LUTON History and Nostalgia
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I stand to be corrected, but I think the 08 ILS was installed in 1987. Touchdown RVR minima was 700m as opposed to 550m on 26 - higher I believe due to fewer approach lights because of the terrain.
One winters night in the late 80's I remember the last Ryanair Dublin flight was on approach to 08. Aircraft was a 1-11 500 crewed by Tarom pilots. 5 miles out and the touchdown RVR was 800m. Shortly afterwards the tower controller passed him an RVR of 400m. No reply from the aircraft. 2 miles out and the RVR had dropped to 200m. "Ryanair 208 RVR now 200 metres, confirm your intentions. Ryanair 208, please acknowledge". Still no response. Then there was an almighty roar of the thrust reversers and "ve are on ground" from the pilot.
They probably didn't break any rules as I believe they were entitled to continue down to decision height (200ft) if the RVR dropped below minima less then 5 miles out. Did they see the lights at 200ft? Maybe....
One winters night in the late 80's I remember the last Ryanair Dublin flight was on approach to 08. Aircraft was a 1-11 500 crewed by Tarom pilots. 5 miles out and the touchdown RVR was 800m. Shortly afterwards the tower controller passed him an RVR of 400m. No reply from the aircraft. 2 miles out and the RVR had dropped to 200m. "Ryanair 208 RVR now 200 metres, confirm your intentions. Ryanair 208, please acknowledge". Still no response. Then there was an almighty roar of the thrust reversers and "ve are on ground" from the pilot.
They probably didn't break any rules as I believe they were entitled to continue down to decision height (200ft) if the RVR dropped below minima less then 5 miles out. Did they see the lights at 200ft? Maybe....
Last edited by cj241101; 12th Oct 2016 at 21:59.
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cj241101 You are probably correct, 1987 was the year I left Monarch for sunnier climes. The radar approaches on 08 with the BAC1-11 and 737 were always fun! 
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Aaah...the joys of doing offset 2 mile SRAs on 08 to avoid Caddington. Or twiddling the screwdriver to set up the 430 for 1/2 milers. Also, which muppet decided to check the 430 at the start of the afternoon shift, in blissful ignorance that Tels were crawling all over the head off a step ladder ? Oh yeah...sorry boys. We had a cardboard 'DO NOT TURN ON' plate to put in front of the controls made up by teatime.
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aceatco, retired
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The 430 had two beams, a co-secant squared beam for surveillance, which wasn’t desperately good, and a pencil beam for the talk downs. You had a radar head tilt switch and you needed to get the beam up high during the approach to see the blip through the returns of the ridge 1.5nm from touchdown then quickly down to retain radar contact until termination at 0.5nm.
The radar head had two rotation speeds, 20 and 40 rpm although we never used it had 40rpm as we always thought the radar head would fall of its perch. The rotation switch had three positions up 20, down 40 and centre OFF and the switch was next to the radar head tilt switch.
I had the habit of resting the ball of my thumb on a ridge of metal on the centre console so I could operate the radar tilt switch with a finger. On one occasion the ball of my thumb caught the rotation switched and turned it off!! Radar service was terminated! Everyone go around.
Even banging the rotation immediately on again still required the picture to align which took several minutes, even with the first align button subsequently installed.
Happy days!
The radar head had two rotation speeds, 20 and 40 rpm although we never used it had 40rpm as we always thought the radar head would fall of its perch. The rotation switch had three positions up 20, down 40 and centre OFF and the switch was next to the radar head tilt switch.
I had the habit of resting the ball of my thumb on a ridge of metal on the centre console so I could operate the radar tilt switch with a finger. On one occasion the ball of my thumb caught the rotation switched and turned it off!! Radar service was terminated! Everyone go around.
Even banging the rotation immediately on again still required the picture to align which took several minutes, even with the first align button subsequently installed.
Happy days!
Ah! The North orientation marker. I well remember a night watch with CJF. The weather was heavy rain with low cloud and a strong easterly wind. I was doing the sequencing on the AR15 and Colin was doing the SRAs on the 430. The temperature began to drop and slowly, the heavy rain turned to snow with a consequent drop in visibility. There were several aircraft inbound and we seemed well set. Suddenly there was a bang as the Xpelair ventilation fan flaps slammed shut and a flash and whine as everything wound down. Within seconds the power reset and everything rapidly recovered except for the 430 which, with a loud clicking, started to automatically 'North align'. The aircraft on final on the SRA was sent around but was there time to get the 430 set for the next one? Yes! Just. Then, at around 2nm from touchdown....Bang! Another mains spike...Wind down, wind up...Another North align and set up...Go around! This repeated regularly about every 10 minutes or less until all the aircraft on approach had been forced into a diversion decision.
Personally, I liked doing SRAs. They really were like Marmite. Some ATCOs enjoyed them, others really didn't. Also, I really can't imagine ATCOs being allowed to adjust a radar in the way we were with the 430 in those days. When I subsequently went to work for NATS the Tels guys were amazed we were allowed to change the ILS around! However, as in later Luton days there were no Tels engineers on duty at night there was little choice in the matter.
