Emirates Airlines mark 10 years at Glasgow by sending their Airbus A380 to visit. The largest aircraft in the world certainly drew the crowds when it arrived this morning with cars and thousands of spectators literally lining the streets to watch.
The aircraft was flown by a Scottish Pilot too, Ian Weir from Clydebank. Captain Weir told the press; "There are quite a few Scottish pilots with Emirates. Glasgow has changed a lot since I have been away, especially at the SECC and the Hydro."
I was amazed to see just how popular this event was and it is very heartening to see the amount of interest in aviation in Scotland. We have seen a few unusual aircraft over the last week with Exercise Joint Warrior ongoing, none however come close to this size.
The first approach was a go around as there was a small technical issue that needed some investigation as a precaution. I suspect sanctioned or not, it was a wee display for the watching crowds.
There was a good deal of preparation on show by both the council and the airport authorities, just as well too. The crew will be the very best as you don't get to fly the flagship if you did not come well qualified.
There are currently no plans to use the A380 regularly from Glasgow as the passenger profile and demand suits a smaller aircraft, Emirates Airlines have not ruled out the possibility in future though. For more information on the airline, including bookings visit www.Emirates.com
The double decker Airbus has a wingspan of 79.5 meters and is 72.7 meters in length with a range of 8000 miles, it truly is a colossus. It even outstrips the worlds largest military transporter the Lockheed C5 Galaxy. Although the Airbus is 2m shorter it has a larger wingspan than the C5 by a whopping 9 meters and stands five meters taller. The 1970s vintage C5 has less than half the range as well only managing 3200 miles. This is a graphic illustration of jet engine development, but you can clearly squeeze a few more gallons of fuel into wings that size.
Pilots and enthusiasts like nothing better than a good yarn. Whether it is about a trip away from the local area, a near death experience or a funny comment over the radio. Let's hear your story and there will be a prize for the best one every month.
I hope some of the photographers I spoke to there will accept the invitation to show off their work here. If you provide an e-mail address I can update you when your page is ready and you will receive notifications when someone leaves a comment for you.
I appreciate that there is very little on this site at the moment for spotters and enthusiasts so I hope that this visit will be the beginning of a new direction. The turnout for the A380 at Glasgow has affirmed my idea that there is a good deal of interest in aviation in Scotland so I hope that this site will be an attractive forum for everyone to share ideas and knowledge.
The standard of photography around is absolutely stunning, and I could never hope to match either the skill or equipment levels of some of my readers. I promise that anyone who is kind enough to share their interest will receive full credit and kudos for their input.