R/W 05 arrivals at EGLL
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R/W 05 arrivals at EGLL
With the recentish demise of the r/w 23 approach option at LHR (I think that's a true statement) - Am keen to understand if anyone recalls the even rarer use of r/w 05? and it's last use?
I can recall a very blustery night in late Autumn circa 1985/6 it being used for landings - visual only of course. I can still remember a hoary old BA Tristar captain commenting to the tower that "he hadn't done that for blo*dy years"
cheers
I can recall a very blustery night in late Autumn circa 1985/6 it being used for landings - visual only of course. I can still remember a hoary old BA Tristar captain commenting to the tower that "he hadn't done that for blo*dy years"
cheers
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Yep - done it both as Tower and Radar controller. I recall urging a Trident to speed up in an attempt to race a heavy snow shower approaching from the north.. It arrived at the 05 threshold same time as the Trident, resulting in a go-around and diversion.
I can almost certainly find the date it closed, if nobody else comes up with the answer.. Anything else you want to know just shout...
I can almost certainly find the date it closed, if nobody else comes up with the answer.. Anything else you want to know just shout...
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Thanks very much for your reply - and always enjoy any story involving a Trident.
I remember the use of 05 being an odd sight from the ground - a/c in the sky where one simply wasn't used to seeing them ! - It was very infrequent if my memory serves me correctly, must have given the residents of Ashford a few head scratching moments !
I remember the use of 05 being an odd sight from the ground - a/c in the sky where one simply wasn't used to seeing them ! - It was very infrequent if my memory serves me correctly, must have given the residents of Ashford a few head scratching moments !
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When we were trialling PAPIs as a replacement for VASIs in the early 1980s'they' put a set on 05, where they would get used about twice a year. I never could work that one out!
I once watched a Kuwait 747 DEPART from 05 - an absolutely howling NE gale. As HD says, it mostly seemed to be used when snow was around. SRAs to 2 miles - really low movement rate, but very handy for the Tridents & BD DC9s for the Bravo cul-de-sac and the pre-Eurolonge Deltas.
The Odd One
I once watched a Kuwait 747 DEPART from 05 - an absolutely howling NE gale. As HD says, it mostly seemed to be used when snow was around. SRAs to 2 miles - really low movement rate, but very handy for the Tridents & BD DC9s for the Bravo cul-de-sac and the pre-Eurolonge Deltas.
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Sorry, SLF wandering into this forum - when did RW23 disappear from use? Apologies for being ignorant to these things ...
When 23/05 was in use, what was the max aircraft size on it?
Jordan
When 23/05 was in use, what was the max aircraft size on it?
Jordan
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This was a use of Runway 05 that I remember from my early days in ATC.
http://www.airdisaster.com/special/s...-boac712.shtml
I think that the engine fell near Staines, not Hounslow as stated in the above article. It was a superb bit of flying - departing from 28L and a tear drop to land on 05, all in about 5 minutes.
I had recently moved from Heathrow to LATCC as an ATCA, prior to commencing my ATCO training.
Later, on completion of my training, I was posted to Farnborough where I saw the engine in the AIB hangar. It was only about 4 feet long.
Reg
http://www.airdisaster.com/special/s...-boac712.shtml
I think that the engine fell near Staines, not Hounslow as stated in the above article. It was a superb bit of flying - departing from 28L and a tear drop to land on 05, all in about 5 minutes.
I had recently moved from Heathrow to LATCC as an ATCA, prior to commencing my ATCO training.
Later, on completion of my training, I was posted to Farnborough where I saw the engine in the AIB hangar. It was only about 4 feet long.
Reg
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Jordan D - aircraft of any size could use 23 or 05, although often the heavies would opt for one of the other runways if the wind wasn't too strong. If the delays really built up ATC would withdraw the option to land on other than 23 so everyone would have to use it.
Now who is going to ask about 15/33? When I was a kid I loved it when 33L was in use for landing - right over my house at 1500 ft... Strats, Connies, Daks... Unfortunately those runways were long closed when I started work at Heathrow.
Now who is going to ask about 15/33? When I was a kid I loved it when 33L was in use for landing - right over my house at 1500 ft... Strats, Connies, Daks... Unfortunately those runways were long closed when I started work at Heathrow.
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Jordan D
The 05 approach has been defunct since the late 80s I believe - or possibly early 90s, when they extended the parking area around T4 - Does anybody know exactly when?
As for 23, I think that was withdrawn this year(?) and now enjoys the somewhat demeaning title of 'Taxiway Alpha'
does anyone know if it definitely WFU? -
HD
As I recall the stop end markings for 33 L were still just about discernable until very recently.
The 05 approach has been defunct since the late 80s I believe - or possibly early 90s, when they extended the parking area around T4 - Does anybody know exactly when?
As for 23, I think that was withdrawn this year(?) and now enjoys the somewhat demeaning title of 'Taxiway Alpha'
does anyone know if it definitely WFU? -
HD
As I recall the stop end markings for 33 L were still just about discernable until very recently.
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Yes I remember that stormy weekend
as I had gone camping near Ashford which from memorywas right under the approach to 05, it took four of us to put
a two man tent up and abandoned the second tent with the others sleeping in the car over night
G-I-B
as I had gone camping near Ashford which from memorywas right under the approach to 05, it took four of us to put
a two man tent up and abandoned the second tent with the others sleeping in the car over night
G-I-B
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Thanks HD & Olney2D ... never had the pleasure of a 23 landing, but my mother had one returning from SFO ... she was quite calm, her fellow passengers were less so.
What a shame its gone ....
Jordan
What a shame its gone ....
