c32a

Royal Air Force Northolt

Large Aircraft Visits

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.With Northolt's runway being only 5,525 feet long (1,684 metres), large aircraft visits are few and far between. Many can make it in OK, but the departures are affected by the runway length, with payload and range severely restricted, plus the ever present problem of objections from local residents. This section details the larger aircraft known to have graced the apron. As usual, any additions to the list will be gratefully accepted.
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Comet

Boeing 707

Starlifter

C-17A

Boeing C-32A

Heavy Props

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Large propeller powered aircraft visitors have included the Bristol Britannia, Lockheed Constellation, Douglas C124 Globemaster, Breguet Sahara, Blackburn Beverly and the Boeing Stratocruiser amongst others. Three visits were made by the Shorts Belfast (XR362, 10th June 1964, XR363 29th May 1965 and XR364 17th September 1972)

Smaller Jets

.The smaller 'large jets', such as the Douglas C9A and C9B of the US Air Force, Navy and Marines have been visiting for many years. Rare visits have also been made by Italian Air Force DC-9's. Several BAC1-11's have visited, in the guise of Tarom, British Aerospace and UK Military examples. Aztec Air operated BAC1-11 G-AVMH in twice on 18th January 1995, flight number 'AZX225/1303/1304/226' and British Air Ferries used G-OBWB on 28th April 1995 as 'BWL7020'. ETPS example, ZE432 visited on 14th and 15th July 1994 with sistership ZE433 present on 4th September 1996 using callsign 'Ferranti 01'. British Aerospace Aircraft G-ASYD visited on 11th March 1991.

The USAF's Boeing 737-T43A version has made several visit's. Known examples are 73-1149 on 2nd February 1994, callsign 'Spar 43', plus 72-0283/HW on 9th May that year as 'Spar 84'. This aircraft also visited on several other occasions, including in 1990 - 15/3, 4/6, 6/7,11/10, 26/11 plus 18th May 1991 using the same callsign. On 12th October 1990 it visited using callsign 'Spar 76'.

Boeing 737-200 HB-IEH pictured at Heathrow (ML)

An unusual visit occurred with the arrival of an Iraqi Airways aircraft on 9th March 1981 at 13.37, registered YI-AGI (pictured here on approach that day). Using callsign 'IAW775', the aircraft departed to Heathrow after an overnight stay. Its visit was probably due to an ATC strike that had closed Heathrow. A Swiss registered aircraft, HB-IEH, operated by Petrolair, visited on 9th January 1992, 1st August 1994 and 27th July 1996

B737-500 VP-BOC on the Northolt ramp (JB)

New generation B737 visits have been made by British Midland B737-500 G-BVKA, which was present on many occasions in April 1997 in use by the Conservative party during the election campaign. It used callsigns in the 'BMA85..' and 'BMA98..' range. Privately owned example VP-BOC visited on three occasions in 1998 (9th July, 20th August, 25th August), once in 1999 (12th February) and once in 2000 (10th February). Maersk Airways operated B737-500 G-MSKD into Northolt on 18th December 1999 in connection with a children's charity. First visit of a Boeing 737-BBJ was on 2nd May 2001 when N21KR made a short visit and subsequently the type is making semi regular appearances. Due to its power, range and low passenger load one aircraft departed direct to Bermuda in late 2001. US Airforce C-40A and Navy C-40B have also made occasional visits.

The USA has contributed a few B727-C22A visits, 84-0193 was present on 31st January 1991 and 2nd February 1991 using callsign 'Spar 84' on both occasions. 83-4612 arrived on 7th April 1990 as 'Boxer 6, departing on 11th as 'Marshaller 67'.

Fokker 28's and 70's of the Dutch Royal Flight, Martinair, Government of Ghana (G-530, 12 May 1981) and the Argentine Navy (0742/5-T-21, 7th March 1991) have visited on occasion. An Airbus A320 of British Airways, G-BUSH, visited on 15th December 1989.

The French Air Force operated Se210 Caravelle No201/FH into Northolt on several occasions in the 1980's, usually backing up VIP visits. The first, also a first visit of type occurred on 10th September 1981, with a subsequent visit on 26th November 1981.

DH106 Comet

Present in connection with the London (Marble Arch) to Paris (Arc De Triumph) air race on 19th July 1959 was Comet 4B G-APMA of British European Airways. The race was held to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Bleriot's cross channel flight and the BEA team completed the race in sixty one minutes to win a 1000 uk pound prize. At the time, the aircraft was still undergoing pre-delivery checks.

