Airport Briefing - EGWU (London) Northolt

Olympic Executive operations.
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OAL269 Kyprianos Biris
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Airport Briefing - EGWU (London) Northolt

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Northolt, known in UK as RAF Northolt, is a mixed MIL & CIV use airport, one for the oldest airports of London in operation since 1915.
Until 1954, when EGLL Heathrow commenced operations, it was London's main airport for airliners.
Since then the airport has been operating in a mixed MIL & CIV mode serving RAF non combat transport duties (including transportation of the Royals) and Corporate aviation for London with an annual limit of movements for environmental reasons.

Northolt is the closest airport in London center that OAV Executive's Boeing 737 BBJ can approach without getting involved in Heathrow's large airport hub air & ground traffic.

Notholt from NorthEast
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The airport is VERY close to London Heathrow, just 4.5nm north abeam.
Its runway 07-25 is almost same direction as Heathrow's 09-27 runways and London ATC and STARs & SIDs keep traffic of both without intersecting their paths.

In the 1960's while Heathrow had still crosswind runway 23 (during strong SW winds) in operation there were a couple of incidents where airliners were mistaken and landed at Northolt runway (back then) 26 instead of Heathrow's 23 !

Off topic, for historic reasons : On 9th January 1970 an Olympic Airways Boeing 727-200 (Reg. SX-CBB) bound for Heathrow had a near collision with an Indian Air Force Lockheed Super Constellation L-1049G just 5nm northeast of EGLL Heathrow.
The OA 727 was on an ILS approach to Heathrow crosswind runway 23L while the IAF Constellation was executing missed approach from a GCA (MIL radar talkdown) approach for runway 26 gone wrong at EGWU RAF Northolt.
Both MIL ATC and Indian pilot did wrong actions that led to the near collision of the two aircraft above west London.
You can find the UK AIB's full report on the incident here: https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/3-1971- ... nuary-1970


Northolt's runway 07-25 is relatively short for jets at a total length of 1,684m. but with available take off & landing distances some 100~200m less due to displaced thresholds.
At the west end of runway 25 London's A40 busy motorway to the west passes just outside the airport fence that being one of the airport's major restrictions to runway usable lengths or any possible expansion.
So be careful since the runway is not long !

In late 90's runway 25 got an ILS with a 3,5* glideslope which guides aircraft down flying above congested built up areas of west London including Harrow hill which has a church staple some 700ft below glidepath on 3nm final.
DO NOT GO BELOW GLIDESLOPE at any point of the approach.

Flight Plan Alternate: EGLF Farnborough

ATC:
Expect Approach radar service by EGLL_APP when on line otherwise by LON_S_CTR or LON_CTR when on line.
Sectors of LON CTR http://www.vatsim-uk.co.uk/area-sectors/

Charts:
Airport free (real) charts by NATS
http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/in ... d=141.html
VATSIM UK London Area Sectors
http://www.vatsim-uk.co.uk/area-sectors/

FSΧ and P3D Scenery afcad file:
Download and install this file:EGWU RAF Northolt FSX AFCAD update version 2
EGWU_ADEP3_KB.rar
- Corrects wrong ILS frequency and angle
- Corrects PAPI lights
- Brings taxiways and parking stands according to Jeppesen chart
- Adds taxiway signs
- Disables old taxiways according to chart
Source of original: http://www.hermit.supanet.com/afcad.html

Other reference:
Cockpit video's of landings at Northolt



Real Airport:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RAF_Northolt
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OAL269 Kyprianos Biris
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Re: Airport Briefing - EGWU (London) Northolt

Post by OAL269 Kyprianos Biris »

Added scenery file update with improvements and P3D compatibility.
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P3Dv5.4 - CPU i9 10900 / GPU RTX 3070
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