Thursday, 8 October 2009
Fly me to school
After following a link from Fletcher Saga (Stronsay) about inter-island flights in Orkney, my jaw dropped. S1/S2 pupils from Eday are flown to school on Mondays on a dedicated flight. Similarly, itinerant teachers are flown round the islands on dedicated flights as well. Oh well, go to Orkney for unusual air movements...
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The Bank fly to their customers as well, see the ads on tv. People have flown inter-island in Orkney since the 1930s. Indeed one of the pioneers of domestic air routes, Ted Fresson, said that the people of Orkney were the most air minded in Britain. I suspect that that is no longer the case in this age of low cost airlines. Ted Fresson's autobiography, "Air Road To the Isles," was republished a couple of years ago, it makes an interesting read.
ReplyDeletePupils from all the North isles are flown to school weekly, they board in a hostel weeknights and get home at the weekends.
ReplyDeleteIt is cheaper to fly them home , not to mention better for them & their families, than to keep them in a hostel all weekend with its attendant expenses of employees, heating, food etc.
Back in the 70's, when I was a pupil, we got home for a weekend once a month by boat, missing one friday & mondays schooling per month, the boat trip could be anything up to 7 hours, depending on which order it went around the islands.
Teachers generally fly out to the primary schools on the islands on a scheduled flight. These arent the everyday class teachers, but ones with specialist subjects, like music & PE
Obliged to Mara for clarifying the underlying reasoning behind this unique arrangement. I am aware, from own experience, that Orkney has a good inter-island air-service to complement the sea-links.
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