Loganair Saab 340s
Two Loganair Saab's at Inverness Airport at 7:00am. One for Stornoway and one for Kirkwall. Neither in BA Livery, interestingly.
I must admit I miss the old red Loganair paint work, the ghost of which can be seen in the "Loganair - Scotland Airline" logo. I have a soft spot for the airline, as one of their planes once came back for me once (seriously) when I was very late at Inverness Airport for a flight to Wick on on to Kirkwall.
They went through a dodgy stretch in the 90's when using Short 360's (affectionately known as the Vomit Comet - I still shudder remembering a long instrument apprach to Sumburgh on very stormy winter day, the pilot started his approach run over Foula!).
Then they introduced the Saab's - fast, comfortable, and stylish. Things do occasionly go wrong however.......
A February day, and the early morning flight from Inverness to Stornoway. Very Windy. No Very Very Windy. We made a crab like approach to the North South Runway, and landed sideways, just as a huge gust caught the wingtip. Instead of the carrying up along the huge Stornoway runway, we went sideways across, engines roaring (and hearing the pilot saying "bugger" over the intercom as fought to control the plane), the front wheel turning 360 degrees and us ended up nose down in the peat - half on half off the runway.
Dead silence in the aircraft - nobody hurt, but not quite sure what to do. I looked out the window and saw the crash carts rushing towards us, blue lights flashing.
At that point - and with impeccable timing - the Loganair Stewardess anounced:-
"Welcome to Stornoway Airport"
