Light plane over west London
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Light plane over west London
As I type this (Sat 28 June 2008 at 2115) there is what looks like a single engine light plane circling above me. I am in my garden in SW14, right between the two approach paths to Heathrow.
I have never seen this before, was this an accidental incursion into controlled air space?
I have never seen this before, was this an accidental incursion into controlled air space?
Last edited by MacBoero; 29th Jun 2008 at 01:36.
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I have to say, it did appear to be flying at a higher altitude that the aircraft coming into Heathrow, although there appears to be few aircraft approaching Heathrow at the moment.
As it was circling it looked like it was climbing too, and has just a few moments ago seemed to head north.
As it was circling it looked like it was climbing too, and has just a few moments ago seemed to head north.
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although there appears to be few aircraft approaching Heathrow at the moment.
Two lions escaped from the zoo and went walking down the middle of Oxford Street. One said to the other "Not many people about, are there?"
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Well I recall the early 60's (name spared too avoid embarrassment) when a fellow 'Flying Scholarship' student from Cranfield failed to keep his DI synced on a solo cross-country and sailed gracefully south through the LHR approach. "Aha! That must be Farnborough! Better sync my DI and head off back to Cranfield..........................." Oh how we chuckled.
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I chuckled too, with a FI from a busy training field near Heathrow who decided to take his student to see Windsor Castle one Sunday morning without talking to ATC - I kid you not!!! The carnage had to be seen to be believed!
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Oh my goodness! This makes the forums in the UK?!!!
Whereas out in our next of the woods, stuff like this is, ehhhhhh what would you say, an hourly basis thing?
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I witnessed a similar occurrence in East Midlands airspace VERY recently. ATC calmly handled the situation, vectoring another aircraft round and back onto the ILS track. No harm done but it appeared to be caused by someone taking off from a local field and not calling up in time to be told "remain outside".... 
Hope the instructor apologised sufficiently in the telephone debrief; he was probably unaware of the concern he caused .... and checks his chart next time, oops.
Hope the instructor apologised sufficiently in the telephone debrief; he was probably unaware of the concern he caused .... and checks his chart next time, oops.
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Try the Robinson 22 (G-BSEK, such is it etched on my mind), Booker to Cranfield-ish, got lost one hazy summer day circa 1990 and ended up over LHR. Alas he was talking to Luton at the time, who asked him what he could see out of the window and he told them "Two runways, one with '27R' on it and the other with '23'...''
Luton still didn't twig (it's okay, they're a NATS unit now), asked him the same thing a few minutes later and he said "I can see a Concorde sat outside a hangar!" Luton radar had the penny half-drop and promptly told him to call Duxford!!!!!! When 'EK came back on frequency did the horror finally dawn, no doubt coupled with the 'LL APC' telephone key flashing!!
As for this whole thread, we've been quick to assume it was a 'wildy'; could it simply have been the big single Cessna that does paradrops all over the TMA? Flying round and round, climbing is exactly the thing it does...
Luton still didn't twig (it's okay, they're a NATS unit now), asked him the same thing a few minutes later and he said "I can see a Concorde sat outside a hangar!" Luton radar had the penny half-drop and promptly told him to call Duxford!!!!!! When 'EK came back on frequency did the horror finally dawn, no doubt coupled with the 'LL APC' telephone key flashing!!
As for this whole thread, we've been quick to assume it was a 'wildy'; could it simply have been the big single Cessna that does paradrops all over the TMA? Flying round and round, climbing is exactly the thing it does...
There was a newly qualified PPL within the last 24 months en-route from Glos to Cranfield. Seems he tuned the wrong VOR and joined downwind at Luton.......oh how the supervisor chuckled!
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BOAC That wasn't mine then
Took off from Stapleford for Luton. Set course 100° out and was thinking that the Lea must be in flood, or that i might be a bit south of track. Turned "North" to correct and thought the big bridge looked familiar. Realisation set in and called on 121.5. Got a right rollicking but as a mitigating circumstance, the cabin heater was leaking CO2 into the cockpit. A checkup in hospital and then a couple of days later a one sided discussion followed.
Kept pretty quiet about it to this day.
Took off from Stapleford for Luton. Set course 100° out and was thinking that the Lea must be in flood, or that i might be a bit south of track. Turned "North" to correct and thought the big bridge looked familiar. Realisation set in and called on 121.5. Got a right rollicking but as a mitigating circumstance, the cabin heater was leaking CO2 into the cockpit. A checkup in hospital and then a couple of days later a one sided discussion followed.
Kept pretty quiet about it to this day.
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Shy Torque...
Guess you may have been playing out and about yesterday then?!!!
Always fun and games wherever it happens but with somewhere like LHR, which is often operating at capacity, there are a lot of pieces to pick up afterwards.
CAS is there for a good reason. At least the bloke in our situation coughed to it rather than trying to keep quiet and run. To all the G/A pilots reading this: if you get it wrong or think you may have, PLEASE call us ASAP! It means we can sort everything out so much quicker. It helps both you and us.
It really is easy for us to trace a radar contact "you can run but you can't hide" !!!
Guess you may have been playing out and about yesterday then?!!!
Always fun and games wherever it happens but with somewhere like LHR, which is often operating at capacity, there are a lot of pieces to pick up afterwards.
CAS is there for a good reason. At least the bloke in our situation coughed to it rather than trying to keep quiet and run. To all the G/A pilots reading this: if you get it wrong or think you may have, PLEASE call us ASAP! It means we can sort everything out so much quicker. It helps both you and us.
It really is easy for us to trace a radar contact "you can run but you can't hide" !!!
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LL Chipmunk
Best LL tale I had experience of was in the 80s. When dawn broke and a DH Chipmunk was discovered neatly parked on the grass next to 10L. Seems a chap borrowed his mates from Booker and decide to test LL security. he managed to land and walk away without aprehention and only got caught because the unfortunate owner, who was going to cop the lot, sused who it was and grassed him to the fuzz. When I spoke to the tower controller on duty that night he claimed imunity on the fact that the Chippy had no transponder - came in low under LL primary and with no lights on therefore could not be seen!! These were in the days before terrorists were invented!! 
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Moldioldi.. The very best bit about that story was when the ATC Supervisor telephoned the Noddies and said there was a Chipmunk on the grass they suggested he contacted the RSPCA animal hostel at the airport! That is gospel truth!!!!!!!!!
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LL Chipmunk
Pilot had a session in the Mechanics Arms at Denham one evening very early eighties, 'borrowed' the Chipmunk, flew to Leigh-on-Sea late in the evening, bust the EGMC CTR on the way back, nav-lights seen from MC tower, primary tracked by TMA-NE controller, faded southbound east of Denham.
I remember it very well.............
I remember it very well.............
Avoid imitations
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Shy Torque...
Guess you may have been playing out and about yesterday then?!!!
Guess you may have been playing out and about yesterday then?!!!
Not sure about the playing, but out and about working a bit, true
Have you got a relative called Ali Docious?
