Changing flight patterns? Probably a stoopid question!
Discussion
I live very close to gatwick and see the planes take off and land etc every day is the exact same directions, occasionaly they change which end the take off and land from but always the same directions unless its very stormy etc.
Last night however one plane toof off and changed its flight plan so dramatically (over my house) that i was genuinly scared (i am a bit dramatic about airplanes falling out of the sky!)
Why would a plane do that and for what reason?
Last night however one plane toof off and changed its flight plan so dramatically (over my house) that i was genuinly scared (i am a bit dramatic about airplanes falling out of the sky!)
Why would a plane do that and for what reason?
Aircraft land and take off into wind. Among other reasons this allows for a lower ground speed for any given airspeed. Shorter take off and landing rolls and better stopping.
Gatwick and most UK airports have prevailing winds from the west, so they generally land and take off in a westerly direction.
AT Gatwick they usually land on Runway 26 (260 degrees, almost west) approaching from the East over Lingfield and Burstow crossing the M23 before touchdown.
They depart on the same runway 26 facing west taking off south of Horley then over Charlwood and towards Rusper and Horsham.
The last couple of days the wind has been from the east so the other end of the same runway, runway 08 (080 degrees almost east) is in use.
If you ever see something that looks very different it is usually a 'go around', where the approach has to be abandoned due to something like spacing of aircraft being too close. This usually results in a landing aircraft climbing sharply and making an early turn (usually south at Gatwick).
Go arounds are perhaps more common in Gatwick as despite having some of the best controllers in the Tower and on approach there is only one runway and it gets very busy.
Last night there was also some weather around so perhaps the aircraft was turning to avoid flying through some of it after take off.
Gatwick and most UK airports have prevailing winds from the west, so they generally land and take off in a westerly direction.
AT Gatwick they usually land on Runway 26 (260 degrees, almost west) approaching from the East over Lingfield and Burstow crossing the M23 before touchdown.
They depart on the same runway 26 facing west taking off south of Horley then over Charlwood and towards Rusper and Horsham.
The last couple of days the wind has been from the east so the other end of the same runway, runway 08 (080 degrees almost east) is in use.
If you ever see something that looks very different it is usually a 'go around', where the approach has to be abandoned due to something like spacing of aircraft being too close. This usually results in a landing aircraft climbing sharply and making an early turn (usually south at Gatwick).
Go arounds are perhaps more common in Gatwick as despite having some of the best controllers in the Tower and on approach there is only one runway and it gets very busy.
Last night there was also some weather around so perhaps the aircraft was turning to avoid flying through some of it after take off.
As el stovey said, possibly weather avoidance, or a slim chance that the aircraft was being given avoiding action to deconflict it from another aircraft, either due to a mistake somewhere by controllers or crew, or because a light aircraft had infringed Gatwick's zone. It may also be that the missed approach (go around) instructions for a particular approach create a more abrupt turn than the usual departure route that you're familiar with seeing.
Have a look at these links for an example (if you're still reading). The noise preferential routings are what the initial part of a standard departure route will be based on. Southbound aircraft will usually climb straight ahead until they're 2.5 miles from the runway, before turning south. The second chart shows the dotted line for a missed approach, which instructs the crew to turn south when they're 1 mile past the runway. The turn is also larger. That sort of difference may explain what you saw.
http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/aip/current/ad/EGKK/...
http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/aip/current/ad/EGKK/...
I don't know if this sort of procedure would be hand-flown by the crew or not - maybe stovey could enlighten me?
It's refreshing that you take an interest in the place that isn't to do with NIMBY noise complaints or similar. It's a very impressive operation and the busiest single runway in the world. The controllers there get less attention and slightly lower pay than Heathrow, for what is arguably a trickier job.
Edited to remove jargon.
Have a look at these links for an example (if you're still reading). The noise preferential routings are what the initial part of a standard departure route will be based on. Southbound aircraft will usually climb straight ahead until they're 2.5 miles from the runway, before turning south. The second chart shows the dotted line for a missed approach, which instructs the crew to turn south when they're 1 mile past the runway. The turn is also larger. That sort of difference may explain what you saw.
http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/aip/current/ad/EGKK/...
http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/aip/current/ad/EGKK/...
I don't know if this sort of procedure would be hand-flown by the crew or not - maybe stovey could enlighten me?
It's refreshing that you take an interest in the place that isn't to do with NIMBY noise complaints or similar. It's a very impressive operation and the busiest single runway in the world. The controllers there get less attention and slightly lower pay than Heathrow, for what is arguably a trickier job.
Edited to remove jargon.
Edited by RDE on Saturday 18th April 00:19
el stovey said:
Aircraft land and take off into wind. Among other reasons this allows for a lower ground speed for any given airspeed. Shorter take off and landing rolls and better stopping.
Gatwick and most UK airports have prevailing winds from the west, so they generally land and take off in a westerly direction.
AT Gatwick they usually land on Runway 26 (260 degrees, almost west) approaching from the East over Lingfield and Burstow crossing the M23 before touchdown.
They depart on the same runway 26 facing west taking off south of Horley then over Charlwood and towards Rusper and Horsham.
The last couple of days the wind has been from the east so the other end of the same runway, runway 08 (080 degrees almost east) is in use.
If you ever see something that looks very different it is usually a 'go around', where the approach has to be abandoned due to something like spacing of aircraft being too close. This usually results in a landing aircraft climbing sharply and making an early turn (usually south at Gatwick).
Go arounds are perhaps more common in Gatwick as despite having some of the best controllers in the Tower and on approach there is only one runway and it gets very busy.
Last night there was also some weather around so perhaps the aircraft was turning to avoid flying through some of it after take off.
Good post - thanks Gatwick and most UK airports have prevailing winds from the west, so they generally land and take off in a westerly direction.
AT Gatwick they usually land on Runway 26 (260 degrees, almost west) approaching from the East over Lingfield and Burstow crossing the M23 before touchdown.
They depart on the same runway 26 facing west taking off south of Horley then over Charlwood and towards Rusper and Horsham.
The last couple of days the wind has been from the east so the other end of the same runway, runway 08 (080 degrees almost east) is in use.
If you ever see something that looks very different it is usually a 'go around', where the approach has to be abandoned due to something like spacing of aircraft being too close. This usually results in a landing aircraft climbing sharply and making an early turn (usually south at Gatwick).
Go arounds are perhaps more common in Gatwick as despite having some of the best controllers in the Tower and on approach there is only one runway and it gets very busy.
Last night there was also some weather around so perhaps the aircraft was turning to avoid flying through some of it after take off.
I live south of Gatwick and aircraft either fly away at altitude heading S/SE or are on approach heading NE before turning to land and I too have seen the odd very low aircraft which I suspected was a go-around. What is odd is I live 20 miles away due south and the 'low ones' seem very, very low for the distance where I live to touchdown...
Are they just low because they are numpty crew?Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff