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Old 4th Apr 2002, 16:16
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InFinRetirement
 
Join Date: Apr 1998
Location: 18m N of LGW
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Out of pure interest - or not as the case may be.

In March 1972 BAA announced that there would be no further GA aircraft allowed to land at LHR after the end of the month.

So, on 29th March, as the landing fees for GA at LHR were around 40p! Yep, that's right, I grabbed a friend and called LHR and got the OK to go in there from Biggin - in an R.F.5 (G-AYZX). I was held over the Kingston by-pass for a few minutes and then given vectors to approach. I kept my speed up - all of 120kts! - and put gear down about 1'2 mile out - on 28R then - and landed in what appeared to be about 30 feet due to the perspective of 10,000 runway ahead. There were a few anxious moments in the Tower I heard from the FollowMe guy, because they couldn't see the ONE main wheel and two outriggers that the RF5 has. Wondering if I was going to land wheels up!

It was a flight lasting 35 minutes. At 1700 I was airborne again back to Biggin in 30 minutes but not without a small incident when an Air France Caravelle blew my starboard wing hard into the ground, which, fortunately, didn't break the outrigger.

Sorry! Just had to get the memory out of my logbook, and thought I might as well mention it.
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