why the zig zag approach over tower bridge then waterloo bridge into heathrow?

[TriggerHippy]

I think the approach pattern is different on the weekends ... perhaps it's connected with HM and Windsor?

[Menelaus]

No it always happens there - I've often wondered about it...

There's a slightly sinister way of looking at the zigzag - an aircraft in level flight on a straight heading that close to the ground could easily be heading for a building.

Turning on to the approach to pick up the glide path onto whichever runway's being used for landing at LHR would account for one turning.

There's also the issue that there will almost certainly be some buildings in central London (Parliament, MI6, Buckingham Palace) that will constitiute purple airspace - e.g., you're not allowed to fly over or immediately near them.

[MPwannadecentincome]

I think the approach pattern is different on the weekends ... perhaps it's connected with HM and Windsor?

wrong side of london mate - and the approach from the west is pretty much a straight line right over windsor.

[Zippy]

I think the approach pattern is different on the weekends ... perhaps it's connected with HM and Windsor?

It's certainly nothing to do with keeping the buggers from flying over my house.

You might be right actually...

[Menelaus]

http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public...Itemid=10.html

Controlled airspace now, not purple airspace.

http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public...Itemid=10.html

[Zippy]

http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public...Itemid=10.html

Controlled airspace now, not purple airspace.

Will read tomorrow if you don't mind. Bed time.

[OwlHoot]

I often wonder when flying into Heathrow, what is this zig zag left hard turn between canary wharf and tower bridge then another sharp right near waterloo bridge/millenium wheel before eventually straightening up for the landing approach?

question must be fresh in my mind - flight landed 30 mins early on a 1.5 hr flight!

May be to avoid the BBC transmitter at Crystal Palace (?)

[Peoplesoft bloke]

shame Cybergit's gone he knew loads about aviation.

AFAIK it's a kind of mini stack whilst you lose height and speed ready for final approach and they get all the planes lined up at optimum speeds and distances - I don't think you can do that in the "big" stack as because it starts off quite high you still have to be going relatively fast and far apart

[Menelaus]

shame Cybergit's gone he knew loads about aviation.

AFAIK it's a kind of mini stack whilst you lose height and speed ready for final approach and they get all the planes lined up at optimum speeds and distances - I don't think you can do that in the "big" stack as because it starts off quite high you still have to be going relatively fast and far apart

Good answer. Logical and a lot better than the answer I'd given above.

[Doggy Styles]

I often wonder when flying into Heathrow, what is this zig zag left hard turn between canary wharf and tower bridge then another sharp right near waterloo bridge/millenium wheel before eventually straightening up for the landing approach?

question must be fresh in my mind - flight landed 30 mins early on a 1.5 hr flight!

From my office I've watched helicopters do the same thing but in reverse, i.e. flying east.

They don't tend to need stacks, so we assumed it was rules to avoid flying over Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament.