When did the Queens building actually close - and why?

I went to look for it last week - and asked some security guard who told me it closed in Sept 2001 - but that is just not true - and actually another example of 9/11 being used to close something just for the hell of it.

It was open when i went in 2002 / 3 - so when did it shut and why?

Not sure if this in the right section? But I'm looking for a Scheduled Timetable for LHR, all I can find is Live Flight Arrivals.

Can anyone help?


:ok:

This is the best I can come up with

Didn't the T2 viewing gallery close in February 2003? I'm sure I spotted there in either Feb 2003, and then 2 or 3 days later it was closed.

Seems a shame we cannot spectate anywhere. I guess all the spotters will have to descend on heathrow and spot anywhere and everywhere so that 'security' get so fedup with us all that they will demand that there be a place for us to spot from. :}

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The ideal place to build a new Observation Deck at Heathrow would be on the site of the former Texaco Petrol Station to the south of the 09R threshold. This area has been a blocked off empty piece of land for some years now. We need someone with entrepreneurial desire, loads of money and good negotiating skills to approach the BAA or whoever owns the land. It is sufficiently set back from the perimeter not to be a security risk and I reckon with the number of UK spotters, if it had descent facilities such as a restaurent, toilet and reasonably high observation platform, the owner could make a killing. (Maybe five quid entrance fee for the day).

There are also a number of empty offices overlooking 26 / 08 at Gatwick south side at Lowfield Heath which could also be used for a similar purpose if Planning Permission could be obtained etc.

Anyone like to invest in a couple of new business ventures ?

(Comment from a plane spotter since 1976 now flying as cabin crew for a UK airline out of Gatwick)

why did they close that petrol station? Theres not many of them around LHR providing that type of service. Excellent spotting point for 09R/27L

[QUOTE=spotter in the cabin]The ideal place to build a new Observation Deck at Heathrow would be on the site of the former Texaco Petrol Station to the south of the 09R threshold. This area has been a blocked off empty piece of land for some years now. We need someone with entrepreneurial desire, loads of money and good negotiating skills to approach the BAA or whoever owns the land. It is sufficiently set back from the perimeter not to be a security risk and I reckon with the number of UK spotters, if it had descent facilities such as a restaurent, toilet and reasonably high observation platform, the owner could make a killing. (Maybe five quid entrance fee for the day)./QUOTE]

I'd love to invest in it, however the problem is its overlooking 09R, a runway that gets used for departures only, and even then only about 25% of the time. The only people who use the petrol station location when 27s are in use are the photographers with very long lenses and uber expensive cameras, and even that they can only usually manage to photograph slow climbing heavies.

It would be very difficult to make any money out of that end of the airport due to the fact that the pre-exisitng spaces at the 27s end of the airport are always going to be used when 27s are in use. Sadly there isnt really any opportunity to build anything in those areas. :(