SIC Aeroplanes

[trout]

Jim plays down aircraft problems

 

Originally published here

 

15 February, 2007

 

SHETLAND residents living on remote islands are getting very worried about the constant problems being suffered by their inter-island air service.

 

Mechanical problems have raised concerns in Foula and Fair Isle about the threat to flight safety, health service provision and the frequent disruptions to the daily air services.

 

Recently, Shetland Islands Council introduced a brand new Britten-Norman Islander to improve their inter-island service, but islanders are now saying the service is worse.

 

Last week the new Islander plane purchased by the SIC for £600,000 was stuck in Fair Isle with a cracked exhaust. It only flew off the isle yesterday (Wednesday) when engineers from England arrived with spare parts.

 

Other problems include difficulties starting engines in poor weather. Foula crofter Isobel Holbourn said: "I sat in the plane for 40 minutes at the tail end of last year when they tried to get one of the engines started and the other one wouldn't start. It's happening all the time.

 

"When the weather is cold she doesn't seem to start. You can't guarantee you will get out if the cold weather window comes."

 

English airline Directflight took over the service from Loganair six months ago, but yesterday were unavailable to comment on the problems being raised by islanders.

 

Ms Holbourn continued: "It often takes 20 minutes to get one or other of the engines started although they have come in and landed and the engines are still warm. It's happened 20 times at least since Directflight took over.

 

"There are some people getting quite twitchy about aircraft safety, if one engine won't start and the other cuts out over the ocean. It's not very good for passenger confidence."

 

A team from the council had planned to visit Foula, Fair Isle and Skerries to discuss the problems with members of the local communities on Monday, but they could not make it because of the plane being out of service in Fair Isle.

 

Shetland Transport Partnership, Zetrans, chairman Jim Irvine said: "I accept folk are concerned but I think an inordinate fuss has been made about the air service. They have a sea service as well, it is not as if they are isolated. Ultimately it is a Britten Norman problem, the plane is under warranty and they have to fix it.

 

"We are constantly trying to improve things with the islands' air service and intend to make things better. We will discuss all these matters when we visit the islands."

 

The plane that broke down for six days in Fair Isle left yesterday at 11.40am and was seen flying over the harbour in Lerwick at about midday.

 

As of today the scheduled flights are to return to normal, but confidence that they will stay that way has dipped within the island communities.

 

Fair Isle airstrip manager Dave Wheeler said: "The doctor has been trying to get in for a monthly visit but delays have affected this. Islanders have certainly been inconvenienced and it's been fairly difficult these last few weeks.

 

"Visitors have had to cancel day trips because planes have been delayed and people leaving Fair Isle have had to cancel appointments or trips further south.

 

"We have got no problems with the staff at Tingwall but the aircraft certainly seem to be giving problems."

 

The problems faced by these small Shetland islands have been compared to the wider problem of external links off and on to the isles as a whole.

 

Mr Irvine said: "Comparing this with the south service, NorthLink ferries are disrupted continuously with weather and this affects a lot more folk than on the outer islands.

 

"Also, my staff get regular complaints about delays and cancellations with the Loganair service from Sumburgh. Folk often go for a flight and are told they will have to go home again."

[Malachy]

Jim plays down aircraft problems

 

Jim Irvine said: "I accept folk are concerned but I think an inordinate fuss has been made about the air service. They have a sea service as well, it is not as if they are isolated.

 

Mr Irvine has presumably never been to the outer isles in winter. He perhaps doesn't know that our ferry service does a return journey only once a week. It's not really comparable with NorthLink is it?

It is quite different being delayed for one day in Shetland because the NorthLink won't sail from being stuck in Fair Isle for five days because it's too windy for the ferry and the plane's broken (and they won't fly at weekends!)

[Twerto]

hmm Sorry as this goes against the trend.. but what do you expect when you live in probably one of the remotest areas of the uk/europe/world.. At least you know if there was a serious emergency help is available.. I get the impression your expect there to be a round the clock service to Edinburgh.

[Ghostrider]

Maybe the question which needs answering on this one, is the service now being provided by the SIC via Direct Flight more, or less, reliable etc etc than it was when provided by the SIC via Loganair?

 

If the current status quo is less, or no more reliable than the former, given that there are now two planes, one brand new, dedicated to the service, and that the council made quite a few noises about how much "better" things were going to be, then flack and criticism is definitely due in their direction. OTOH if it can be shown that while far from perfect, things are better overall than previously, then maybe the isles folk are expecting, or have been led to believe to expect, that which is too much.

[BigMouth]

Are the SIC not victims of a circumstance not largely of their own making in reality? I am sure that what they did was done with the best of intentions. They can't be blamed for a breakdown of a new aircraft. They have put measures in place in case one failed. I fail to see what else could have been done.

[Malachy]

Nobody's expecting any more than previously. You're right Twerto, we've chosen to live in a remote place and accept the limitations that involves. People understand that weather-related delays are inevitable, especially in winter. Nobody is asking the council to change the weather.

But technical delays are different. The service now is less reliable than it was under Loganair, for the simple reason that the planes they are using now seem to be less reliable. This is a serious problem.

If the ferry to Unst broke down the service would be carried out by another ferry. When both planes are broken we don't have that option.

[Tom]

Da ya reacon will could sell a ferry and buy ten planes to shuttle people and frieght to yell? Cars would be trickier of course but just imagine tingwall with seven or eight islanders in a stack over head

 

Or just one?

 

http://www.globemaster.de/assets/images/c-17_abrams.jpg

[sludgegulper]

"Damn. I told them I wanted a green tank!"

[peeriebryan]

New Islander breaks down again from www.shetland-news.co.uk

 

The pilot had to hitch a lift back to the Tingwall airstrip on mainland Shetland with the Bond rescue helicopter which was exercising in the area at the time.

Oh, the irony!