Personally, I liked doing SRAs. They really were like Marmite. Some ATCOs enjoyed them, others really didn't. Also, I really can't imagine ATCOs being allowed to adjust a radar in the way we were with the 430 in those days. When I subsequently went to work for NATS the Tels guys were amazed we were allowed to change the ILS around! However, as in later Luton days there were no Tels engineers on duty at night there was little choice in the matter.
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I remember the 1/2 mile SRA on my Approach Radar validation. I did it on 'Mad Alfonse', the F- twin which used to visit daily during the 1980s. I suspect he hadn't a clue what was going on, because he obviously flew the LOC. I looked at the Trapper, and at the Training Officer, we all smirked, and nothing more was said.....
I remember the 1/2 mile SRA on my Approach Radar validation. I did it on 'Mad Alfonse', the F- twin which used to visit daily during the 1980s. I suspect he hadn't a clue what was going on, because he obviously flew the LOC. I looked at the Trapper, and at the Training Officer, we all smirked, and nothing more was said.....
P.S. I can't remember why the Baron ran off the runway but believe it may have been an undercarriage failure of the port main?
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ZeBedie - take a look at this https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightP...20-%200070.PDF
I think they arrived around 1947. I think the were connected to the building company by the family. I remember when their callsign changed from McLine to Magec, I think when Barclays Bank came involved in ownership, but I stand to be corrected.
I think they arrived around 1947. I think the were connected to the building company by the family. I remember when their callsign changed from McLine to Magec, I think when Barclays Bank came involved in ownership, but I stand to be corrected.
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6 Feb 1979 I was the Tower Controller. The BAL B737 at the old Alpha holding point helpfully said 'I say, that aeroplane has crashed!'. I think I replied 'so it has' as I pressed the crash alarm. Left MG collapsed as it was rolling down the runway. It left the paved surface and ended up on the south side. During the recovery process all the gear collapsed!
It was taken by road to Leavesden where it was subsequently repaired by Eagle Aviation.
Not my pic, probably DG.
It was taken by road to Leavesden where it was subsequently repaired by Eagle Aviation.
Not my pic, probably DG.
F-FN seemed to operate for a considerable period but must have been replaced by another aircraft after the accident for at least a while. I have no idea what. Probably the longest lived cargo flight must have been EXT111 which, if memory serves, (it often doesn't), came from Maastricht? I recall it as a Swearingen, a Shorts 360, and a GAF Nomad. There must have been others? I noticed recently it still operates! But in to Birmingham these days. I was on duty the night the Swearingen ran off the side of 08 but was recovered and departed a few hours later! Also, when the Nomad went total radio failure whilst inbound and actually flew the full Barkway arrival. It was the only time I encountered a total R/T failure of an IFR aircraft in all my time as an ATCO, (fortunately).
EXT111 came from Frankfurt, although occasionaly did a rotation to Brussels in between. The a/c used was a Beech 99, DIEXA and DIEXB, although one of them crashed one night on the way back to Frankfurt. One night one of the Beech's couldn't get its nosewheel down, so on the suggestion of JB (who was in the tower that night, I was on radar) was persuaded to land on 18 Grass in the dark, the end of the runway being marked by fire vehicles!
EXT111 came from Frankfurt, although occasionaly did a rotation to Brussels in between. The a/c used was a Beech 99, DIEXA and DIEXB, although one of them crashed one night on the way back to Frankfurt. One night one of the Beech's couldn't get its nosewheel down, so on the suggestion of JB (who was in the tower that night, I was on radar) was persuaded to land on 18 Grass in the dark, the end of the runway being marked by fire vehicles!
They were absorbed fairly quickly into one of the major players, think it was TNT but can't be sure. At that time the express parcels business was really in it's infancy, and evolving fast.
XP - Operated a green and yellow Trislander. Did they not start off out of Staverton, or is my memory playing tricks?
They were absorbed fairly quickly into one of the major players, think it was TNT but can't be sure. At that time the express parcels business was really in it's infancy, and evolving fast.
They were absorbed fairly quickly into one of the major players, think it was TNT but can't be sure. At that time the express parcels business was really in it's infancy, and evolving fast.
Partly right Spiney, the XP flight I believe started with a Trislander before upgrading to a Friendship, which departed about 2200 before returning in the early hours and then day stopping.
In those days we were busier at night than during the day, sometimes up to 60+ movements between 2200 and about 0130, comprising of small packages, Royal Mail and newspapers. Operated by all sort of companies and types, from Aztecs to Short 360s up to DC3. A lot of the Aztec and twin Cessna types were all single crew and more than happy to take crazy ATCOs around Europe in the middle of the night!
In those days we were busier at night than during the day, sometimes up to 60+ movements between 2200 and about 0130, comprising of small packages, Royal Mail and newspapers. Operated by all sort of companies and types, from Aztecs to Short 360s up to DC3. A lot of the Aztec and twin Cessna types were all single crew and more than happy to take crazy ATCOs around Europe in the middle of the night!
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Was not the XP Trilander part of Kondair's fleet based over in STN? Kondair later becoming part of National Airways. I did some XP work while flying the Bandit for National winter 88/89.
The F27 was run by XP themselves.
The F27 was run by XP themselves.