RAF Northolt

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The Royal Air Force Station Northolt, RAF Northolt short, is a base of the British Royal Air Force in West London. The base is located in the Ruislip area, but the base was named after the nearest station, which is located in the neighboring district Northolt. During the 2012 Summer Olympics some Typhoon jets were stationed Abfangjagd on the station.

History

RAF Northolt airfield was taken in 1915 as the Royal Flying Corps in operation. During the Second World War there were fighter squadrons, some with Polish crew stationed. After the war, Northolt was used as a civilian airport until the Heathrow airport 10 km south took on this task in the 1950s. Then the airport from the American and French air force was used. Especially reconnaissance aircraft were up in the 1980s stationed at Northolt.

RAF Northolt is today the basis of the Royal Squadron, also known as Queen's. This is to airplanes and helicopters of the Royal Air Force, which are used for the transport of the Royal Family, the Government and British diplomats. As for intercontinental flights usually aircraft chartered from British Airways today, the fleet stationed here only covers short-and medium -haul aircraft.

Besides the military and the civilian air traffic has always played a role. Since the 80s, this significantly exceeds the military operation. Northolt is mainly used for private and charter planes that use the airport as a cheap alternative to Heathrow. However, airlines have to take occasional purchase restrictions, since the military operation always takes precedence.

Accidents

On August 13, 1996, a Learjet of the Spanish airline company Mac Aviation overshot the runway and collided on the adjacent A40 with a Ford Transit. The three people on board the Learjet were unharmed, the driver of the car was difficult, two other passengers slightly injured. The investigation report later stated a serious misconduct of the two pilots. The pilots forgot the landing approach the flaps extend, causing the aircraft touched down at an accelerated rate. In addition, the Learjet flew in a low angle so that he missed the intended landing point by more than 500 meters. As a consequence of the disaster called Arrestor Beds were installed at both ends of the runway, which will slow down a plane if it overshoots the web.

Incidents

On October 25, 1960, the pilot of a Boeing 707 of Pan Am Northolt confused with the actual goal of Heathrow Airport. Although the runway was not then authorized for an aircraft of this size, it was possible the pilot to bring the machine to a stop 30 meters before the end of the track. Only three and a half years later there was almost again for landing a Boeing 707 in Northolt. On 28 April 1964 mistook a pilot of Lufthansa Northolt with Heathrow. Until just prior to touchdown, he was made aware of his mistake by the air traffic controller and was able to start. Cause of these incidents was that the Heathrow and Northolt are only about ten kilometers away from each other and did not overlap the approach paths. Moreover, the two mutually parallel runways in Northolt and Heathrow did not yet have an instrument landing system, so that the pilots could only perform a visual approach. As an interim solution, a gasometer in the flight path to Heathrow was provided with the letters LH, while another was labeled under the flight path after Northolt with NO. This should be further avoids any possible confusion.

Based aircraft of the RAF

• 4 ×, 2 BAe 146-100 CC2, 2 BAe 146-200 QC
• 6 × BAe 125
• 1 × Islander C2
• 3 × Agusta A109
• 6 × BAe 125
• 1 × Islander C2
• 3 × Agusta A109