RAF Northolt & Typhoon
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I am, no doubt (not being military crew), being out of order posting here. As a kid in the late fifties and sixties I lived in South Ruislip, just a stones throw from the Northolt runway. We didn't live quite underneath the approach but we were pretty damn close. The Dakotas and Hercules (I think, childhood memory) came in LOW over the houses. Whenever they flew over I would run into the house screaming, having been happily playing in my sandpit!
However, I guess I got used to it, as later we would play in the fields directly underneath the approach and right by (and through
) the perimeter fencing. I think that if I lived in the same house now with Typhoons zooming in and out of Northolt I would quite enjoy it. A thought occurred to me that is Northolt protected? Has it now become a target itself with this activity? Those houses are pretty damn close. This post will probably be deleted, more nostalgia than anything. Must be many out there from that era with particular memories. Regards.
However, I guess I got used to it, as later we would play in the fields directly underneath the approach and right by (and through
) the perimeter fencing. I think that if I lived in the same house now with Typhoons zooming in and out of Northolt I would quite enjoy it. A thought occurred to me that is Northolt protected? Has it now become a target itself with this activity? Those houses are pretty damn close. This post will probably be deleted, more nostalgia than anything. Must be many out there from that era with particular memories. Regards.
Skua wrote
Not Sidewinders, but ASRAAM and AMRAAM.
See images from RAF Northolt at following link.
Typhoon fighter planes stationed at RAF Northolt in Olympics military build-up | Mail Online
RAF - ASRAAM
RAF - AMRAAM
Any one know what size of shrapnel Sidewinders fragments into?
See images from RAF Northolt at following link.
Typhoon fighter planes stationed at RAF Northolt in Olympics military build-up | Mail Online
RAF - ASRAAM
RAF - AMRAAM
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LateArmLive Post #8
I have no experience of flying the Typhoon, do you?
Can you distinguish between conjecture and a fact? I'm merely postulating that a fully fuelled and armed high performance QRA Typhoon might find the shortish runway challenging, especially on a hot day in July/August.
Your facetious comment singles you out as a minor prat, unless of course you care to contribute a positive input regarding short field performance for the above configured aeroplane based on your intimate knowledge.
Mister B
I have no experience of flying the Typhoon, do you?
Can you distinguish between conjecture and a fact? I'm merely postulating that a fully fuelled and armed high performance QRA Typhoon might find the shortish runway challenging, especially on a hot day in July/August.
Your facetious comment singles you out as a minor prat, unless of course you care to contribute a positive input regarding short field performance for the above configured aeroplane based on your intimate knowledge.
Mister B
) well arrive on May 9th, nice one, thank you. Fingers crossed they also bring the Dakota.
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I'll say right from the start - I am not military in anyway. Just very interested in military stuff, especially the flying [daughter refers to me as anorack - whatever that means
]
However this has been one of the most amusing threads I have read for a long time. The obvious humour posts, top notch. But also the statements/questions, which draw such indignant, even derogatory replies, from people in know.
When reading the posts, ref length of runway, it brought back the memory from many years ago, of an Air India 747 [I think] which managed to land at Northolt by mistake! I can't remember for sure but think they stripped everything not needed out of the aircraft, left just enough fuel to hop it from Northolt into Heathrow. And just about made it. After the event one of the gasometers on the path into Northolt/Heathrow, had "NO" painted in massive letters on the side. [Really hight tech way to solve the problem!] Not sure if the gasometers are even still there.
But it might be interesting if one of the jet jockeys make a mistake and touches down at Heathrow. Which terminal would it use!
]However this has been one of the most amusing threads I have read for a long time. The obvious humour posts, top notch. But also the statements/questions, which draw such indignant, even derogatory replies, from people in know.
When reading the posts, ref length of runway, it brought back the memory from many years ago, of an Air India 747 [I think] which managed to land at Northolt by mistake! I can't remember for sure but think they stripped everything not needed out of the aircraft, left just enough fuel to hop it from Northolt into Heathrow. And just about made it. After the event one of the gasometers on the path into Northolt/Heathrow, had "NO" painted in massive letters on the side. [Really hight tech way to solve the problem!] Not sure if the gasometers are even still there.
But it might be interesting if one of the jet jockeys make a mistake and touches down at Heathrow. Which terminal would it use!
Series of images at following.
Exercise Olympic Guardian: RAF Typhoon jets and Rapier missiles in London - Telegraph
Exercise Olympic Guardian: RAF Typhoon jets and Rapier missiles in London - Telegraph
Pendrifter
Heard that story from somebody based at Northolt at the time, long before the internet and the facts are as you state. However, I also know how much runway a Typhoon really needs from watching them day in, day out doing their stuff and they can get airborne with all the fuel and weapons that they will actually need from that airfield in hot conditions, no problem. This aircraft is not a Tornado or Jaguar. (though the DT artical about the start of this exercise did show a picture of a Brownstars GR4 with the caption 'RAF Typhoon'. Some of the comments on that web page are quite good as well).
Heard that story from somebody based at Northolt at the time, long before the internet and the facts are as you state. However, I also know how much runway a Typhoon really needs from watching them day in, day out doing their stuff and they can get airborne with all the fuel and weapons that they will actually need from that airfield in hot conditions, no problem. This aircraft is not a Tornado or Jaguar. (though the DT artical about the start of this exercise did show a picture of a Brownstars GR4 with the caption 'RAF Typhoon'. Some of the comments on that web page are quite good as well).
