Category Archives: Aircraft incidents

Sgurr Na Stri Skye only 494 metres it’s tiny but packs a punch! What a viewpoint one of the best and a sad night in 1982.

Posted on November 21, 2022 by heavywhalley.MBE

This was a mountain I hate to say I had never climbed. I was always to busy when on Skye climbing, traversing the ridge and rock climbing. My first ascent was one of the most wildest call-outs I can recall. … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Books, Islands, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, PTSD, Weather, Well being | 1 Comment

Ben Loyal – 764 metres and an epic rescue after a plane crash of a Handley Page Hampden.

Posted on November 20, 2022 by heavywhalley.MBE

My first impression of Ben Loyal many years ago sometimes called the “Queen of Scotland” was so impressive. It was a Misty day and the hill emerged as the hill cleared. You can see this mountain from a long way … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Books, Corbetts and other hills, Friends, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, People, Recomended books and Guides, Rock Climbing, Views Mountaineering, Well being | Leave a comment

Cranstakie and Beinn Spionnaidh and the Mosquito crash.

Posted on November 20, 2022 by heavywhalley.MBE

These are Twin Corbetts rising East of the A838 road from Rhiconich to Durness. The most Northerly Corbett is Beinn Spionnaidh. These are two Corbetts I never appreciated in my youth. There a long way North to these hills. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Articles, Books, Corbetts, Corbetts and other hills, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, Recomended books and Guides | Leave a comment

Remembrance Week – A forgotten story of the Wellington crash on Geal Charn near Ben Alder.

Posted on November 12, 2022 by heavywhalley.MBE

To me this is an incredible story not well known but worthy of being acknowledged as an incredible survival story of one of the crew. This crash site is in extremely remote country access can be wild in winter. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Avalanche info, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, People, PTSD, Views Mountaineering, Well being, Wildlife | 1 Comment

Remembrance Week – The Beinn Eighe Lancaster. March 1951.

Posted on November 11, 2022 by heavywhalley.MBE

IN THE MEMORY OF THE CREW OF LANCASTER TX264 Its 70 years since the crash of the Lancaster on Beinn Eighe. I was told of the story often and visited the site on many occasions. It is a situated in … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Articles, Books, Friends, Gear, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, People, Recomended books and Guides, Scottish winter climbing., SMC/SMT, Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being, Wildlife | 4 Comments

Remembrance week – Ben Macdui Avro Anson air crash remembered.

Posted on November 9, 2022 by heavywhalley.MBE

“Lest we forget” Many people visit Ben Mac Dui as the second biggest mountain in the United Kingdom it is a busy mountain. It is amazing how many visit this summit yet fail to notice a memorial marked on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Friends, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, Munros, People, Recomended books and Guides, Weather, Well being | 2 Comments

1977 – The Call-outs keep coming : Liathach, Loch Avon, Ben Nevis and Ben Dorian. A winter traverse West to East of Scotland

Posted on October 30, 2022 by heavywhalley.MBE

I remember some of these incidents wee. The incident on Liathach in Torridon was when a young ATC cadet fell from the Pinnacles. He was a young ATC guest who was put with the team. Liathach was snow covered and … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Articles, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, People, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being | Leave a comment

Hard times in the early years. Aircraft crash at Dornie and learning the hard way. Dealing with Trauma in the early days.

Posted on October 18, 2022 by heavywhalley.MBE

After the call out on Ben Nevis I was put on shift for the whole weekend and no break at all. Then ten days later the team was called out to an aircraft crash near Dornie at Kintail. This is … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Friends, Gear, Health, medical, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, People, PTSD, Views Mountaineering | 1 Comment

Early Callouts in 1972 – The harsh reality of Mountain Rescues.

Posted on October 17, 2022 by heavywhalley.MBE

At this time the call outs were fairly simple including a search for missing boy near Kinloss at Randolph’s Leap a popular walk near a steep gorge. We found him safe and well after a night search. The other was … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Equipment, Family, Friends, medical, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, People, PTSD, Rock Climbing, SMC/SMT, Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being | 2 Comments

A visit to a gentleman who tried to help us during these dark days of Lockerbie.

Posted on October 4, 2022 by heavywhalley.MBE

Today I visited Gordon Turnbull who lead the team of psychiatrists after the Lockerbie Disaster. He was in hospital in Inverness. He was at the forefront at that time of treating PTSD. When I arrived at Lockerbie I was asked … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Books, Friends, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, People, PTSD, Well being | 4 Comments