Runways in use 09L/R
The following is a report from two trips to Heathrow on the same day, firstly at 06:30 for an hour en-route to a meeting, and then again in the afternoon on the way back. In the morning I stopped at the Renaissance Hotel car park, on the northside, and purchased a coffee from the Starbucks inside the hotel lobby. From the car park nothing is missed, although you will need FR24 potentially. Parking is £5 for an hour although on this occasion the barrier wasn’t dispensing tickets and i wasn’t charged.
The view from the Renaissance Hotel car park.
In the afternoon I was keen to catch the departure of the new BAW and VRG A350-1000’s and opted in the first instance on a spot at the end of Cains Lane located at Spot 1 on the map below.
Parking in Cains Lane is a problem, and parking on the grass verge on the right hand side can lead to a fixed penalty and is to be avoided. All is not lost though, as there is a free car park next to the football club entrance adjacent to a childrens playground just off of Hatton Road. This car park closes ‘early evening’ with no time specified so parking is at your own risk. It is then a 5 minute walk to the spot at the end of Cains Lane (This car park is also useful if visiting Myrtle Avenue when 27L is in use). The end of Cains Lane affords a view of aircraft departing 09R but be advised that narrow body aircraft are very high by the time they pass this spot. For heavies it is just about OK.
An example of the photos achievable from here are below:
I was lucky to catch the Qantas Dreamliner as it was running late, once I had seen this from Cains Lane, I walked west along the A30 until a grass bank comes into view on the left. By walking up the bank a better angle can be achieved (Spot 2 on the map) although the 4m high concrete wall still obscures views across the airport.
There is a sizable gap in the wall however, where a Virgin Atlantic Dreamliner is currently parked awaiting new engines. From adjacent to this spot a view across is possible (Spot 3).
My personal favourite is Spot 4 which is a high grass bank in between the slip road (currently closed) and the A30. Despite the location next to the road, it is actually quite peaceful because you are elevated above the traffic. You also get a view across the airport toward the eastern end of 09L
A 200-300 lens is required from here. I have a 300mm lens which is adequate but if you want to catch the aircraft as they turn south a much longer lens is necessary (or a lot of cropping). Examples of the photos from here are below:
Once I had seen the VRG and BAW A350’s depart, it was a 10 minute walk back to the car and then a drive down to the T5 car park so that I could walk to a spot near the T5 approach road to catch the 09L arrivals. parking is expensive however there are limited other parking options without being ticketed. In the future I may choose to leave the car at Hatton Cross and take the free bus from Hatton Cross to T5. From level 0 of T5 (where there is a handy M&S food shop, costa coffee and toilets), turn left as you leave the lift and you exit some doors into a small courtyard which is the smoking area. Walk through here and you see a footpath with a sign that says something along the lines of ‘access only to security point’ ignore this and keep walking, you eventually see the taxi rank on your left as well as the mound beyond. Follow your nose up onto the mound and choose your spot on the grass.
The walk gives you up close views of some of the T5 stands. The photos below are from my walk back to the car.
The view from the mound is perfect. All approach shots below are taken from here.
I stayed here from about 14:45 until 18:00 in glorious sunshine.
The log below excludes most British Airways except the Neos and A350, and all Virgin except the A350. It also excludes Aer Lingus.
