Heathrow's old runways

[foghorn]

Does anyone have any idea when Heathrow's old runways closed? 05(R), 05L/23R and the 33/15s (I think that was their alignment).

I'm interested in when they were declared surplus to requirements and made into aprons/taxiways.

cheers!
foggy

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Foggy. Closest I can get is that 15R/33L was closed in the late 60s (67ish?) and 23R/05L "two years later". This information is taken from a draft of a book "A History of Heathrow ATC", which may appear in print eventually.. Rwy 05(R) was closed in fairly recent times at the time when the 23 ILS was withdrawn and parking stands installed across the 05 threshold.

I'm busy for a fortnight but if nobody else comes up with the goods email me at [email protected] and I'll try and find out some more.

[Warped Factor]

Early 90's for 05R, I think.

WF.

[airsmiles]

I started a thread on the subject of 23/05 use last year but have forgotten the answer!
I think 05(R) closed in the early 70's. Do a search on the archives as some of the stories on 05 use were quite interesting.

[Warped Factor]

airsmiles,

I'm 99.9% certain 05(R) was still active when I was first posted to the tower in '89.

WF.

[This message has been edited by Warped Factor (edited 28 February 2001).]

[foghorn]

Thanks, guys, I'll look out for that book when it comes out. Were the other runways (15/33s, 05L/23R) ILS equipped or were they circling or non-precision approaches?

[wrecker]

33L was certainly open in winter 1967 as I remember landing on it in a Comet4

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

05R was definitely around until relatively recently - certainly much, much later than the 70s.

The only runways to have ILS were the current ones plus 23. The others would have had GCA/PAR or radar to visual.