Tornado GR4 @ Northolt

[BLW Skylark 4]

When heading west on the A40 last Sunday, I couldn't help noticing out of the murk and rain the unmistakable 'might fin' of what I took to be a Tornado GR(4?).

Anyone able to shed any light on what it was doing here, it made a nice change from the usual biz jets - even the ones with real markings!

Thanks.

[jimgriff]

If we told you ....we'de have to shoot you!

[The Nr Fairy]

Go on then - tell him then shoot him

[RFCC]

This might be the Tornado that overflew my son's passing out parade at the Police College Hendon, on the previous Friday.

Perfect timing - the reviewing officer had started to do his stuff when all eyes strained upwards as the Tonka went straight over the dais.

Thanks boys, even if it was unintentional.

[Nopax,thanx]

They had a 'Families Day' at Northolt recently; it was probably for that.

OK, so now you can shoot me!

BEADWINDOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Heh, heh.....

[Rudolph Hucker]

Yes guys - it was a families day treat from Marham.

Cheers

Rudolph

[rotor tree]

Was indeed a families day, although a somewhat breezy one. Obviously the rotary chaps are more sociable as there was a Merlin, Chinook, Griffin, Sea King (yellow of course), some Allouette thing and a Jet Ranger doing extremely steep approaches! All far more interesting than the Norfolk Land Shark

[Double Hush]

Rotor Tree, methinks that you're being a tad unfair to the fast jet fraternity. Unlike the rotary winged fraternity, the GR4 needs a fair length of concrete to do its air-ground-air transition stuff and what has Northolt got? Not having access to a BINA, my recollection is of about a 5,500 ft runway which, without a cable, is VERY limiting i.e. Vstop will be VERY small. Also, what about the noise. GR4 in max reheat isn't exactly stage 3 compliant. Northolt Ops would have been able to plot his departure on the noise complaints alone!

I'll wager that Northolt were most grateful for something different at their families day and all credit to the crew who took it there.

[Reheat On]

So exactly how did the crew do a noise abatement departure?

Bet those titchy lights on the A40 at the west end looked tempting