Loganair thrills AvGeeks on Twin Otter flight to Barra

At what point does a commercially scheduled flight transition to a sightseeing adventure? That’s the question a group of four #AvGeeks, including myself, sought to answer on a gloomy January day in Scotland. Scottish regional airline Loganair has the distinction of operating one of the world’s most unique flights. It’s likely the only service in... The post Loganair thrills AvGeeks on Twin Otter flight to Barra appeared first on Runway Girl.

Jan 29, 2025 - 01:38

Loganair thrills AvGeeks on Twin Otter flight to Barra

At what point does a commercially scheduled flight transition to a sightseeing adventure? That’s the question a group of four #AvGeeks, including myself, sought to answer on a gloomy January day in Scotland. Scottish regional airline Loganair has the distinction of operating one of the world’s most unique flights. It’s likely the only service in the world to use a tidal beach as the runway. Barra Airport, on the island of Barra, was our destination for a quick day trip to check off another item on our bucket list.

Booking the Barra flight is a remarkably unremarkable experience, available just like any other flight in Loganair’s network. I had selected the mid-tier Fly Flex fare to ensure I could select a seat, as there’s no chance I would be foregoing a window seat on this trip. Booking went without a hitch, and I was even able to load my flight into Loganair’s surprisingly robust iOS app and issue a mobile boarding pass in the days leading up to the flight. Our booking gave us a couple of hours on the ground in Barra to enjoy lunch and explore a bit.

Unfortunately, a phone call came in from Loganair the day before departure that our outbound flight had been cancelled. The representative asked if I’d like to refund my trip or change my plans, but I declined to answer for the moment.

A later email clarified that I was automatically reconfirmed on the later flight to Barra. This would still allow for a day trip, but reduced the time in Barra to however long it would take to turn the aircraft around. Not ideal, but at least we’d still get to go!

For whatever reason it seems the rebooking didn’t actually take place, and Loganair’s check-in agent was a bit confused about our situation and needed a manager to remedy the tickets. Once sorted, the security process at Glasgow was a breeze and we were boarding for an on-time departure.

Loganair operates a fleet of three 19-seat de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, with 11 seats occupied on our outbound flight.

Thankfully, I retained a seat on the left side of the aircraft which is both a window and aisle seat. After a brief safety announcement from one of the two pilots, we were on our way to Barra.

The Twin Otter doesn’t offer much in the passenger cabin and that’s fine as far as this #PaxEx writer is concerned. I had plenty of legroom and was able to stash my bag under the seat in front of me.

An air nozzle pumped in fresh air, which is more than I can say for a lot of brand new aircraft operating 15-hour flights.

The most impressive thing about this aircraft is the fully glass cockpit, a rarity for an aircraft of this class and something the captain was particularly keen to show off before our departure.

Brisk winds had us circling around back to Barra Airport from the northwest, but the beautiful thing about landing on a tidal beach is that the aircraft can land in just about any direction given the stiff winds.Before long, we were on the sand and taxiing to the terminal building. The most remarkable thing about the landing was how smooth it all was. I wasn’t sure how it would feel landing on sand, but it barely felt any different than a typical landing.Barra’s airport recently received a major facelift; it now sports a beautiful terminal building with an integrated cafe. Our short turn meant no time to enjoy a meal, however.

Loganair’s staff are no strangers to our type of short trip, as we were met at the door with freshly printed boarding passes for the return journey.

With the wind whipping and lingering tidal water splashing around the now noticeably dirtier Twin Otter, a nearly full load of passengers found their seats and prepared to depart the beach.

The aircraft’s wheels kicked up splashes of sea water and sand and almost instantaneously we were once again in the air.

The views of the Scottish coastline and amazing cloud formations made this a flight I’ll remember for many years to come, as will the memory of my aircraft parked out on a beach that in just a few short hours would be swallowed by the sea.