Heathrow closure, Friday morning

[Harkins]

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?

[brodiebear]

also reported in the express - https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/12296 ... ays-latest

[Yammer]

Wild guess - specualation warning - could it relate to one of the sensitive Islanders that operate from Northolt, perhaps - end of wild guess

[Mike]

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!

[Yammer]

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.

[martin condon]

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.

[Yammer]

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.

[Mike]

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.

[eggchaser]

I thought the Islanders had left Northolt?

[Yammer]

egg - see this

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

They move between Hurn / Northolt / Waddington primarily

[eggchaser]

Thanks for that.

[brodiebear]

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]

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

[scousefowler]

Pretending to be a mobile phone mast

[Mike]

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.

[ThisIsBigAl]

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

[Gus0898uk]

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

[Rafair1964]

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

[panta615]

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]

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