More JK on 28L single
Ahhh the sweet nostalgia of it all......I was showing a controller from Shannon Tower round the Heathrow VCR one afternoon in the mid 70s and it was 28L SRO - JK on air deps, string of departures at the holding point. One Trident on the roll, one Trident lining up for an immediate, one Trident at outer marker (can you guess what it's going to be yet?) Unusually JK waited for the departing Trident to lift off before giving second Trident take off clearance but at least he told the first one to make an early right turn. "Bealine 457 expect very late landing clearance, company traffic just rolling" "errr roger, 457" came the muted reply. The departing Trident had just made it past Rwy 23L intersection as the landing Trident came over the lights, who said "457 overshooting" , JK said "roger, break left" and the overshooting Trident was on take off power over the new cargo area construction site abeam the now rotating Trident - yes - who was on a Dover SID. (still with me?) JK told the overshooting Trident to make an early turn to Epsom, climb to 3000ft and gave the now airborne Trident traffic info and told him to keep him in sight before turning left, I think they got vertical by Chertsey. I turned to my visitor, whose jaw had just rested on the lighting panel and nervously giggled "bit busier than Shannon I guess". Just as the outside phones started to ring with noise complaints......