A380 at Heathrow this morning?

[Monkey C]

Is it just my eyesight or did I see an A380 departing Heathrow this morning about 08:50? No company markings just a very pretty pastel blue colour. whatever it was it was BIG.

[Del Prado]

don't think so.
was it big or were you standing really close?

[Monkey C]

No, really, viewed from the M4 eastbound, Heathrow was on Westerlies. I watched it for a while wondering what was different about it untill I realised it was just really really big, very wide wingspan and no discernable markings just a very unaviationlike shade of blue all over. Somone must know what I'm talking about, please tell me I'm not going mad.

Monkey C.

[squigs]

monkeys dilema

tell me monkey....is heathrow structurally compatible with the A380 cause alot of airports had to have widening n such n such carried out before being capable of handling such a jet?

[italianjon]

Dunno Seems strange to me...

I understand heathrow can take the 380 as is... the issue is the terminal piers.

I would have thought that if a 380 came to the UK it would be the spray shop at Filton... you can often see some nice White tails down there.

[lomapaseo]

Could it have been AF-2 ?

[Nopax,thanx]

Hmm....big and blue? The 777-300 has been on tour just lately; it was at STN a few weeks ago and has been in the Far East just recently. Could be your bird.

[Final 3 Greens]

Could it have been an Antonov freighter? High wing, but absolutely enormous - we get them out of STN from time to time and they always look huge, my perception is much bigger than a 747.

[Flightmech]

The 777 on tour is the -200LR Worldliner not a -300, so is considerably shorter. It was in STN a few weeks back but was firmly parked outside the hangar at Boeing Field last week, along with a similar machine also in the dreamliner colours.

The Antonov Design Bureau An-124 has a smart blue tail ,maybe that was the beast??

[Gonzo]

Nothing like that was in today. I think I would have seen it, and all the spotters would have been going crazy.

Doubt the Boeing 773 would come in here again, we get one or two a day with Emirates.

No Antonovs, either.

Pastel blue? New United colours? New Air Canada colours?

[VP8]

Flightmech

Wasn't an ADB AN124 as all are accounted for elsewhere!!

VEEPS

[Point Seven]

LL is currently undergoing a series of taxiway modifications to accept the A380 but at the moment there are very few Code F taxiways actually activated.

If a A380 were to come in, which it hasn't, then certain taxiways would have limits put on them as when the Big Bus moves around the airfield, the current Code E taxiway centrelines would not provide adequate clearance. The first one was due in in January for comaptibility checks but as the programme has gone back six months, this date may have slipped.

P7

[fj1]

Last weeks rumour on another board, was that it was going into Stansted.

[VP8]

If the AN225 can't go to STN due to wing size what are chances of A380 with only 30m difference!!

VEEPS

[waffler]

Sorry guys but I saw the a380 in the circuit at Toulouse at that time. We also saw 2 other a380s outside the manufacturing plant nearing completion.

[jack stone]

The A380 is not due to visit EGLL until early next year when T3’s Pier 6 is completed to handle the giant (see link).

The date in the Flight article below was the plan prior to the A380 schedule slip.

http://www.flightinternational.com/A...it+checks.html