Furthering the thread drift but what about the last time 05 was used. I flew into LHR many many times but never on 23 though on return from our honeymoon we did use 05 to arive back in a freezing UK after a week in sunny Faro.
Great view from right overhead Heathrow as we approached -presumeably something like over head the Airport and then a long downwind southwest to comeback in across the Thames upstream from Staines. Was 05 a 'talkdown' appraoach ?
Also saw a Swissair Caravelle pop the chure in the 60s quite a sight when not expecting it.
Also amusing to see the FO climb out of the flightdeck window and shimmy down a rope to check on something after it stopped
PB