LHR flights diverted at request of RAF

[chopper2004]

One is not sure how much to read into this , can’t imagine another drone incident.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/17/flights-heathrow-diverted-raf-demands-use-airspace-12074521/

[Mil-26Man]

One is not sure how much to read into this , can’t imagine another drone incident.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/17/flights-heathrow-diverted-raf-demands-use-airspace-12074521/

From the MoD:

https://twitter.com/DDCRAFPO/status/1218144948110970880

[Cerney218]

Isn't Northolt helicopters only at the moment?

[R T Jones]

I happened to look at plane finder this morning and couldn't work out why there was no aircraft on approach or departure and the 4 holds were full of aircraft. Thought maybe it was a runway change but when I saw the diverts I thought perhaps not. Interesting but I'm sure we'll never find out the real reason why!

[Capt Scribble]

Has Harry legged it at short notice!

[cessnapete]

Maybe minor delays to MOD, but at a cost of many £££££ to the airlines. Mass holding, Long Haul aircraft diverted, and great disruption to passengers.

[MPN11]

Nothing to do with an Islander, I assume? ;)

[Squiffy Pussy]

Nothing to do with an Islander, I assume? ;)

Mods please close down this thread on security grounds.

[Davef68]

Nothing to do with an Islander, I assume? ;)

Only if visiting from Aldergrove. The Northolt ones have gone (or have they ? :-))

[beardy]

If you want some pictures of the Islander, you can find them here:

Islander at RAF Northolt (http://flyingart.co.uk/SHOP/contents/en-uk/d55.html)

But it's not there is it

[Fortissimo]

Maybe minor delays to MOD, but at a cost of many £££££ to the airlines. Mass holding, Long Haul aircraft diverted, and great disruption to passengers.

But not as great a disruption as from a major security incident. This was clearly an operational sortie for which we don't need to know the details, but it would be reasonable to assume that it was being done for a good reason (the public benefit) rather than simply to annoy LHR.

[pr00ne]

The Northolt Islanders were replaced by civilian Piper Navajo‘s some years ago, as referenced here on Pprune several times.

[dmcg]

Piper Navajos replaced by Islanders.

[Buster the Bear]

Piper Navajos replaced by Islanders.

Islanders are back, albeit civilian.

[LBIA]

One of the RAF'S BAe 146's, ZE707 flew into LBA earlier this morning routing direct from RAF Northolt, Did this cause a problem on departure?

[UltraFan]

But not as great a disruption as from a major security incident. This was clearly an operational sortie for which we don't need to know the details, but it would be reasonable to assume that it was being done for a good reason (the public benefit) rather than simply to annoy LHR.

Must've found WMDs in Iraq. Had to dispatch Mr. Henry Mountbatten to investigate.

[chevvron]

Isn't Northolt helicopters only at the moment?
Nah, runway re-opened in Nov.

[nohold]

Not that it has anything to do with the actual thread...

The Northolt runway was open for based assets from October, visitors were allowed in a little later.

[KPax]

All 3 of RAF Northolt Station Flight ac BN-2T Islander CC2s have been disposed of recently, following their replacement by civilian-contracted aircraft. The change has not been publicly announced, no doubt due to the clandestine nature of the intelligence-gathering operations of these aircraft. Their role is now being carried out by two Piper PA-31-310 Navajo Cs, G- G-SCMR and G-SCTR, operated by from the same Northolt Station Flight hangar as the Islanders by 2Excel Aviation Scimitar business unit Both aircraft are fitted with an under-nose FLIR turret, but details of their other role-specific equipment are unknown.
All on Google.

[dmcg]

Don’t believe Google. That information is out of date.

[MPN11]

Well, whichever sneaky-beaky 'asset' it was, it certainly bu$$ered LHR, and numerous airlines.

Sadly the minimal anonymity of the 'assets' has been well breached.

I hope the operational need justified the CivAir chaos it created.

[kkbuk]

Why all this talk of 'assets'? Why not aircraft? One does not take a Transport for London 'asset' to move around the Central Line. More Americanspeak or Managementbabble.

[Fonsini]

Flight GAF612 Northolt to Hamburg, departed 8.55am and looks to have cut straight across the London CTR en route. A German Air Force Bombardier BD-700 Global 5000, one of their VIP Executive Transport Wing Aircraft. It likely dropped someone off in Hamburg and then went back to it’s base in Cologne 39 minutes after touchdown.

