Large aeroplanes at small fields
 

I have (not recently) seen a couple of 747 classics at Kemble where I am learning.
Now, for me in a 172 the runway (about 1700m) looks nice and long on approach, but not that long
Are a lot of preparations needed for this sort of flight into a rural airfield through uncontrolled airspace with no instrument approach aids? I know ATPLs will be well capable of doing this, but do they have to keep in practice on the line or are pilots with specific experience used?
Do the a/c have to be stripped out (as they come to Kemble for breaking I expect they are pretty stripped out anyway) because of r/w length restrictions? Is the MEL the same as for a commercial flight?
Is this sort of arrival NOTAMed - there are plenty of jets at Kemble but I'd be a bit surprised to see a 747 in the circuit.
Sorry for so many questions but these seem like interesting flights to organise.

I am from Eaac we own 5 747 classics, we are based in Bournemouth and so are our a/c, the 747's do struggle getting in sometimes.

A 747-200 can land (empty) on 5500feet.

747 flights are not notamed at all, although if there was any particular risk your airfield may consider it.

Looking in our Jepp manuals Kemble isn't in there at all, the landing would be visual and the approach would be at the captains discretion.

A 747 flight crew would be kept up to scratch on different class airfields, kemble doesn't really have any catagory.. but for example LGW is a Class 2 there are 3 catagorys (think 1 being easy and 3 being hard!) In other words, no there isn't any special training required for this type of flight.

Kemble [EGBP]
R/W 09/27 , 1833x46M
So what's the problem........Hurriedly diving for cover:D
We aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy

About the same as Cambridge too....747-400's regularly fly in there. With min fuel it shouldn't be a problem. Just need a good day if there's no approach system.

As they're coming in for scrapping anyway, they would be light, but the interiors could still safely be left in, and of course the aircraft's vital systems would still all be there.

Must be good to watch though!

The two aircraft you mention were G-VOYG (747-200) and G-VMIA (747-100). They were flown in by senior training staff, but I don't believe any unusual preparation was needed. The aircraft were extremely light, with (I think) all the interior furnishing stripped out. From my own experience at Kemble (in C130s), the runway's vertical deviations would cause more problems than its lack of length to a light 747!

The B747-400, passenger version, has a maximum landing weight of 285,000kgs.

Going into the charts at that weight, assuming a normal European day and no tail wind, you would require, allowing for the thickness of your pencil, between 6000' and 6500' for landing if you got everything right!

Thanks for that interesting piece of information, BlueEagle. Good to know that a 744 would have no problem setting down at Cork!:D

Scroggs, you're right about that runway. I was today waiting at the lights to cross the downwind end of 26, heard the jet blast and 15 seconds later the beautiful Misdemeanour appeared over the crest of the hump and then down the other side before rotating off into the puffy white scattered at 3000. Fantastic.

Here's a big plane at a small field.

http://www.fototime.com/inv/B989234A2C972A3