Jordan
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As I remember 33L was still an active runway when I arrived in 64.
My best memory of 05R was being Tower Supervisor on the first day of the full use of Mediator when I decided that the wind justified the use of 05. Chaos ensued, not only down in APC but at West Drayton. I should perhaps explain that the Center radar controllers initially under the full Mediator were the old 'D' men and their radar expertise was sadly lacking, the proper radar controllers, ex Southern Center, had been made to return to the wing positions as 'A' men.
Your chances of doing 05 approachs as a radar controller at LHR were few and far between so the combination of the two was something to watch. Spacing on the approach, the later part of which was visual, was shall we say variable, the only problem for the Air Controller was whether he/she could get one,two or no departures away on 10R between two arrivals on 05. The finals call on 05 was "crossing the river"
Happy Days
My best memory of 05R was being Tower Supervisor on the first day of the full use of Mediator when I decided that the wind justified the use of 05. Chaos ensued, not only down in APC but at West Drayton. I should perhaps explain that the Center radar controllers initially under the full Mediator were the old 'D' men and their radar expertise was sadly lacking, the proper radar controllers, ex Southern Center, had been made to return to the wing positions as 'A' men.
Your chances of doing 05 approachs as a radar controller at LHR were few and far between so the combination of the two was something to watch. Spacing on the approach, the later part of which was visual, was shall we say variable, the only problem for the Air Controller was whether he/she could get one,two or no departures away on 10R between two arrivals on 05. The finals call on 05 was "crossing the river"
Happy Days
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Shack.. And don't forget the westbound deps off 10R. I was training someone on south director when 05 was in use. Air man rang down for a westbound and the trainee gave the usual reply: "240". I watched with great interest as he suddenly twigged and the blood ran from his face...
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'B' as a u/t two things used to make the blood run from my face, one was a West Coast 707 off of 10R when I was Director and the other was a Spantax CV990 when I was u/t on Talkdown. How I used to dread my monitor asking "would you accept a talkdown for controller training" knowing that he would not do a thing he was told and all at about200kts.
Well 05 was in use up to 1977 cos I landed on it returning from my honeymoon -into a ferocious sbowstorm. Trident 3 with a really strange approach sort of circling over the top of the airport and then heading back south.
I also watched the BOAC 707 approach in flames in the incident referred to earleir-made a big impression on a 15 yo to say the least .
As Heathrow Director said there were some interesting times if you lived near LHR back then with the big pistons belching flames from the radial exhausts on dusk or nightime departures -I lived almost under the old 23R /05l and had fantastic landing and TO views as a result
PB
I also watched the BOAC 707 approach in flames in the incident referred to earleir-made a big impression on a 15 yo to say the least .
As Heathrow Director said there were some interesting times if you lived near LHR back then with the big pistons belching flames from the radial exhausts on dusk or nightime departures -I lived almost under the old 23R /05l and had fantastic landing and TO views as a result
PB
Last time I remember seeing 05 in use was about mid'80s I think.
IIRC the approach lights were red when illuminated and ran across the southern airport road roughly by the junction at the eastern end of the cargo area.
IIRC the approach lights were red when illuminated and ran across the southern airport road roughly by the junction at the eastern end of the cargo area.
More than just an ATCO
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Honey Monster I remember the WE accident as well.
We were sat in the canteen at Drayton when we saw the smoke.
I remember somebody joking that somebody must have taxied a Comet into the hangar doors again
We were sat in the canteen at Drayton when we saw the smoke.
I remember somebody joking that somebody must have taxied a Comet into the hangar doors again
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Hi folks
Runway 05 was last used in 1990.....maybe one day I'll extract something from the loft that will confirm the exact date, but take it as gospel as I was in the tower that day.
Manged to fly an approach to all runways one night on a BAA lighting check...anyone remember Pete Gallyer who used to drive the RC690 (G-BXYZ) then the Beech 300 (G-OBAA) on those? Boring after an hour, but a good 'tick' for flying down onto Rwy 05!
Cheers
RH
Runway 05 was last used in 1990.....maybe one day I'll extract something from the loft that will confirm the exact date, but take it as gospel as I was in the tower that day.
Manged to fly an approach to all runways one night on a BAA lighting check...anyone remember Pete Gallyer who used to drive the RC690 (G-BXYZ) then the Beech 300 (G-OBAA) on those? Boring after an hour, but a good 'tick' for flying down onto Rwy 05!
Cheers
RH
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Yep late 1990 early 1991 was the last 05 approach. Can't remember the exact date but I was the last Ops guy to carry out a runway inspection while 05 was in use. Interesting stuff because 05 was on 118.7 and 09R for departing was on 118.5.
Aircraft departing 09R were cleared to start rolling once they saw the aircraft approaching 05 were " over the fence"
Regarding the runway inspection we had to contend with 2 frequencies when we approached block 85 !!! Interesting stuff at the time.
We had to check the 05 approach lights every sunday night , The first sets just happened to be only visible from a pub car park !!! say no more.
Rudolph ive been up in the BAA King air as well. good fun although one of the ATCO's didnt think so at the time. bit toooo bumpy
how things change .
Aircraft departing 09R were cleared to start rolling once they saw the aircraft approaching 05 were " over the fence"
Regarding the runway inspection we had to contend with 2 frequencies when we approached block 85 !!! Interesting stuff at the time.
We had to check the 05 approach lights every sunday night , The first sets just happened to be only visible from a pub car park !!! say no more.
Rudolph ive been up in the BAA King air as well. good fun although one of the ATCO's didnt think so at the time. bit toooo bumpy
how things change .