Heathrow Runway Alternation

[ex-EGLL]

Ok, to start, hopefully this doesn't come across as another old f*rt complaining about "in my day we did it this way, why has it changed"!! More that I am genuinely interested in the reason!

I have noticed on FR24, that when the runway change on westerlies occurs, aircraft will often be given a spin around the hold, even though (to my aging) eyes there was no need to, assuming standard spacing was maintained. Back in the late 70's if I recall correctly we would maintain standard spacing at 1500 albeit with a runway change. Now there seems to be a 15-20 mile gap between the last lander on one side and the first on the other. My guess is this it to get checker on for an uninterrupted runwat inspection. Is this true.

ex-egll

[Gonzo]

We do the runway inspection from 1500 onwards on the 'new' arrival runway. That requires a sterile runway, not an on/off inspection.

[ex-EGLL]

Thanks Gonzo, I guessed that was the answer! Takes all the fun away though!

[LOWI]

It's all about health and safety. Such a thing barely existed when the OP was flying into LHR. 😉

[Brian 48nav]

I'll think you'll find the OP is en ex-Egll ATCO -the 1500 westerly runway alternation was there in his day and certainly in mine ( 86- 2000 ) - all to do with noise abatement not Modern H & S.

[LOWI]

I'll think you'll find the OP is en ex-Egll ATCO -the 1500 westerly runway alternation was there in his day and certainly in mine ( 86- 2000 ) - all to do with noise abatement not Modern H & S.

A sterile rwy insp sounds like elf & safety and not noise abatement to me Brian.

[Brian 48nav]

I take your point but I was referring to the OP's and my time - not today's risk-free world.

[ex-EGLL]

A sterile rwy insp sounds like elf & safety and not noise abatement to me Brian.
Thanks Brian! never did fly in there at the pointy end, just told them all where to go! If it's elf and safety related, does that mean any inspection by checker needs a sterile runway, or does checker just do one run at 1500? What about Easterlies where ther is no alternation, is a sterile environment provided for that?

ex-egll

[Musket90]

I believe 4 x Ops vehicles do the routine inspections. "Seagull" plus one from mid-point to the end and "Checker plus one from start to mid-point. So sterile runway ensures no risk of vehicle incursion. Also having the 4 x vehicles ensures a thorough and effective inspection.

[Gonzo]

The usual procedure is for two vehicles now.

There are contingency procedures for lack of qualified staff which counter-intuitively means more vehicles.

[cossack]

I heard a story a while back, from an airport north of the wall, that the two vehicles involved in a sterile runway inspection managed to crash into each other.