Low twin over C.London
 

I watched a small twin, something like a Duchess, do 3-4 orbits over the Knightsbridge area today at about 1330. It would have been at 1000-1500 ft or so

Is that a common place to hold at? Seemed to be the same area where Heathrow inbounds were turning final. Thought maybe it was holding for City, but what happens to the 'glide clear' ano requirement?

Was it about the same size and shape as an Islander?

<<'glide clear' ano requirement?>>

It's unlikely to have been at 1000 ft in there but all sorts of surveys and other activities take place over London - sometimes helicopters, sometimes fixed wing. Heathrow inbound traffic would be around 3500 feet at Knightsbridge so they're well separated. It's about 9 miles from London City, so no problem there.

I've seen a Seneca orbiting occasionally (not the Flying Eye) which I believe does joy rides out of Stapleford. There was some chatter here about it a couple of years ago. It's got a dark blue fin as I recall.

Last time I saw it was after lunch on a Saturday when the London City fun day was taking place. It was orbiting Greenwich, probably about 1000 feet or so...

bookworm sometimes does pleasure flights over London.

I saw that too, or saw something similar this week at least, it was quite low, well under the LHR arrivals and well to the West of City departures. We get all sorts of VFR helicopter and light traffic near the river and the sights.

I eyeballed it as a PA34 but could have been wrong.

Could well have been a PA34. Small twin, certainly.

I don't think it was an Islander. It was definitely quite low, not a 'Dougal those cows are far away' moment ;)

I saw a small low wing piston twin over the city on Wednesday at about 6 PM. It was banking very sharply left and looked as though it might have had a window or door removed on the port side. I thought it was taking photographs.

It was probably one of Stapleford's Senecas.
As well as doing the pleasure flights mentioned above, I've also seen them removing the rear seats and door for aerial photography/filming.

The land clear rule

An aircraft flying over a congested area of a city, town or settlement shall not fly below such height as would permit the aircraft to land clear of the congested area in the event of a power unit failure.

It would seem that a 'twin, something like a Duchess' has a spare power unit... ;)

And at about 12.30 on Wednesday there was a Dragon Rapide over central London. Sightseeing?

Not only that, but if it really turned pear shaped, with Knightsbridge there's always Hyde Park. Sure the landing probably wouldn't be pretty but at least you'd be clear of a built up area ! :cool:

More seriously though, as others have pointed out, the clue is in the word twin.

A popular misconception.

ANO
2 s

Whilst doing the Sky Ride this sunday morning in central London, there was a DA42 Twin Star doing very low sweeping orbits around the city area. It didn't look like a flying eye, nor a photographic steed either. It might have had a few lumps and bumps on it, but as I was trying not to crash into the other cyclists I couldn't be sure :p



SHJ

Yes.
It was probably one of The Classic Flights Rapides. They often do pleasure flights out of Coventry, I believe.

cheers,
Jake.

<<DA42 Twin Star doing very low sweeping orbits>>

But highly unlikely to be below 1500 feet....

I'm sure you're correct, but it was visually lower than the flying-eye PA-31's that frequent London, perhaps even lower than the helicopters travelling/transiting down the H4 heli-lane. Things can be deceptive, so who knows...



SHJ

So anyway.....This morning, Oct 17th over SW London, I was suprised to encounter the Dornier 228 of the ARSF flying (for me) very low approximately +- the height of the helicopters going in and out of Battersea Heliport along the heli lane. My curiosity lies in what measurements could it be collecting at such a low altitude ? Anyone in the know ?



SHJ