Ive go an old Ian Allan book about Heathrow and Gatwick airports that dates from 60’s and it has a plan of the runways. According to the plan, they are labelled 1-7. The main runways being 1 and five. My question is, does anyone know the last time the other runways were used? Runway 4 according to plan wasnt in use.
By: jaybeebee - 26th September 2006 at 18:34
ok, Ive never actually uploaded a picture before, if someone could tell me how and whether there are limits to size etc, then I will try and upload this image I have. I did try the seach but couldnt find anying on it.
Cheers
Jamie
By: Bazza333 - 26th September 2006 at 18:10
Heathrows runways
Gosh this brings back memories. Up until 1968 I clearly remember the BEA Vanguards & British Eagle Britannias coming into land regularly over the top of West Rd in Bedfont – I’m guessing that would have been the runway that ran between terminal 1 and the maintanance area. Can’t recall any jets but it was a long time ago.
Bazza
By: Gonzo - 26th September 2006 at 08:50
23 was last used about three years ago for landings. Off the top of my head, since T4 was built, 23 was available for take off by a/c with MTOW of 14 tonnes or less.
By: pogno - 26th September 2006 at 08:01
FIREBIRD Your right, runway 23 must have last been used about the time T4 was built. In my mind I had that down as not long ago but its 25years or so, time flies.
I was working at LHR in those days but soon after went to LGW so my memory of LHR is fixed as it was.
By: Cliffair - 26th September 2006 at 07:54
Was working in the tower at Heathrow from 81 to 91 and I’m pretty shure that we had the odd 23 departure after T4 initally opened.. It was only after all the stands fully opened that 23 departures stopped.
As for the original question I’ll as my father who was also a controller at Heathrow 1960 to 1968 and see if he can recall
regards Cliff
By: Firebird - 25th September 2006 at 23:23
Runway 23 was used for take offs in more recent times, I remember DC9’s, 727,s and others departing towards Staines. Think it was possibly when the main runways were under maintenance.
Yeah, I was thinking 25 from now rather than from when it was last used for landings…… 😮
I would be surprised if it was ever used for take-off’s after they opened T4 in 86. I was working on site building T4 from 80-84 and don’t recall ever seeing any take-off’s from that runway in a south-west direction during that time.
Mind you the mind is starting to fade from that long ago… :rolleyes:
By: pogno - 25th September 2006 at 23:09
Runway 23 was used for take offs in more recent times, I remember DC9’s, 727,s and others departing towards Staines. Think it was possibly when the main runways were under maintenance.
By: Firebird - 25th September 2006 at 22:56
Ive go an old Ian Allan book about Heathrow and Gatwick airports that dates from 60’s and it has a plan of the runways. According to the plan, they are labelled 1-7. The main runways being 1 and five. My question is, does anyone know the last time the other runways were used? Runway 4 according to plan wasnt in use.
Never seen them marked 1-7..??
Trying to work out how they arrived at 7..??
I can think of only 6… :confused:
One pair running east-west which are the two still in use.
One pair either side of the central area at 45 deg running northeast-southwest. The eastern one of this pair was old runway 23 which was the last of the cross runways still used, from memory for the last time was sometime in the early 1990’s, and then only been used for landings for probably 25+ years prior to that.
The western one of this pair ‘disappeared’ when Terminal 3 was built sometime in the mid/late 1960’s.
The other pair were at 90deg to the other two cross runways running northwest-southeast. Again both disappeared with the building of T3 and T1 and I suspect were the first to be withdrawn from use with the onset of the jet operations in the early 1960’s.
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September 25, 2006 at 10:25 pm