From Google's cached version of
http://www.shockcone.co.uk/hs121/trident/tales.htm :
Originally Posted by R.G. (former Trident pilot)
Shuttle arrivals into Heathrow with easterly ops were routed to Westcott then onto Garston (now renamed Bovingdon) then a westerly radar heading towards Marlow, left turn to Maidenhead and then the ILS 10L.
If Heathrow was "quiet" there was always the chance of the infamous "Westcott Snatch", basically 180 degree heading from Westcott direct to Maidenhead with the speed kept up, reducing the track distance by about twenty miles. If the offer of the snatch was made overhead Westcott then speedbrake and/or reverse idle might be needed to get the height off.
On the approach in question we were flying with one of our very senior management Captains who obviously did very little flying and very very little Shuttle. The Captain had done the sector to Manchester with myself as P2 and it was the other copilots sector back to Heathrow.
The standard operation had the Captain handling the autopilot and the copilot doing the radio. It was relatively quiet so, about ten miles short of Westcott the copilot enquired of Air Traffic.. "What's the chance of a Westcott Snatch".. "Looking good " was the reply. The management type who had obviously not heard of the "Snatch" seemed confused. He obviously thought about it and after a short period turned to the copilot and asked "what heading do you think we will get?"... In a flash the copilot enquired of Air Traffic... "and the Snatch heading?" Air Traffic responded "You should get the standard heading".
It was by now getting rather too much for the Captain. His next question.. "And the speed?".. "I'll check with ATC"... "And the speed?"...Air Traffic were now enjoying the whole episode "Standard Snatch speed"
The Captain not having a clue what to expect then played his master card. He turned to the copilot and stated "I haven't done a Snatch in a while, perhaps you could demonstrate one for me" at which point he leaned down and moved the autopilot compass switch from Port to Starboard!
Reverse idle, full airbrake by the copilot and the situation was recovered.
Throughout the episode I just sat quietly as P3 and smiled.
And one I especially like (to those for whom this won't be stating the bleedin' obvious, Lord King was BA Chairman at the time):
Paris-Heathrow, Delays due to Paris Air Show, Airborne slot allocated but just before starting informed by Ops that Lord King's Kingair will be taking the slot and we are to get the next one.
By the time we got to Biggin the Kingair was only about three miles ahead, heading 280 degrees at FL70 for an easterly landing at Heathrow. The controller, having held us at FL80 suggested the Kingair was "doing 140kts so we might catch him and with no other traffic we can keep our speed up!"
What more could you want? Keeping you speed up in a Trident 1 meant 380Kts, so as we passed directly over the Kingair 1000' above him it looked as if he was going backwards at 240kts!
