Thanks folks!

Here is a daft question then….why has Newcastle got 2 different lengths when its essentially one piece of tarmac? Surely its the same length whichever way you land or take-off….

well no
because u may have wots called a displaced threshold (a safety parameter)
and also maybe because of obstruction at either end of the runway limits the available distance v the approach or take off requirements…

and a wee bit of history of LHR EGLL had i think 5 runways when built…

the 2 main east – west strips that we now use 27L/R
plus
23/05 now no longer used which was where i saw BOAC 707-436 g-arwe land on fire in 1968 when an an engine detached after t/o and it landed back on this short runway in a crosswind 3 mins later ! sadly 5 pax and 1 crew didnt get out due to the raging fire.

the other 2 peices of concrete are now hidden under what is now piers and parking stands…
i dont know the old runways headings…so one of you please kindly remind me thanks !

this link from airliners.net
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=0503402&size=M
shows a 1967 view t/o from what is prob 27L (28L then) and the air canada dc8’s are parked on one of the old runways i think.
the approach end of 05 i think can be seen too where the BOAC 707 on fire came in on…
cheers for now and i am a newbie here…great site btw

i started in aviation in 1972 at LGW+LTN as air spain rep then with court line til 74
then northeast (trident 1e’s) at LHR
then BMA LR as traffic duty officer 1977-85
then monarch d/o LGW 1985
and so on lol