Loch Earn
LOCH EARN: Private and commercial seaplane base (see also EDINAMPLE) and also known, at the west end of the Loch as Loch Earnhead.
*Note: Once Tim had set me up, well out in the Loch for my first flight in this type, ready to take-off I quickly opened up the throttle and G-DRAM spun around, much to his amusement. A lesson learnt. With this much power, compared to lesser powered floatplanes I had flown, the throttle has to gently advanced. Rather like flying a later type of Spitfire or Mustang I then realised.
Activities: GA private and training
Location: Loch Earnhead at SW end of Loch
Flying school: 2000: Caledonian Seaplanes
Period of operation: 1990? To present day
LOCH EARN PICTURE GALLERY - THE BASE
Whilst at Loch Earn the DHC-2 Beaver G-DHCB was there, but not being flown at that time as far as I was aware.
Note: All pictures by the author unless specified. Picture of the three aircraft by James Roland.
LOCH EARN - THE DRUMMOND HOTEL
NOTES: I have many happy memories of flying from LOCH EARN. A very good friend, James Roland, had a share in the 'Reims Rocket' Cessna FR172F floatplane G-DRAM and we concocted two projects using this aeroplane, both of which were featured in FLYER magazine as my role in both cases was to take notes, take the pictures and produce the articles. The first was to conduct landing in the A to Z of Scottish Lochs in one day. Right from the start the project foundered, as there is no X, Y and Z in Gaelic , in which language 99.9% of Scottish Lochs are named it seems. My response was to say, "No problem, we are pilots so we cheat the system - X, Y and Z will be the longest, deepest and largest Scottish Lochs. And so, after agreeing this was a perfectly good excuse we went ahead. See Loch Pattack for more info.
As far as we are aware this project was a record of sorts - not that we intended to break any records - the project being purely for a sense of fun and having accomplished something unique. In the end we landed on twenty nine Lochs.
For those few who have an interest in such things, here is a list of the Lochs we landed on, and our landing times having departed from LOCH EARN at 10.15:
LOCH TAY 10.28 LOCH LYON 10.46 LOCH DAIMH 10.55
LOCH RANNOCK 11.11 LOCH PATTACK 11.24 LOCH ARKAIG 11.48
LOCH OICH 12.05 LOCH MHOR 12.21 LOCH NESS 12.28
LOCH CLUANIE 12.48 LOCH GARRY 13.00 LOCH QUOICH 13.09
LOCH HOURN 13.16 LOCH MORAR 13.35 LOCH BEORAID 13.47
LOCH SHIEL 14.02
We diverted to LOCH LEVEN, landing at 14.30 in order to pick up fuel which had been transported in a bowser towed by Tim from LOCH EARN. And to have a lunch break. The people at LOCH LEVEN were delighted to have us visit and asked us to return as often as possible.
LOCH FRISA 15.58 LOCH na KEAL 16.07 LOCH UISG 16.26
LOCH AWE 16.50 SOUND of JURA 17.02 WEST LOCH TARBET 17.22
LOCH LOMOND 18.05 LOCH IUBNAIR 18.44 LOCH VOIL 18.50
LOCH EARN 18.57
This was the end of project, and on landing we shook hands and both had the same idea - it wasn't dark so let's do another. We took off again and landed on LOCH LUBNIG.
THE SECOND PROJECT
The second project was to fly G-DRAM down south in 2003, (the so called anniversary of powered flight), to celebrate once again having a floatplane operating in England. In that case we operated out of Swanage Bay in Dorset.
A few years later G-DRAM was converted to be an amphibian, but, it took off from a field alongside the seaplane base, having been converted to a landplane. That flight was also flown by my very good friend James Roland.
Whilst at LOCH EARN I took the opportunity to fly the Super Cub G-BWUB operated by Caledonian Seaplanes. We flew to the Drummond Hotel at the other end of the Loch for lunch, a popular venue for those learning the arcane arts of floatplane flying.
THE COMMENT
Re the comment below. Hi Hamish, yes indeed, this Guide is by the same Dick you met and who still 'lunches out' on the adventures shared in DRAM. Please give her a gentle pat on the cowling from me.
Hamish Mitchell
This comment was written on: 2016-04-01 21:03:26Is that Dick by any chance? Hello, and greetings from G-DRAM land. Hamish www.scotlandonfloats.com
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Hamish, It is indeed me. Many thanks for getting in touch. Hope you like the web-site. Best Regards, Dick
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