Golden plane makes special flight on Orkney anniversary

Image caption The gold painted Islander was 30 minutes late arriving at Kirkwall airport

A golden Islander plane has made a special island-hopping flight from Kirkwall to five of Orkney's north isles, to mark the 50th anniversary of scheduled services operated by Loganair.

It comes as the airline faces competition on Orkney and Shetland routes for the first time.

Image caption The plane took off on a whistle-stop tour round five of Orkney's north isles

Image caption The Islander plane, which has been in service for 50 years, has operated the routes since they began

Image caption Sandy Firth from Kirkwall was on the very first north isles flight from Kirkwall ...

Image caption ... he still has the return tickets he was given 50 years ago.

Image caption The plane flew over the Orkney mainland

Image caption First calling point for the special flight was the airport in Stronsay

Image caption Ian Cooper, chair of Stronsay Community Council, said getting the inter-isles flights was just like getting on a bus

Image caption Back in the air and the plane headed for Sanday

Image caption School children turned out in force to greet the flight when it landed in Sanday

Image caption Jim Lennie, who has just retired from working at the Sanday airfield, remembers having to clear cows off the landing strip - and cow manure off aircraft. He cut the ribbon to officially open the new terminal building.

Image caption The mist begins to close in as we fly from Sanday to North Ronaldsay

Image caption North Ronaldsay terminal building

Image caption Christine Muir from North Ronaldsay says Loganair pilots saved her life when she went into labour very early and she needed to be urgently taken to hospital in Aberdeen - though sadly the baby died

Image caption It was pretty windy by the time the plane landed in Papa Westray

Image caption A small group gathered on the airstrip at Papa Westray for the presentation of a plaque to mark the 50th anniversary of the air service

Image caption The flight from Papa Westray to Westray takes less than a minute and a half - the shortest scheduled air service in the world

Image caption A small crowd gathered at Westray airfield to watch the special plane come in ...

Image caption ... though some locals didn't look too impressed

Image caption A scheduled stop off at Eday was cancelled because of timing problems, so the plane headed back to Kirkwall where Loganair bosses unveiled a final plaque in the terminal building

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