Angela dropping off the keys for the new owners ?

Edit - I suppose the RAF did say one of “our” assets....

[Asturias56]

Possibly returning Ms Ursula von der Leyen after her talks with Boris on BREXIT? She represents a constituency near Hanover and was Minister of Defence until last year?

[nohold]

Ecky thump, thread-drift or what!

[dmcg]

Isn’t it about time that a certain POTUS was mentioned in this thread? After all, some of his assets were at Northolt last month, so I am surprised that a tenuous link has not yet been suggested :)

[chevvron]

Musta been something important for Northolt to be open at 9 am Devil
I would guess the 'sneaky beakies' don't broadcast an ADS-B signal for security reasons; be too easy whoever they're looking for to track them on FR24 if they did.

[Geezers of Nazareth]

Musta been something important for Northolt to be open at 9 am Devil
I would guess the 'sneaky beakies' don't broadcast an ADS-B signal for security reasons; be too easy whoever they're looking for to track them on FR24 if they did.

Northolt opens at 8am. And, the spylanders are able to fly well before that and well into the evening and night.

FR24 isn't the only thing you can look at ... there are others.

[VinRouge]

Northolt opens at 8am. And, the spylanders are able to fly well before that and well into the evening and night.

FR24 isn't the only thing you can look at ... there are others.
plus you can switch off ADSB all you want. You can still MLAT triangulate off of mode C/S as other websites do with an unredacted feed.

[oscarisapc]

I assume that most routine Northolt traffic (VIP or otherwise) either fits seamlessly into the Heathrow pattern or goes round it. Only conjecture, but much more likely that a “secret asset” developed an in flight emergency and the RAF responded to a Mayday. I imagine that had a civilian “asset” required an emergency priority approach to Heathrow, similar delays to other civilian traffic would have occurred, but we would all understand why and the topic would have gone away by now. This is a common fault of the security services – to let everyone know that there is a secret which you are not sharing. Nothing arouses public curiosity more.

[Warren Peace]

plus you can switch off ADSB all you want. You can still MLAT triangulate off of mode C/S as other websites do with an unredacted feed.

That's not true, sadly.

Because all Mode C transmissions look/sound the same, it is not possible to MLAT using them.

Mode S carries (what ought to be) an airframe specific code, which differentiates between Mode S transponders, and is tied to a Registration/Callsign as well as showing a mission specific callsign if entered.

[6foottanker]

One of the RAF'S BAe 146's, ZE707 flew into LBA earlier this morning routing direct from RAF Northolt, Did this cause a problem on departure?

No, nor on arrival.

[Navy_Adversary]

Was there a RAF Waddington asset flying around the area? 54 or 5 sqns?

[Davef68]

Don’t believe Google. That information is out of date.

Or someone needs to use different Google terms.

[ericsson16]

Why all this talk of 'assets'? Why not aircraft? One does not take a Transport for London 'asset' to move around the Central Line. More Americanspeak or Managementbabble.
Could't agree more. An asset is anything of value or a resource of value that can be converted into cash. Individuals, companies, and governments own assets.

[steamchicken]

https://www.flightradar24.com/2020-01-17/09:09/12x/E55P/238d51f1

[Asturias56]

https://www.flightradar24.com/2020-01-17/09:09/12x/E55P/238d51f1


can you tell us what we should be looking at on the FR replay please?

[Duchess_Driver]

can you tell us what we should be looking at on the FR replay please?

Possibly that the BNN, LAM, OCK and BIG holds all get busy?

[steamchicken]

An a/c that routes from Farnborough to Northolt between 0909 and 0945, squawk E55P. It departs to the SW from Farnborough, does a 180 degree turn, passes to the W of LHR, turns NE towards Northolt, one orbit near Hayes, eventually routes to the north past Uxbridge and arrives into Northolt from the NE, landing to the SW.

[Asturias56]

Thankyou! I suppose it was faster than driving up the M25 at that time of the day..............

[treadigraph]

Steamchicken, that was an Embraer Phenom CS-PHD which remained at 8000' until downwind for Northolt.

[Asturias56]

Net jets Europe by the look of it..................