Aberdeen overnighter 29-30/9/21

[keithh]

I decided it was about time I returned to Aberdeen to catch some oil support helis having not been there for over 30 years so booked flights from LHR for my mate Jeff and I. I booked us on the 8.40 flight and while waiting to board I logged the following.
B-LXF A350
9V-SMZ A350
B322Z A350
Our aircraft was G-TTNM A320neo and I had an aisle seat with Jeff just behind me. Across the aisle was a Chinese lady wearing a face mask, industrial goggles and blue latex gloves. On my right was a Chinaman similarly dressed but with a huge plastic visor instead of goggles, I felt like I was in the middle of some sort of Quatermass experiment. But I digress, we were soon on the ground in Aberdeen. Firstly we nipped up the embankment to look at the Bristows area and then walked behind their hangars to see if we could get a look inside however there was no reception that we could ask at, only the Departure terminal for heli passengers. We then went to the other side of the main terminal to find the viewing area closed sadly. We caught the X27 bus next, to Dyce station, just a short stroll from the mound on the far side of the airfield. After a quick look from the mound, we went behind the CHC area and I took some shots through the fence of their car park and caught three more helis through hangar windows. I was then very politely asked to spot from the road by a couple of CHC employees and I apologised and continued behind the buildings to the end where a few light aircraft were parked. We returned to the mound for a while before adjourning for lunch at the excellent cafe behind Dyce station. We then walked around the corner for a nice pint of cask ale in the Spiders Web pub and then spent the rest of the afternoon on the mound. Unfortunately from the photography point of view, the sun isn’t in a great place after noon and gets gradually worse as the sun goes down. Ideally you want to be on the mound in the morning and in the viewing area in the afternoon but that isn’t possible at the moment and, as you can only really see the Bristows stuff from the terminal, the mound is the place to be. We caught the bus back to the terminal area and scaled the bank again to catch a few that we missed whilst on the bus. The following is what we saw with types against those I needed.

LMRD
CLHW S 92A
FBXB ATR72
JMCP
TF-BBJ
PH-EXP
MRLI S92A
WNSG S92A
SAJJ
MAJY
SAJS E145
LGNI SAAB 340
SASD BEECH 200
SAJC E145
SAJL
LGNJ
NHVG EC175
NHVA EC175
IACD S92A
CICH S92A
IACE S92A
IACA S92A
CLGF S92A
MAJT
IACC S92A
CGCI S92A
5N-BWE S92A (recently issued with a British reg)
OMTX GLOBAL
MAJZ
SAJB E135
MCSP EC175
WNSU S92A
EMEC EC175
WNSV S92A
WNST S92A
EMEF S92A
CLNH S92A
EMEE S92A
WNSF S92A
SAJU
N91FX GLOBAL
LGNK SAAB 340
MCSI S92A
MCSF EC175
VINI S92A
MCSH EC175
MCSC AW139
MCSD AW139
PERD AW139
MCSM EC175
EMAA EC135 air ambulance 
ROOK
BPKM
BMIX TB20
NHVI EC175
BPRJ
LGNB SAAB 340
ETDC
CKXL S92A
IACB S92A
WNSE S92A
LN-WDG
LN-WDI these were two of the three Wideroe DHC8 I had seen!!
GNTF SAAB 340F
MCGI S92A coastguard
EI-FPS CRJ 900
MCSN EC175

We retired to our hotel, the Premier Inn for which we paid £29, and went around the corner to the Dyce Farm pub for dinner after freshening up. Sadly they had run out of cask ale but we did notice that they did a very cheap buffet breakfast. The next morning the weather had changed from glorious sunshine to pouring rain so, after the aforesaid breakfast, we got a cab for the short distance to the terminal. Our flight was 11.10 and I chose this flight as it was the cheapest combination with our outbound costing just over £80. As it turned out, it was a good decision with the weather and the viewing area closed and I don’t think we would have made much more if we had been there all day anyway. Our flight was delayed by 45 minutes or so as the aircraft held for helis landing. Our steed was TTNC today and we logged the following while we waited.

LN-WDK DHC8
NJAA CITATION 680
NHVU EC175
LGNM SAAB 340
SAJG
FBXA ATR72
TTNC
2-BILL ECLIPSE

Back at LHR I made one before heading home

ET-AXK 787

I made 37 helis including the coastguard but not the air ambulance so it was a very successful trip. I will post some shots when I’ve sorted them out.


DSC07031 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07033 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07034 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07035 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07037 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07038 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07041 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07042 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07044 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07051 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07053 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07054 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07055 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07056 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07070 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07074 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07077 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07079 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07080 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07081 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07082 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07083 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07085 by keith harbor, on Flickr

DSC07087 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07088 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07094 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07096 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07097 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07098 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07100 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07102 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07104 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07107 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07108 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07113 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07121 by keith harbor, on FlickrDSC07122 by keith harbor, on Flickr

[zz]

Very nice. Love Aberdeen airport. This makes me want to go back soon and catch up on the newer helis!

[graham]

Great selection of shots Keith, from somewhere I've never been to