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Heathrow closure, Friday morning

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Harkins
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Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by Harkins » Fri Jan 17, 2020 1:17 pm

Any ideas as to which RAF asset out of Northolt was responsible for the 20 minute closer of the air space around Heathrow this morning?

https://news.sky.com/story/heathrow-del ... e-11910712

The RAF are obviously not going in to detail in their statement, but I'm sure someone on here might have a rough idea as to what type was performing the sortie, even if the reason remains secret.

Or is the fact that there does not appear to be any mention of this anywhere on FC suggest that I should not even be asking about this? :unsure:

brodiebear
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by brodiebear » Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:27 pm


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Yammer
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by Yammer » Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:35 pm

Wild guess - specualation warning - could it relate to one of the sensitive Islanders that operate from Northolt, perhaps - end of wild guess
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Mike
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by Mike » Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:12 pm

I've no idea what the cause was but it stopped landing traffic at Heathrow from 09.04 until 09.33 on 27L, there were very few take-offs from 27R during that time and then they used both runways for landings until 10.31 to catch up (27R was used for both departures and arrivals from 09.33 to 10.31). Something very strange has happened here!
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Yammer
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by Yammer » Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:21 pm

Hopefully there is at least one enthusiast in the west London area with an airband radio who listens to Northolt.

*If* big *if* it was a sensitive Islander then bear in mind they don't ping, so won't show up on the various ping screens.
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martin condon
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by martin condon » Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:26 pm

I noticed an Islander doing orbits around Surbiton at about 3 - 4,000ft around that time, it looked white in colour but there was nothing showing on any radar system.

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Yammer
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by Yammer » Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:30 pm

That's interesting - from Surbiton to Northolt, not far - *speculation* if *big if* for example it had minimum fuel it *might* route direct through LHR airspace. Just a thought.

Not surprised it doesn't appear on your ping screen.

Hopefully a local with a radio may have more insight, but your Islander sighting at that time is of interest.
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Mike
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by Mike » Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:36 pm

A playback of FR24 shows that a Cessna 560 Citation landed at Northolt at 09.08, I'm just wondering if ATC lost radio contact with it for a while on it's descent.
Last edited by Mike on Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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eggchaser
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by eggchaser » Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:40 pm

I thought the Islanders had left Northolt?

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Yammer
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by Yammer » Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:45 pm

egg - see this

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=180636&p=1123637&h ... h#p1123637

They move between Hurn / Northolt / Waddington primarily
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eggchaser
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by eggchaser » Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:54 pm

Thanks for that.

brodiebear
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by brodiebear » Fri Jan 17, 2020 5:18 pm

Sorry, been a bit thick. What are the islanders used for if civilian owned and operated, but then why would they fly from an RAF base. Really interesting

eggchaser
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by eggchaser » Fri Jan 17, 2020 5:25 pm

They're widely supposed to be operated on behalf of the security services.

scousefowler
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by scousefowler » Fri Jan 17, 2020 5:32 pm

Pretending to be a mobile phone mast :D
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Mike
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by Mike » Fri Jan 17, 2020 5:46 pm

brodiebear wrote:
Fri Jan 17, 2020 5:18 pm
Sorry, been a bit thick. What are the islanders used for if civilian owned and operated, but then why would they fly from an RAF base. Really interesting
There's at least 3 of the RAF Islanders that have been re-registered to their original civilian registrations, they still operate for the military but are in civilian colour schemes. One example is ZF573, which was delivered to the the RAF on 28/05/86 as ZF573, but became G-BJOH again on 06/07/17.

Yet another part of our armed forces that is in the hands of civilians.
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ThisIsBigAl
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by ThisIsBigAl » Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:08 pm

Playback on Heathrow Webtrack shows a RAF British Aerospace Bae 146 CC.2 taking off. Tail number ZE700

Gus0898uk
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by Gus0898uk » Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:10 pm

Could it have been a VIP flight from RAF Northolt to Canada? Someone wanting to leave UK PLC PDQ. Over and out. :)

Rafair1964
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by Rafair1964 » Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:24 pm

Spylanders are on 24/7 qra here and ex raf crews operating from the special projects hangar 😎

panta615
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by panta615 » Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:28 pm

ThisIsBigAl wrote:
Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:08 pm
Playback on Heathrow Webtrack shows a RAF British Aerospace Bae 146 CC.2 taking off. Tail number ZE700
Would Heathrow’s airspace have been closed because of this flight?

Rafair1964
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Re: Heathrow closure, Friday morning

Post by Rafair1964 » Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:41 pm

Not really and a normal emergency would have been in place unless they gave it any available runway as an option

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