Runway 23 at Heathrow - ever used?

[WHBM]

Is Heathrow runway 23 ever used nowadays ? It never seems to be in service even in fierce south-westerly crosswinds, nor is it used when one of the other runways gets blocked - they just go to single runway it appears. And the overrun at the southern end is occupied by parked T4 aircraft.

But I seem to recollect not long ago it was resurfaced at considerable expense. Knowing Heathrow, how was the Return on Investment on that justified ?

[eurostar builder]

it used to be fun watching planes land this way

[Mark Lewis]

Subject to a response I got fom Jerricho about this a while back, if my memory serves me correctly runway 23 is being decomissioned of sorts very shortly. Firstly due to engineering works on the surrounding taxiways, then due to the construction of the new tower on the end of it, and then due to an extension of the Europier finally being constructed over it.
Best wait for someone from LHR to confirm this though :}

[Algy]

Last time I was pax on 23 was on a dark and stormy night about two years ago(???) - horrendous delays due to single runway in use. Very puzzled pax watching unfamiliar parts of London slide by below.
It was quite a night actually, somewhere there is a string on Pprune about the conditions.

[Young Paul]

It is notam'ed out of use all winter, I believe, due to work in progress. Hope we don't have too many southerly gales ....

[Aksai Oiler]

I remember landing on 23 a couple of years ago on a very stormy night too.......
:\

[Red Four]

I suspect BAA would dearly love to close 23 and cover area around about with remote parking stands.

However, whilst they are NOT campaigning for a third runway north of 27R, they would have a lot of questions to answer from your average man on the Clapham omnibus, as to why they were getting rid of a runway whilst asking for another one that involves demolition/pollution/gridlock for a large area.

So I guess they would not announce death of 23 until after SERAS published.

[phreegreens]

I work north side at LHR (SITA) and I think the last time it was in use was October 2001, came as a mighty scare when I saw a BA A319 attempt a landing on the roof of a double decker on the Northern Peri Road..!

It was in use as there was a real decent gale blowing, I stood and watched for half and hour and at least two attempts resulted in go rounds, salaries were earned that day..

[Unwell_Raptor]

I grew up in Hayes, about 3 miles north of LAP (sic) and when the aircraft flew behind my house, across Southall, it was either raining hard or about to do so.

The other give away was the smell of coffee from the Nestles factory (sans accent aigu) - that also meant rain.

[Boss Raptor]

I grew up in Hayes as well...co-incidence as I really dont know Unwell_Raptor, or dont think I do...

Remember the 23 approach as my gran lived at the top end of Greenford Broadway, Pembroke Road, right under the 23 flightpath...many a dark, windy night I stood in the garden with my Air Wave radio, ducking into the old Anderson shelter until the next roar of jets and lights came across...

My mum lives the other side of Taylor Woodrow in Yeading and gets an equally good but not quite so close view of the flightpath.

The approach with all the turbulence from the buildings all the way down past Wembley was very bumpy and definately an experience...

Unwell Raptor - Remember 1st sign of 23 maybe going to be used was that smell of coffee from Nestles drifting up to Hayes in the SW wind - snap you already said it :ok:

[Fokkerwokker]

Remember landing my Trimoth on it in the early 80's during southerly gales. Huge fun.

Last bit of landing waited for deep intake of breath from F/E then flared! :ooh:

[5150]

Remember a F/E friend (now retired) mentioned once about landing on 23 in a very strong headwind.

Groundspeed was so slow that he said as soon as they touched down, they stopped!

Apparently the taxi was longer than the landing roll.....!

That was a few years ago mind..........

[sharpshot]

Remember it in use on Dec 24th 1999 - a howling gale!
Surely its worth bartering with - close it only when you get the nod for a third parallel.

[Young Paul]

Tch. A third parallel isn't what is needed. Runway 18/36 2800m long alongside the M25 - for short/medium departures and arrivals in 180/30+ - was what was needed. Unfortunately, T5 removes that possibility.

[Jerricho]

Hey guys,

Unfortunately (or fortunately) we probably won't see 23 again. As mentioned, it's NOTAMed out of use till next year.

Rwy 23 (lenght about 1960 metres) was promulgated as "available" when the crosswind component on the main runways exceeded 25 knots. It usually took upwards of 3-4 hours to get the airport ready for it, requiring the removal of a/c parked on certain stands etc. It also caused major headaches on the ground as it removed a major taxi route.

As there was not ILS fitted, we provided Surveillance Radar Approaches (SRA's) to 2 miles, in conjunction with ILS traffic that elected to land on 27L. It was always entertaining to see it used, as the weather was normally dire, and the drivers certainly earnt their money (I had the pleasure of seeing it twice).