Heathrow Arrivals
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Heathrow Arrivals
Like many sad.bug...s on here I watch FR24 a lot..happy memories of Heathrow as a spotter....can some of our more “ experienced “ ATCOS on here help....at the moment I see maximum 5 ?. Lights on final approach..I’m sure 30 plus years ago I saw up to 8 aircraft on finals...is that my memory playing tricks or not??? Have things changed. Or is it sadly ...me!!!
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The Final Approach Tracks are (were?) calibrated to 15nm from touchdown. Traffic is (was) rarely turned on to intercept the localiser beyond 15nm (if only because it's slightly odd vectoring to a line which isn't there). With an average 3nm separation that makes 5 on final at best. If there are any more than five then the final is probably 'out too far'.
Try https://www.adsbexchange.com/ , select Global radar View, select all trails and enable an EGLL-only filter. It will then depict all the well-worn grooves in the sky of the Heathrow Radar Manouvering Area. Then count the number on final!
Try https://www.adsbexchange.com/ , select Global radar View, select all trails and enable an EGLL-only filter. It will then depict all the well-worn grooves in the sky of the Heathrow Radar Manouvering Area. Then count the number on final!
7/8 would be the absolute maximum, all medium vortex wake and with a strong headwind to get them 2.5 miles in trail. (Extended centrelines go out to 20 Miles, as does the ‘limit’ of Heathrow airspace)
Lots more heavies and 380s inbound now so it’s rare to see 7 on final approach these days.
Lots more heavies and 380s inbound now so it’s rare to see 7 on final approach these days.
Yes, but that assumes time-based separation, which doesn't account for what the OP was seeing 30 years ago.
30 years ago the minimum spacing between mediums was 2.5nm now it’s (not less than) 2.5nm, effectively the same but there needs to be a strong headwind to employ 2.5 nm spacing.
Last edited by Del Prado; 22nd Dec 2017 at 07:11.
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I remember when I joined IAL in 1977 and was doing a spot of training at Viscount House (I think that was the name; a BEA establishment). I left work late one evening and it was one of those very clear, crisp November evenings and I happened to look toward the East and there was an amazing sight; lots of aircraft all following each other on approach for what seemed miles. My first thought was "this must be what Led Zepplin had in mind when they wrote Stairway to Heaven". I don't know how many aircraft there were but it was a lot!
I remember when I joined IAL in 1977 and was doing a spot of training at Viscount House (I think that was the name; a BEA establishment). I left work late one evening and it was one of those very clear, crisp November evenings and I happened to look toward the East and there was an amazing sight; lots of aircraft all following each other on approach for what seemed miles. My first thought was "this must be what Led Zepplin had in mind when they wrote Stairway to Heaven". I don't know how many aircraft there were but it was a lot!
