RAF Northolt declared unsafe

A classified report by the MoD has declared RAF Northolt, which is used to fly the Queen and other high ranking officials and members of the Royal Family into and out of unsafe. Dangers are so bad, that it's only able to operate under the dispensation of a Government Aerodrome. If it were a private airfield, it would never be licensed to operate.

The airfield is surrounded by buildings that under normal takeoff conditions, the aircraft barely clear. The road that crosses near the airfield has hazard lights that are supposed to stop traffic during operations, but they're frequently ignored. Aircraft cross the road at only 30 feet above the tops of vehicles. One end of the runway has 267 buildings that intrude into the operating area of aircraft, while the other has 198. It also has an inadequate overrun area for aircraft.

After a 1996 accident in which an aircraft went off the end of the runway, crossed onto the road, and hit a van, an aggregate bed was installed near the end of the runway for aircraft. It's not clear how well that works though, and it can cause problems during an overrun, including access by rescue vehicles trying to get to the aircraft. To help improve the situation, they shortened the landing area, down to 4900 feet in one direction, and 5100 feet in the other. A report states that to be safe, they need to further reduce it to 4100 feet, which was ruled out by the MoD, as it would prevent certain aircraft from using the runway.

The VIP airfield used by the Queen and Prime Minister is unsafe, according to a classified Ministry of ­Defence report obtained by the Telegraph.
Dangers to “existing operations” at RAF Northolt, London, are so serious it “could not be licensed in its current form” by the aviation authorities, the report says.

It is able to operate only under dispensation as a “Government aerodrome”.
The situation is “inexcusable”, it is claimed, and could “end in an accident”.
Northolt is the base for the RAF’s 32 (The Royal) Squadron, which operates a fleet of BAE 146 executive jets for military commanders, ministers and the Royal Family.

www.telegraph.co.uk...

I live very close to this "airport' and can tell you one thing, it is very busy for a small airfield.
There is a constant supply of aircraft landing here, 90% of which are private jets.
It also has a runway long enough to take a jumbo. . Remember seeing airforce one on the tarmac a few years ago

One rule for them. One rule for us.


Nice find though!!

This is interesting, and pretty depressing. They raise A LOT of money by letting private jets use Northolt www.forbes.com...

I wonder if that make a difference to the government turning a blind eye...

I use that road fairly often and have flown in and out of Northolt a few times. Most people totally ignore the lights, they are too busy watching the aircraft go over their heads to notice the lights are on red!

And the hoarding they put up along the fences to stop people viewing whilst driving do exactly the opposite!!! They just make it harder to see, so people need to look for longer and the risk of crashing is higher!

However, it can't be much worse than LCY (London city), flying around some of the tallest buildings in Europe and then landing in a ship dock, overshoot there and you get very wet!