LHR question?

With this in mind, if ‘simultaneous parallel approaches/take-off’s’ were to be introduced at LHR, would this increase the number of ‘slots’ because in effect you are having two aircraft taking off quicker than at present by using just one runway for take-off’s and the other for landings, or is it not as simple as I am thinking?

You’re really getting into Mixed Mode there, and that’s a whole new can of worms. To do parallel departures, you need decent weather, of course, and you can only do it with a/c on diverging tracks….I’ve done it a few times late at night and during the only quiet day of the year, Christmas day. It’s a bit dangerous to have a southbound rolling off 27R the same time as a northbound off 27L.

Mixed mode will increase the runway movement rates by about 10-15%, but because the airfield is short of stands, it will not mean, at least for a few years, any more slots, merely to improve the resilience of the airport in delay situations.

Mixed mode is horrifying to see on GMC, though.

Yes, we are able to do simultaneous parallel approaches (i.e. a/c both 5 miles out on 27L, and 5 miles out on 27R), but the aircraft need to agree to maintain visual separation with each other, and that needs to exist at all times where other separation (radar or vertical) does not, so in practice it is rarely used. To be used effectively, you’d need two separate Final Director frequencies, and the danger comes where you are pointing a/c at each other on the closing heading, with a very small time window to recover if one of them fails to capture the localiser and sails straight on.

Very interesting Gonzo, I had wondered whether this was possible, so thanks very much for the information!

With this in mind, if ‘simultaneous parallel approaches/take-off’s’ were to be introduced at LHR, would this increase the number of ‘slots’ because in effect you are having two aircraft taking off quicker than at present by using just one runway for take-off’s and the other for landings, or is it not as simple as I am thinking?

09R has no high speed turn offs, so aircraft vacate the runway more slowly then the other runways at Heathrow, especially if they’re vacating to the south of 09R. Our ‘rule of thumb’ is for 6 miles spacing when doing 1 in, 1 out on 27R, 27L and 09L, but 7 mile spacing for 09R.

Yes, we are able to do simultaneous parallel approaches (i.e. a/c both 5 miles out on 27L, and 5 miles out on 27R), but the aircraft need to agree to maintain visual separation with each other, and that needs to exist at all times where other separation (radar or vertical) does not, so in practice it is rarely used. To be used effectively, you’d need two separate Final Director frequencies, and the danger comes where you are pointing a/c at each other on the closing heading, with a very small time window to recover if one of them fails to capture the localiser and sails straight on.

Many thanks for the correction.

A couple of quick questions –

1. Why is 09R more challenging for mixed mode operations? Are you comparing this to other runways? Or do you mean just in general?

2. Am I right in understanding that Heathrow isn’t certified to handle Simultaneous Parallel Runway Operations (I think that is what it is called) and if not is there talk of it being introduced in the future?

Many Thanks,
Adam

Adam, no that’s not the case.

Just a few days ago when we were easterlies I took quite a few inbounds on my runway (09R) for no particular reason other than it’s a challenge and makes things more interesting for me as an ATCO…Especially given that 09R is a horrid runway to operate in mixed mode

There is no restriction on landing runway on easterlies.

TEAM stands for Tactically Enhanced Arrival Method, where if the inbound delays reaches a certain level, we are permitted to land 6 a/c an hour on teh departure runway. This is only usually used on westerlies…..on easterlies if it’s getting a bit busier inbound we might just land one or two on 09R to head off the build up of delays when they’re predicted to grow, before we get into the official criteria for TEAM…a course which is not available to us on westerlies, when we have to just sit there and wait until the delay trigger is reached.

ATC can also land aircraft on 09R. The usual reasons are operational (e.g. an aircraft going to T4) or when TEAMing.

Not sure what TEAMing means (Could mean this) – But ATC would only USUALLY use 09R for arrivals before 7am!
They would only use 09R for arrivals after this time if 09L was not in use due to “operational difficulties” or due to a VIP arriving.
Adam

We need defined reasons to land an a/c on the departure runway on westerlies, but we actually need no reason at all to land on 09R.

‘Because I felt like it’ is equally as valid as any other. 🙂

Yep, as far as i’m aware NWA are using T4.

What’s been posted above is correct.

ATC can also land aircraft on 09R. The usual reasons are operational (e.g. an aircraft going to T4) or when TEAMing.

Some were landing on 09R today at various times, one to note was the first NWA arrival of the day.

What’s been posted above is correct.

ATC can also land aircraft on 09R. The usual reasons are operational (e.g. an aircraft going to T4) or when TEAMing.

That’s really spooky! I was wondering about that very question at work this morning.

Thanks exmpa.

1L.

Thanks exmpa, much appreciated.:D

I had always thought it was something to do with no taxiway link to 09L.
You live and learn.

It’s all because of The Cranford Agreement. The link gives a simple explanation, but if you do a Google search you will come up with a lot of hits but not a great deal more information! In 16 years operating from LHR, I departed from 09L once. It was a positioning flight, we were very light and in a great hurry to get out.

exmpa