When reading the posts, ref length of runway, it brought back the memory from many years ago, of an Air India 747 [I think] which managed to land at Northolt by mistake! I can't remember for sure but think they stripped everything not needed out of the aircraft, left just enough fuel to hop it from Northolt into Heathrow. And just about made it. After the event one of the gasometers on the path into Northolt/Heathrow, had "NO" painted in massive letters on the side. [Really hight tech way to solve the problem!] Not sure if the gasometers are even still there.
It was a Pan Am 707 that landed by mistake. (I'm not certain, but I think Boeings TP flew over to fly it out for the short hop to LHR)
A Lufthansa 707 tried the same thing a few years later (probably an ex-Luftwaffe Dornier pilot on a nostalgia trip
) but was 'warned off' by a flare being fired...It was IIRC, an Air India Connie that tried the same thing as well one night, and almost took the top of the spire of the church on Harrow-On-The-Hill, after which a red light was put on top. An ex-neighbour lived nearby at the time and still remembers the sound of the 4 big radials being firewalled as it climbed out....
The South Harrow gasometer is long gone, but the Southall one is still there.
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I don't think they would have deployed to a runway that wasn't long enough! The fact that they are there says it all. True, you might find the perimeter fence halfway up Victoria Road following departure! And does the Typhoon have a hook or a brake chute?
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One hopes they are now bringing in troops to guard the Rapiers and crews etc, i would feel safer than having the police doing it. wouldn't do to have some terrorist type chappies to seize one and start popping off left right and centre at stuff going into Heathrow.
Just let's hope the games all go off peacefully, at least most of the Worlds audience will be safe, they'll still be queuing to get in at Heathrow.
It's alright shooting down all this stuff to prevent it reaching the Games, but if your taking it out over London with missiles, wherever it drops is going to be a disaster.. It seems as if they have skipped over that fact.... One wonders if that is one reason the Rapier is shown to the press in open parkland, to avoid the obvious question.
Just let's hope the games all go off peacefully, at least most of the Worlds audience will be safe, they'll still be queuing to get in at Heathrow.
It's alright shooting down all this stuff to prevent it reaching the Games, but if your taking it out over London with missiles, wherever it drops is going to be a disaster.. It seems as if they have skipped over that fact.... One wonders if that is one reason the Rapier is shown to the press in open parkland, to avoid the obvious question.
Last edited by NutLoose; 3rd May 2012 at 20:37.
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The 707 was flown out the same afternoon that it arrived, after the seats had been removed as far as I remember. So it was the regular pilot that took it to LAP. I well remember the incident as I was cycling through South Ruislip on my regular after school trip to Northolt when it departed.
The constellation incident was actually an Indian Airforce machine inbound to Northolt which confused street lights with runway lights and descended well below the glidepath. I don't think it got low enough to endanger St Mary's spire, the bigger danger was to an Olympic B727 on approach to Heathrow 23L.
The red light on the church spire has been there as long as I can remember (i.e. about 1950). It was probably put there when Northolt became a civil airport in 1945/6.
My local church at Kemble also used to have a red light in the military days, I always wondered who paid the electricity bills for it?
The constellation incident was actually an Indian Airforce machine inbound to Northolt which confused street lights with runway lights and descended well below the glidepath. I don't think it got low enough to endanger St Mary's spire, the bigger danger was to an Olympic B727 on approach to Heathrow 23L.
The red light on the church spire has been there as long as I can remember (i.e. about 1950). It was probably put there when Northolt became a civil airport in 1945/6.
My local church at Kemble also used to have a red light in the military days, I always wondered who paid the electricity bills for it?
Green Flash
Tiffy has both, plus can aerobrake a bit. Hook only any good if a RHAG available though. Take off in less than 5000ft run, seen Tiffy's do it at the Lincolnshire cabbage patch loads of times. Bit loud though and it would piss the Nimby's off big time.
Tiffy has both, plus can aerobrake a bit. Hook only any good if a RHAG available though. Take off in less than 5000ft run, seen Tiffy's do it at the Lincolnshire cabbage patch loads of times. Bit loud though and it would piss the Nimby's off big time.
Impressed by the quality of the photos. Didn't realise the "Rumour rags" still used photographers. Thought they only used stolen mobile phone footage off the Interwebby?
And no, I'm not letting any of my family any where near London this summer. Not because of fear, but because of the shear bloody inconvenience the games will cause. And now their letting PROVEN cheats and lier's back in to perform, and not just Politicians!
And no, I'm not letting any of my family any where near London this summer. Not because of fear, but because of the shear bloody inconvenience the games will cause. And now their letting PROVEN cheats and lier's back in to perform, and not just Politicians!
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The big NO on the gas-o-meter wern't just for the aviators, you know. The big letters helped the old man and me get back from Harrow in the E-Type after a pishhup on the Hill. Dad, which gas-o-meter do we aim for to get back home?
A temporary RHAG has been installed and none of Wednesday's arrivals used their chutes.
Apologies for the self-promotion but the article I've written at the link below covers some of the other stuff that's being talked about here, such as noise mitigation.
Military Aviation >> Exercise Olympic Guardian at RAF Northolt
Apologies for the self-promotion but the article I've written at the link below covers some of the other stuff that's being talked about here, such as noise mitigation.
Military Aviation >> Exercise Olympic Guardian at RAF Northolt
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Post-war fighters at Northolt
Everyone is saying this is the first time fighters (or jets...) have been based or operated out of Northolt since WW2. The latest I can find is September 1944 when No.140 Squadron's Mosquitoes left for Normandy.
Did any combat aircraft operate from Northolt later than that? No RAuxAF Spitfires or Meteors?
JT
Did any combat aircraft operate from Northolt later than that? No RAuxAF Spitfires or Meteors?
JT