Emirates A380 Heathrow - odd angle

[ilesmark]

All

I live in Ealing and am well used to the sight of planes every 90 secs following the usual flight path into LHR from the east, over central London then Richmond followed by Hounslow, passing well to the south of Ealing.

This AM, at about 11.40 I saw an Emirates A380 right over West Ealing itself, headed obviously towards LHR but from the north-east rather than the east.

Not only do planes not usually pass over West Ealing when landing, but this one was a lot lower than planes usually are at that distance from LHR and it had its landing gear down which again is unusual that far out.

Was anything the matter?

Mark

[iranair777]

Any chance you can plot a line on a map of what you think you saw?
At West Ealing I will understand if they are heading towards the north east, but flying from north east towards the south west over west ealing is very unusual. Where about in west ealing were you?

[jamesferns]

Odds on it was linked to those cracks in the wing structure, perhaps he was trying to avoid the ealing orphanage

[ilesmark]

OK - here you go. I was walking SW along Elers Road, having just come out of Lammas Park at the point where it meets Walpole Park. The black line is the route planes normally take; the red is the (approx) route I saw this A380 taking today with its wheels down

https://picasaweb.google.com/ilesmarkdavid/A380Route?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Mark

[One9iner]

Try and get the flight number and have a look at fltradar24. Sounds to me like a RV later than normal intercept on the the ILS, which would then require a lower altitude to intercept the GS from below. If so; non event.

Not sure what DME the FAF is for 27R/L at LHR...

[The SSK]

Elers Road! Good God, I lived there once.
Ghastly irish landlady. Used to let me have use of the bath plug once a week.
That was in the days of Vanguards and Comets though.

Sorry, I'm rambling. Time for the medication. Nurse!!

[ilesmark]

Not sure what DME the FAF is for 27R/L at LHR...

Hmm - that would depend on whether they use QNH or QFE for the FAF at LHR I suppose.

[ilesmark]

Used to let me have use of the bath plug once a week.

Once a week? LUXURY! I used to DREAM of having use of the bath plug once a week.........

[KBPsen]

Hmm - that would depend on whether they use QNH or QFE for the FAF at LHR I suppose.Eh, what?...

[TSR2]

You can follow the aircrafts path on Flight Radar. The flight in question would appear to be UAE1 and does seem to take a strange route although I'm not familiar with standard routings into LHR.

[Capn Bloggs]

Not sure what DME the FAF is for 27R/L at LHR...Hmm - that would depend on whether they use QNH or QFE for the FAF at LHR I suppose.
.........:D

[One9iner]

Ilesmark, I fear you may be slightly confused if you think pressure setting has an effect on the position of a FAF ;)

Having looked at flightradar, it's clear that the a/c leaves the Lambourne hold (NE London), travels west over N. London towards Wembley, before turning left, onto an easterly heading. You may have seen the a/c during this left turn! After travelling east it then make a right turn to intercept the ILS around Burgess Park.

It all seems pretty standard for a LHR arrival. The ILS intercept in this case, as in most cases, looks to be around 10 or so Dme.

[Capn Bloggs]

Ilesmark, I fear you may be slightly confused if you think pressure setting has an effect on the position of a FAF
Someone's confused, and it ain't Ilesmark! :p:{

[One9iner]

Do enlighten us?

[iranair777]

Very very very odd routing. maybe its the angle at which you saw it, but I never have in 10 years seen a routing like that onto the right

[One9iner]

It really isn't that strange :confused: . Lambourne hold, then an S shape flown under radar control from the hold to final approach course..

Where's Heathrow Director when you need him !

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I would uspect it was unusual for an A380 to be joining to ILS so close in but I've seen thousands of smaller aircraft do it.

[trident3A]

Interesting, I grew up around there and I remember seeing aircraft doing this very occasionally, can't say I've seen one in the last 20 years!

I posted a thread about it ages ago
http://www.pprune.org/spectators-balcony-spotters-corner/250405-egll-very-short-finals-80s.html#post2938798

I tried to retrace the flight in question here but it doesn't look anything out of the ordinary?
WebTrak: Heathrow (http://webtrak.bksv.com/lhr)

[DaveReidUK]

After travelling east it then make a right turn to intercept the ILS around Burgess Park.

It all seems pretty standard for a LHR arrival. The ILS intercept in this case, as in most cases, looks to be around 10 or so Dme.


I agree, I've just run a plot from captured ADS-B data and it looks like a perfectly normal 27R localiser join.

Given that the OP reported it overflying Ealing, are we sure we're talking about the same date - 18th Feb ?