a Sea King on practice approaches today.

15th: Another new Easyjet for Inverness today with G-EZTX on the Gatwick.

16th: Freezing fog today, the fog clearing around lunchtime, and another new EZY A320 with G-EZTE on a Luton Flight.

18th: Snow around caused a late opening, and a new visiting TBM 700 when N463RD called to night-stop.

19th: A nice steady day with a new Ce 525A OO-ACC for Inverness. There was also an extra EZY A319 tonight.

20th: It was nice to see Gulfstream 550 M-MOMO back if only briefly and in the dark. Metro EC-JCU appears to have finished it’s Christmas mail duties, after leaving here for Benbecula this afternoon it then moved on to Prestwick. The other based Metro Ben Air’s OY-BJP was swapped to LET 410 OY-PBI today.

22nd: Easyjet are being kind to us this Christmas with an extra A320 today from Bristol, G-EZTB.

23rd: Just a visit from Falcon 2000 CS-DNS and Citation D-IVVA today.

24th: No Christmas treats today, just the lighthouse helicopter G-CGPI!

25th: Airport closed for Christmas!!

26th: There were a few movements, and it was VERY windy and very mild!

27th: A busier day that included 5 Easyjets and Gulfstream 550 CS-DKD here on its 4th visit.

28th: A grim grey and draughty day made all the more miserable as there was nothing of interest.

29th: A better day with a few glimpses of the sun! PLM-Dollar’s Squirrel G-PDGI made a brief 1st visit on a training flight. This was here previously as G-BVJE, making its last visit as such 27.10.07.

30th: Only real interest today was Learjet 60 VP-CRB. It was here for its 5th visit, but hasn’t been here since 2007.

31st: A very quiet end to the year with few movements today.

THE DECEMBER LOG

A registration in a green box, indicates that is the first visit of that aircraft with that registration, but the frame has visited with a different registration previously. A registration in a yellow box indicates that is the first visit of that aircraft, and if in purple, a first visit of type.

REMAINDER FROM YEARS GONE BY!

Jetstream G-JXTA has been here from 01.10.2007, it still remains following the demise of Highland Airways, and currently looking the worse for wear!

AIRCRAFT STILL PRESENT FROM NOVEMBER

CALLSIGN / REG / TYPE / CN / FROM / ATA / D / C/SIGN / TO / ATD
30 / RHD12 / G-CGPI / EC.135T2 / 0341 / Oban / 1051 / 1st / RHD12 / MV Pharos,
Stornoway / 0953
30 / CLB453 / G-FPLE / Be B200 / BB-1256 / Teeside / 1139 / 1st / CLB453 / Stornoway / 1007
30 / VOR01 / G-FCSL / PA31-350 / 7852052 / Wick / 1507 / 1st / VOR01 / Campbeltown / 1031

