RAF Northolt

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RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt - OpenStreetMap.png
Characteristics
ICAO code EGWU
IATA code NHT
Coordinates

51 ° 33 '11 "  N , 0 ° 25' 5"  W Coordinates: 51 ° 33 '11 "  N , 0 ° 25' 5"  W.

Height above MSL 38 m (125  ft )
Transport links
Street A40
Basic data
opening 1915
operator Royal Air Force
Start-and runway
07/25 1690 m × 46 m asphalt

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The Royal Air Force Station Northolt , or RAF Northolt for short , is a base of the British Royal Air Force in west London . The base is in the Ruislip district , but the base was named after the closest train station, which is in the neighboring Northolt district. During the Olympic Games in 2012 , some Typhoon jets were stationed at the station for intercepting purposes.

history

RAF Northolt was commissioned as the Royal Flying Corps airfield in 1915 . During the Second World War , squadrons of fighters, some with a Polish crew, were stationed there. After the war, Northolt was used as a civilian airport until Heathrow Airport, 10 km south, took over in the 1950s. The airport was then used by the American and French air forces. Reconnaissance aircraft in particular were stationed in Northolt until the 1980s.

Military use

RAF Northolt is now the base of the 32nd Royal Squadron , formerly known as Queen's Flight . These are the Royal Air Force's flight readiness, planes and helicopters used to transport the royal family, government and British diplomats. Since British Airways charter planes for intercontinental flights today , the fleet stationed here does not include any long-haul aircraft .

The following aircraft types are (as of 2016) stationed in Northolt:

Civil use

In addition to the military, civil air traffic has always played a role. Since the 1980s, this has clearly outperformed military operations. Northolt is mainly used by private and charter planes that use the airport as a cheap alternative to Heathrow. The airlines have to accept occasional restrictions, however, as military operations always have priority.

Incidents

  • On October 17, 1950 was at a Douglas DC-3 / C-47A of the British European Airways (G-AGIW) an engine shortly after takeoff from the airport Northolt towards Glasgow. When attempting to return, the machine lost more and more height, also because the landing gear was extended, collided with trees and hit the ground. Of the 29 occupants, only one crew member survived.
  • On October 25, 1960, the pilot of a Boeing 707 of Pan Am Northolt confused with the actual destination Heathrow. Although the runway was not approved for an aircraft of this size at the time, the pilot managed to bring the machine to a stop 30 meters from the end of the runway. Just three and a half years later, a Boeing 707 almost landed again in Northolt. On April 28, 1964, a Lufthansa pilot confused Northolt with Heathrow. Only immediately before touching down was he made aware of his mistake by the air traffic controller and was able to take off. The cause of these incidents was that Heathrow and Northolt airports are only ten kilometers apart and the approach lanes intersected. In addition, the two runways running parallel to each other at Northolt and Heathrow did not yet have an instrument landing system , so that the pilots could only conduct a visual approach. As an interim solution, a gasometer in the approach lane to Heathrow was marked with the letters LH , while another in the approach lane to Northolt was labeled NO . This should avoid further confusion.

Web links

Commons : RAF Northolt  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Accident report Fw 200 OY-DEM , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 1, 2017.
  2. ^ Accident report Collision Northolt, DC-6 SE-BDA , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 18, 2018.
  3. ^ Accident report collision Northolt, Avro York MW248 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 18, 2018.
  4. James J. Halley: Broken Wings. Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents . Air-Britain (Historians), Tunbridge Wells, 1999, ISBN 0-85130-290-4 , p. 76.
  5. ^ Accident report DC-3 G-AGIW , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 17, 2018.