Buchan Aero Club members shed light on glider arrival
QUICK-thinking members of the Buchan Aero Club helped a glider in distress at Longside Airfield recently.
At around 9pm on Thursday, August 13 two members Alfie Thomson and Gordon Smith were alerted by Aberdeen Air Traffic Control to the fact that a motor glider, which for technical reasons could not land at Aberdeen, had been diverted to land at Longside - home of Buchan Aero Club.
With light fading fast and just as Alfie and Gordon arrived at the airfield, the glider was in the circuit and lining up on finals to land.
To assist the safe landing in the fast diminishing light the two club members illuminated the runway with their car headlights.
Thankfully the aircraft landed safely much to everyone's relief.
It transpired the crew were two German aviators who had flown from Iceland via Wick hoping to land at Aberdeen, but were very grateful to be allowed to land at Longside.
Alfie explained: "They were on a promotional tour with the Stemm S10UT motorized glider, and were told by the makers to go and do something amazing and take lots of pictures!
"They were both given the usual Buchan Aero Club hospitality Gordon took them to the find accomodation at the Palace Hotel and to Zanres for a fish supper which they thouroughly enjoyed."
They flew out the next day heading for Berlin via Southend.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Peterhead
Friday 18 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 5 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North east