DECEMBER DAY BY DAY

/ CALLSIGN / REG / TYPE / CN / FROM / ATA / D / C/SIGN / TO / ATD /
1 / GVR / G-SIVR / MDH-900 / 900-00102 / Invermoriston / 1101 / GVR / Near Oban / 1109
METMAN / G-LUXE / 146-301 / E3001 / Exeter / 1225 / METMAN / Exeter / 1406
MORAY01 / G-ETDC / Ce 172 / 74690 / Kinloss / 1514 / 1xapp23 / Kinloss / 1514
NJE359W / CS-DXN / Ce 560XLS / 560-5685 / Vienna / 2008 / 4th / NJE981R / Dublin / 1017
2 / NJE1TY / CS-DUE / 125-750 / HB-11 / Dundee / 0949 / NJE629E / Brussels / 1052
MQT61 / F-HITM / Be 400XP / RK-501 / Lorient / 1112 / MQT62 / Lorient / 1205
GMA469 / G-SASD / Be B200C / BL-151 / Stornoway / 1921 / GMA469 / Aberdeen / 2031
GMA469B / G-SASD / Be B200C / BL-151 / Stornoway / 2355 / N/S / GMA469B / Aberdeen / 0018
3 / OAS480 / G-CFVO / Be B200 / BB- 877 / Oxford / 0959 / OAS480 / Guernsey / 1113
NJE2TU / CS-DUF / 125-750 / HB-19 / Le Bourget / 1625 / NJE2TU / Lille / 1750
4 / EZY865 / G-EZGF / A319-111 / 4635 / Gatwick / 1952 / EZY14KC / Gatwick / 2105
5 / GMA487 / G-SASD / Be B200C / BL-151 / Aberdeen / 0816 / GMA487 / Dundee / 1324
NJE4AL / CS-DMP / Be 400XP / RK-508 / Biggin Hill / 1104 / 8th / NJE038B / Dublin / 0952
N0AL / N800AL / Gulf 450 / 4087 / Luton / 1258 / N0AL / Waukegan / 1647
OAS480 / G-CFVO / Be B200 / BB- 877 / Guernsey / 1322 / OAS480 / Oxford / 1403
GMA487 / G-SASD / Be B200C / BL-151 / Stornoway / 1818 / GMA487 / Aberdeen / 1913
6 / BOO970 / G-OEWD / Premier 1 / RB-126 / Farnborough / 0913 / N/S / BOO970 / Farnborough / 0957
GMA503 / G-SASD / Be B200C / BL-151 / Glasgow / 1555 / GMA503 / Glasgow / 1826
7 / BDI05A / OY-PBW / SH.360 / SH3760 / Edinburgh / 0320 / 12th / BDI32P / Aldergrove / 1344
PIX / PH-DIX / PC-12/45 / 309 / Weert/Budel / 0939 / 9th / PIX / Weert/Budel / 1634
SXN35A / G-KLNB / Be B350 / FL-631 / Farnborough / 1623 / N/S / SXN35A / Farnborough / 1612
GMA515C / G-SASD / Be B200C / BL-151 / Stornoway / 1952 / GMA515C / Aberdeen / 2011
8 / EJM100 / N100HG / Gulf 4 / 1026 / Washington / 0920 / 10th / EJM100 / Keflavik / 1750
GMA534 / G-SASC / Be B200C / BL-150 / Glasgow / 1147 / GMA534 / Glasgow / 1353
N0NS / N750NS / Ce 750 / 750-0172 / Luton / 1811 / 10th / N0NS / Antwerp / 1718
9 / MMD6721 / OY-CKI / DA 2000 / 154 / Billund / 1142 / N/S / MMD6721 / Billund / 1908
CWY999Z / G-LIDE / PA31-350 / 7852156 / Aldergrove / 1209 / CWY999Y / Newcastle / 1248
10 / EZY32AB / G-EZTG / A320-214 / 3946 / Gatwick / 0914 / EZY23BA / Gatwick / 1009
NJE798K / CS-DXL / Ce 560XLS / 560-5640 / Northolt / 1130 / N/S / NJE3XW / Biggin Hill / 1105
RHD12 / G-CGPI / EC.135T2 / 0341 / Oban Town / 1237 / N/S / RHD12 / Kirkwall / 0947
RESCUE137 / XZ588 / Sea King / WA.854 / Lossiemouth / 1723 / RESCUE137 / Lossiemouth / 1732
11 / RHD12 / G-CGPI / EC.135T2 / 0341 / Kirkwall / 1451 / RHD12 / Castlebay / 1524
BEE8DE / G-FBJC / Emb.170 / 17000328 / Birmingham / 1616 / BEE8BG / Birmingham / 1657
12 / OVA32R / EC-JCU / Metro / AC-679 / Stornoway / 1358 / 20th / OVA21D / Benbecula / 1457
