Parabellum
It is common practice these days to ask the freighters and some specific types, e.g. B773, what their Vref is. This enables us to make some adjustment for the lack of slowdown inside 4nm.
It has been said before and bears saying again that the crux of the matter here is lack of spare runway capacity at the London airports. This lack is forcing ATC to try and make one size fit all, which of course it doesn't.
Spare capacity is not waste, it is part of essential safety management and enables ATC to allow room for individual characteristics/error. Unfortunately, the government's policy of making "best use of existing runways" works counter to good aviation practice. It is not the job of aircrew or ATC to make up for this lack but we very much feel under pressure to do so.
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