Large Arrival at Farnborough
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Large Arrival at Farnborough
Anyone know if Farnborough sees many A340s? Friend is sure he saw one on approach today and while Farnborough can clearly cope with the big stuff I rarely see anything larger than a 146 or a 737.
Nothing on Flight aware but then as I found out a lot of private flights don't appear on sites like that.
Nothing on Flight aware but then as I found out a lot of private flights don't appear on sites like that.
Under local planning restrictions, TAG aren't allowed to accept civil aircraft of A340 size. The airfield can take them, and there's a turning pan specifically for A340/A380/B747 size aircraft at the intersection with taxiway 'F', so if there was some special 'need', the local council might allow it.
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That would certainly explain why I've only seen smaller aircraft outside of the Airshow (which fits the civil restriction you mentioned).
What are the actual restrictions? Curious what the largest civil aircraft would be.
What are the actual restrictions? Curious what the largest civil aircraft would be.
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Conor.P.M Where did your friend see the aircraft and was he sure it was heading for Farnborough? Heathrow has been on easterlies today and I saw several A340s just north of Farnborough heading for Heathrow. Could he have seen one of those?
SHJ
Unlikely as this would be a landing and a takeoff, which are prohibited for aircraft of this size outside the airshow; it could however have been a go-around.
Unlikely as this would be a landing and a takeoff, which are prohibited for aircraft of this size outside the airshow; it could however have been a go-around.
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Further conversations revealed this particular A340 had just two under wing mounted engines, but rather then thinking A330 I'm thinking a BBJ is a much more likely candidate.
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As is always the case with these type of requests, a time frame would be of help! I would certainly agree with HD, that your friend most likely saw an inbound LHR tracking eastwards just north of Farnborough, before making a left turn heading NW and then right again for LHR. In the relatively short period I looked at FR24 I also noted one A340 (Virgin) pass south of Farnborough in a NE direction before proceeding NW and E, as above.
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Heathrow Director,
we work close to and SW of the airport (which makes lunch during the Airshow most entertaining). I wasn't there today but I'd be surprised if he mistook a Heathrow Approach for a Farnborough arivial, what sort of hight would they be at, and how far north?
we work close to and SW of the airport (which makes lunch during the Airshow most entertaining). I wasn't there today but I'd be surprised if he mistook a Heathrow Approach for a Farnborough arivial, what sort of hight would they be at, and how far north?
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Heathrow inbounds would be anything from 3-10 miles miles north when they are downwind for easterlies at around 5-6000ft descending. However,as you have just said, it wasn't an A340 and if it was heading for Farnborough a BBJ seems probable as they are fairly common there.
if it was heading for Farnborough a BBJ seems probable as they are fairly common there
As has already been pointed out, if the OP had supplied a time (even an approximate one) for the sighting, that would have helped greatly in identifying a likely candidate.
Further conversations revealed this particular A340 had just two under wing mounted engines, but rather then thinking A330 I'm thinking a BBJ is a much more likely candidate.
Bearing in mind the size issue, might it have been one of the very new private B787's ? You never know, it meets most of the noise and environmental demands of the day.SHJ
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Ah! The 2 engine variant of the A340 Bearing in mind the size issue, might it have been one of the very new private B787's ? You never know, it meets most of the noise and environmental demands of the day.
While that description does fit the 787 I though the restrictions at Farnborough were based on a maximum empty weight of 80 tonnes, and a quick look at Wikipedia suggests a 787 tips the scales at 118 tonnes.
787s are above the max MTWA of 80 m/tonnes.
Waiting to hear back from him what time this was, but a BBJ or ACJ still seems like the most likely scenario.
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There has been no mention of anything like a 340/787/330 on the Farnborough Aviation Group web site, which covers just about everything that moves. Something as exciting as that would have spotters out in droves, including me!
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