Comets of the RAF have, on occasion, visited. VIP variant Comet C2's XK669 and XK670 were noted several times in the late 1950's until jet aircraft visitors were banned, a restriction that lasted until around 1963.
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Boeing 707

On 25th October 1960, Boeing 707 N725PA (msn 17603 named 'Clipper Aurora') of Pan American World Airways mistook Northolt for Heathrow's runway 23 and landed, stopping with very little of the runway remaining. Piloted by Capt Warren Beall, the flight had originated in Istanbul via Frankfurt. The 41 passengers disembarked and were coached to Heathrow whilst the aircraft was flown out shortly afterwards. A similar event almost happened three years later to a Lufthansa example. Details of this event can be read on this site.

< N725PA graces the Northolt ramp in 1960

the Boeing 707 departs Northolt with plenty of runway to spare!

Lockheeed C-141B Starlifter

In support of a visit of a US Presidential visit in 1982, four C141B's visited during May and June of that year.

Date of visit	Serial	Model	Callsign	Details
20 May 1982	64-0611	C141B	MAC 40611	437th MAW
06 Jun 1982	65-0275	C141B	MAC 50275	437th MAW
07 Jun 1982	67-0019	C141B	MAC 70019B/C	438th MAW from/to Frankfurt
09 Jun 1982	65-0269	C141B	MAC 50269A/B	437th MAW to Cologne

C-141B 67-0019 lines up for departure on 7th June 1982 (BAR/LP)

A further example visited visited twice around a year later in connection with a visit to the UK by Vice President Bush (!):

23rd June 1983	67-0024	C141B	MAC 70024	438th MAW arrived 0815
26th June 1983	67-0024	C141B	MAC70024/199501	438th MAW arr 0945 dep 1200 to Stockholm Arlanda

This was the last visit of the type to the current day.

Boeing C-17A

98-0050 pictured on finals to Northolt (ML)

On 15th September 1996 C-17A 92-3291 of the US Air Force arrived at Northolt from Mildenhall using callsign 'Reach 3291'. The aircraft night stopped and acted as a back up aircraft for a second example, 88-0266 which arrived the next day as 'Reach 0266'. The visits were in connection with a high level meeting on the former Yugoslavia that was held in the Northolt Operations building, with a press conference afterwards. 88-0266 then departed with the high ranking US official direct to Andrews AFB, Washington, a flight achieved with the use of in flight refuelling. The other aircraft returned to Mildenhall shortly afterwards..

Five years later, on 12th July 2001, two C-17A's visited in connection with a presidential visit. The aircraft involved were 98-0051, callsign 'RCH852T' and 98-0050 'RCH853T', both based at McChord Air Force base, Washington state. They each delivered a VH-3D helicopter plus other freight and departed shortly after to Mildenhall. Subsequently, C-17A 98-0052, also of McChord AFB visited on 20th November 2001 as 'RCH501Y' and night stopped. Subsequently, several Royal Air Force examples have visited.

Boeing C-32A

The C-32A lifts off about two thirds down the length of the runway (ML)

On 30th March 2001, C-32A 98-0001 of the United States Air Force arrived at Northolt at 2043hrs. The aircraft parked on line one, facing east, until its departure on Sunday April first at 12.02hrs. Due to its size and turning constraints, the aircraft taxied to runway 25 via the threshold of 07, then backtracked.

Traffic on the A40 road, at the end of 25 was stopped for the departure by a rolling road block in both directions, created by the police. A local newspaper article on the event reported that this was due 'to the plane's size and the possible distraction to passing traffic', but was probably more due to sensitivities after the Learjet overrun incident in 1996. It has been reported that the aircraft is a bit too heavy for Northolt's taxyways, but the runway distance used for landing and take off was considerably less than that available. The aircraft departed to RAF Brize Norton to refuel fully for its journey back to the USA.


98-0001 sits on Line 1 (ML)	The rolling road block created for the C-32A's departure (ML)

The aircraft climbs out on its short flight to Brize Norton (ML)

.. A second aircraft, 99-0004 arrived at 08.32 on Sunday 8th April using callsign 'SAM 94'. Parking was facing the west on line one. It departed at 09.35 on Tuesday 10th April to Vienna using a similar taxying pattern to the previous aircraft. This was the first visit to the UK of that particular C32A. 98-0001 made a return visit on 8th May 2001. .

Credits for photographs and information used on this page go to Air Britain, BAR, John Davison, Dave Gardiner, Peter Norris, JGC and me.