NJE7XM / CS-DMZ / Be 400XP / RK-559 / Aberdeen / 1420 / NJE782D / Northolt / 1630
DAT / D-CLAT / Ce 525B / 525B-0085 / Lowental / 1516 / N/S / DAT / Lowental / 0955
GMA556B / G-SASC / Be B200C / BL-150 / Stornoway / 1708 / GMA556B / Glasgow / 1736
13 / QGA470Q / D-IWWP / Ce 525A / 525A-0444 / Dusseldorf / 0743 / QGA471Q / Akureyi / 0827
EZE516B / G-CDKB / SAAB 2000 / 2000-032 / Scatsa / 1558 / N/S / EZE031P / Aberdeen / 0738
BEE325 / G-JECJ / DHC8-402 / 4110 / Birmingham / 1622 / BEE045W / Birmingham / 1727
NJE6GW / CS-DXB / Ce 560XLS / 560-5553 / Farnborough / 1705 / NJE6GW / Chalons / 1759
EZE518B / G-CDEB / SAAB 2000 / 2000-036 / Scatsa / 1747 / N/S / EZE032P / Aberdeen / 0733
BEE1JD / G-ECOB / DHC8-402 / 4185 / Manchester / 1750 / BEE047W / Manchester / 1935
BEE042P / G-FBJB / Emb.170 / 17000327 / Exeter / 2147 / x / Based / x
OVA44P / EC-HCH / Metro / AC-658B / Edinburgh / 2255 / OVA42P / Stansted / 2346
OVA43P / EC-HCH / Metro / AC-658B / Stansted / 0416 / OVA41D / Genoa / 1906
14 / BDI314 / OY-PBH / LET410 / 972736 / Aberdeen / 0623 / BDI314 / Kirkwall / 0706
SRG137 / XZ588 / Sea King / WA.854 / Lossiemouth / 1501 / 2xapp23 / Lossiemouth / 1521
15 / GMA581 / G-SASD / Be B200C / BL-151 / Glasgow / 0244 / GMA581 / Glasgow / 0506
SYG307 / G-WNCH / Be B200 / BB-1259 / Fairoaks / 0416 / SYG307 / Fairoaks / 0654
EZY32AB / G-EZTX / A320-214 / 4286 / Gatwick / 1055 / EZY23AB / Gatwick / 1147
GXA / G-BMXA / Ce 152 / 80125 / Perth / 1359 / GXA / Perth / 1453
OJO / OY-JJO / Be 400A / RK-267 / Billund / 1723 / 18th / OJO / Billund / 1032
SJT142 / HB-AEU / Do328JET / 3199 / Zurich / 2144 / N/S / SJT151 / Farnborough / 0918
16 / CWY999A / G-JAJK / PA31-350 / 8152014 / Aldergrove / 1043 / CWY999B / Liverpool / 1108
EZY153 / G-EZTE / A320-214 / 3913 / Luton / 1416 / EZY154 / Luton / 1509
SJT152 / HB-AEU / Do328JET / 3199 / Farnborough / 1428 / 20th / SJT121 / Farnborough / 1138
LNX35AB / G-LEAB / Ce 510 / 510-0073 / Luton / 1715 / LNX35AB / Glasgow / 1808
GMA591D / G-SASD / Be B200C / BL-151 / Stornoway / 1823 / GMA591D / Sumburgh / 1842
17 / RHD12 / G-CGPI / EC.135T2 / 0341 / Oban Town / 0937 / RHD12 / Kirkwall / 1040
GPY / G-HPPY / Lear 40 / 45-2102 / Florence / 1205 / GPY / Farnborough / 1322
OWO / OY-TWO / PC-12/47 / 863 / Billund / 1500 / OWO / Billund / 1602
GMA602B / G-SASD / Be B200C / BL-151 / Benbecula / 1903 / GMA602B / Aberdeen / 1942
18 / N0CN / N910CN / DA 50 / 59 / Bangor, ME / 0953 / 28th / N910CN / Frobisher Bay / 1113
N3RD / N463RD / TBM 700N / 463 / Biggin Hill / 1140 / 21st / N3RD / Biggin Hill / 1302
FPP / F-HBPP / Ce 525B / 525B-0013 / Le Mans / 1225 / FPP / Le Mans / 1339
NJE450M / CS-DFY / 125-800XP / 258863 / Heathrow / 2040 / N/S / NJE008T / Heathrow / 1903
19 / OCC / OO-ACC / Ce 525A / 525A-0431 / Antwerp / 0852 / 21st / OCC / Antwerp / 1553
V / GMA617 / G-SYGA / Be B200 / BB-1104 / Glasgow / 0857 / GMA617 / Glasgow / 0952
19 / PIX / PH-DIX / PC-12/45 / 309 / Weert/Budel / 0929 / 21st / PIX / Weert/Budel / 1555