Gatwick Thread
 

Hi all,

Does anyone know when the last nwa DC-10 flight is from LGW?

I've heard that it is either Sat28 or Sun29 Oct. I'm flying out on the Sat flightsokind of hoping it is that one!

Thx for any info.

D10 on Sun 29th, 333 on Mon 30th according to nwa.com

On which flight?

According to nwa.com the NW31 DTW and NW43 MSP are both operated by a A333 from 29Oct.

Or is the last DC-10 flight on the 29th a non-revenue flight?

Don't know where you're looking, this is from nwa.com 30 seconds ago :confused:

Oh OK so that controdicts their timetable then. Bizarre :confused:

Last week was also the last time Biman used a DC10 into LHR. I believe this is due to strict noise regulations being enforced and shortage of aircraft and spares. Flights now operated by A310s until a decision on fleet replacement.

Still DC-10 to Manchester as BG055 arrived this afternoon from Dhaka and Rome
and is scheduled to be twice a week this winter

G-I-B

Just to close this off...

NW43/44 29 Oct N240NW
NW43/44 30 Oct N803NW.

Dhl/eat To Gatwick
 

TAP Charter every Sunday in at 0840z, out 1010z B757 Freighter of EAT Airlines from 15/4 :\

You need to get out more?

Does anybody know how much more demolition work is due to take place in the southern engineering area?Is anything going to be built there or is is to be left open?

Hangar1 (MT) Hangar5 and Hangar 6 to stay for the time being..:)

DC6 at Gatwick
 

Just heard that a DC6 is expected at Gatwick tonight. I think its eta is 2100 and it is night stopping.
Does anyone have any more info?

Fenders:)

Tug on fire LGW
 

Well tonight waiting on stand I saw something you don't always see at Gatwick - a tug on fire. Excel sounded a little bemused at the whole affair as they taxied past. The fire service had it sorted out nice and quickly. It was at the southern terminal around stand 17 I would guess.

Night all.

I was parked on stand next to it, couple of fire engines put it out fairly quickly at first I thought it was some kind of training! Probably servisair employees deciding another way to work slower is to set on fire to your equipment! :ugh:

Many years ago I was climbing the forward stairs of a B737 on a remote stand when I saw an unlighted, (unlit?), B727 reverse into the path of a catering truck, the centre engine finished up on the floor. Was very disapponited to hear much later that the driver of the truck was sacked and the tug crew, (no lights, no marshallers), were exonerated and the insurance paid out as though the truck was the guilty party!

Our company had a tug fire (while attached to the aircraft) about 2 years ago in BHX ...

The big, hard, no neck ground crew (Aviance) dropped the headset and ran away !!
At no point did any of the ground crew make an attempt to discharge the tug fire extinguisher.

About 6 of the 'loadies' then stood at a distance in a group having a chat and a laugh about it ...

In the meantime, the skipper (who had doors closed with a full load of pax), waited for the fire service to arrive ... between them, they initiated an 'de-plane' via the rear steps.

The only thing that prevented serious damage to the aircraft, was the flight crew on board the company aircraft on the next stand. They grabbed a couple of BCFs from their own aircraft, and attempted to put out the fire.

And we trust these guys every day to help us out if we have an engine fire on startup !!?!?!?

Give some bbq meat to the ground staff...
 

...sure it'll help make 'em stay next time there's a fire...dunno if they'll be extinguishing it though??

A.

LGW strange sight 24 Jun 0515L
 

Hi All and hopefully ACTO's

I saw a single engined light aircraft fly halfway down the 28L centreline, turn right and do a couple of circuits of the remote stands then disappear of east'ish this morning. I have been here 20 odd years and have never seen this before. I presume it was on a photo call for something or other. Maybe any on duty ATCO's could confirm this?

Bulbs

I presume you mean 26L and not 28L? :)

Yeah, thats the one.

It could well be a couple of ATCOs and ATSAs from LTCC on a jolly with cameras ;)

There's a farm-strip called Vallance By-Ways literally on the airport boundary, to the North I believe. Maybe it was an aircraft going in there?

I think Vortex has it right, A similar event occurred at Stansted in the wee small hours this morning. Some stray ATCO's making a film I am told......

I saw it too, I even stopped watching Countdown to have a look.

I heard it was 'testing the ILS.'

That came from a despatcher. I'll see if I can find out a more definitive answer tonight, as I'm not sure that's what the A/C was doing or not. I initially thought it might have been an emergency, but Tower was quiet and ground movements continued as normal. Oh and it didn't land :ok:

Sounds like it could have indeed been an ILS Checker flight

I thought that at first, but it was the couple of orbits of the cargo sheds, and 130's/140's that seemed a bit odd. I have seen that white thing with big lights on it in strange places checking out landing aids (sorry, I'm no spotter and it had props on it and didn't look like a Spitfire), but this looked like a 2/4 seat single.

Errr, Litebulbs, Gatwick lies within an ATZ surrounded by Class D airspace.

Neither of these preclude any light a/c with a clearance from routing over the airfield. We're starting to get a bit paranoid if we're thinking a light a/c is a weapon of mass destruction aren't we? There are hundreds of them up there on a sunny day and, as mentioned, all entitled to transit Gatwick's airspace. Should they all be grounded?

Besides, if it really was going to be used for such purposes, I doubt they'd bother with the inconvenience of calling up air traffic first for a clearance and also there are far tastier targets just a few miles further north.

1 What was a dhl 757 doing in Gatwick today?
2 Why have both the ndb's been turned off?

With regards to the light a/c.
It was one or more controllers who decided to get up at silly o'clock and have a closer look at Gatwick than they would normally be able to.
It was held to the north of the field VFR until a gap in the inbounds, and then did a couple of orbits overhead.

Litebulbs, it was all perfectly legal, just not something you see during the day because it's too busy to allow. Hence the early start.

To the pilot who questioned where my sense of humour was, in response to my lack of reply to his 'witty' comments about said a/c.
It left the tower with Elvis at 0214, closely followed by my will to live.;)

The strange thing was that what litebulbs and I saw was the light a/c (I think a PA28) doing orbits and what looked like some pretty steep turns over the apron, not anywhere near the ILS beam at that range.

The a/c could have finished checking the ILS (which I assume would at some point involve flying an ILS approach at least in part) and the crew were maybe taking some pictures, or dare I say it, having some fun. It certainly looked like fun...

Ah ratatat you just beat me to it.

I'm glad that's what they were doing.

Its about time! I'll film it from Norfolk House next time if they let me know!

Ratatat
 

Hi Ratatat,

Can I ask what was said by the pilot on the ground that he thought to be funny about the airborne aircraft?

Mr Person.

Mr Person.
Just a remark about it misidentifying Redhill and if it was landing at some blokes strip (presumably Vallance).
Was too long into a long night shift to engage in banter so I just stated exactly what the light a/c was doing.
I think the pilot replied "where's your sense of humour? Could be wrong though. No big deal.
Ratatat.

Sounds like good fun to me.

I think you'll find that it was all pre-arranged with the tower. I believe they flew to all 5 major London Airports to film.

Very sorry. Of course, this thread was moved to this forum. Still, if you would like to inform me of what you would like me to post, I will gladly comply BOAC.

No probs. The 'boss' "gave" us the thread:)

Post as you wish, but we do not want to expand this to a 'conspiracy' thread. If you wish to pursue that line, I suggest Jet Blast would be better and I'm sure you'll get some takers there.

Sir

Absolutely. I have now wound down from a few days ago. You are completely right, as there are enough threads about security.

Apologies

Bulbs