Flew on the link once
I understood it was an experiment to link LHW-LGW, and when the M25 was completed, this was the end. The permission was based on a limited period.
Watched them do the hover checks at the beahive, at LGW, (actually not the beahive but the hangar next to the beahive.). Then hop over the road for the first flight of the day.
My parents lived on Epsom downs, I watched it overfly many times....
Another problem was the NIMBY noise. As it would try to stay VFR, sometimes the noise was almost a bad as normal LHR traffic. But then came Concorde, and on the downs, you could actually see and hear it roll from LHR......Now that was noise.......
Also from LGW on sereval ocassions gave a life to Islander crew back to Plymouth in our PA 24 250 that we based at LGW, we landed and took off several times from the high speed taxi way, but in them there days it was different. (and better). also several formation take offs, one breaks left, one right and the 1-11 followed the SID.....great for the occupancy stats.
I will dig into the old picture box and see if I still have the hop the road shots....
Bumz