Thu 19 Sep 2019 London Heathrow
———————————————
4X-EDA Boeing 787 9 63548 EL AL
5Y-KZA Boeing 787 8 35510 Kenya Airways
9K-AOJ Boeing 777 300ER 62567 Kuwait Airways
9M-MAF Airbus A350 941 203 Malaysia Airlines
9V-SKM Airbus A380 841 65 Singapore Airlines
A4O-SG Boeing 787 9 38795 Oman Air
A6-BLK Boeing 787 9 39654 Etihad Airways
A6-BLY Boeing 787 9 39679 Etihad Airways
A6-EIC Airbus A320 232 2167 Air Serbia
A6-EUM Airbus A380 842 225 Emirates Airline
A7-AMK Airbus A350 941 249 Qatar Airways
A9C-FE Boeing 787 9 39984 Gulf Air
AP-BGJ Boeing 777 240ER 33775 Pakistan International Airlines
B-2002 Boeing 777 39PER 43288 China Eastern Airlines
B-2031 Boeing 777 39LER 38670 Air China
B-209X Boeing 787 9 63983 China Southern Airlines
B-6115 Airbus A330 243 909 Air China
B-KPO Boeing 777 367ER 36160 Cathay Pacific Airways
B-KPY Boeing 777 367ER 37899 Cathay Pacific Airways
B-KQB Boeing 777 367ER 39235 Cathay Pacific Airways
C-FCAE Boeing 767 375ER 24083 Air Canada
C-FIUL Boeing 777 333ER 35255 Air Canada
C-FIVQ Boeing 777 333ER 35240 Air Canada
C-FPQB Boeing 787 9 35270 Air Canada
C-FRSA Boeing 787 9 37175 Air Canada
CN-ROC Boeing 737NG 8B6/W 33061 Royal Air Maroc
CS-TJK Airbus A321 251NSL 8553 TAP Air Portugal
D-ABGJ Airbus A319 112 3415 Eurowings
D-ABGK Airbus A319 112 3447 Eurowings
D-AEWK Airbus A320 214SL 7261 Eurowings
D-AGWG Airbus A319 132 3193 Eurowings
D-AIUW Airbus A320 214SL 7251 Lufthansa
D-AIUY Airbus A320 214SL 7355 Lufthansa
EC-INO Airbus A340 642 431 Iberia
EC-KMD Airbus A319 111 3380 Iberia
EC-LXQ Airbus A320 216SL 5692 Iberia
EC-MXU Airbus A320 251NSL 8221 Iberia
EI-DSU Airbus A320 216 3563 Alitalia
EI-IMS Airbus A319 111 4910 Alitalia
EI-SIA Airbus A320 251NSL 7897 Scandinavian Airlines Ireland
EI-SIC Airbus A320 251NSL 7979 Scandinavian Airlines Ireland
EI-SID Airbus A320 251NSL 8031 Scandinavian Airlines Ireland
EI-SIH Airbus A320 251NSL 8551 Scandinavian Airlines Ireland
EP-IJB Airbus A330 243 1586 Iran Air
G-ECOB Bombardier DHC-8 402 4185 Flybe
G-JEDT Bombardier DHC-8 402 4088 Flybe
G-NEOP Airbus A321 251NXSL 8469 British Airways
G-NEOS Airbus A321 251NXSL 8637 British Airways
G-NEOT Airbus A321 251NXSL 8718 British Airways
G-NEOU Airbus A321 251NXSL 8804 British Airways
G-PRPA Bombardier DHC-8 402 4187 Flybe
G-PRPE Bombardier DHC-8 402 4209 Flybe
G-TTNC Airbus A320 251NSL 8173 British Airways
G-TTND Airbus A320 251NSL 8308 British Airways
G-TTNE Airbus A320 251NSL 8365 British Airways
G-TTNF Airbus A320 251NSL 8408 British Airways
G-TTNH Airbus A320 251NSL 8489 British Airways
G-TTNJ Airbus A320 251NSL 8772 British Airways
G-VPOP Airbus A350 1041 298 Virgin Atlantic Airways
G-XWBA Airbus A350 1041 326 British Airways
HB-IJQ Airbus A320 214 701 Swiss International Air Lines
HB-IOM Airbus A321 211 4534 Swiss International Air Lines
HB-JCC Bombardier C Series 300 55012 Swiss International Air Lines
HL7633 Boeing 747 8B5 40908 Korean Air
HL8046 Boeing 777 F 62696 Korean Air
HL8308 Airbus A350 941 218 Asiana Airlines
HS-TKW Boeing 777 3D7ER 42112 Thai Airways International
HZ-AK39 Boeing 777 300ER 61592 Saudi Arabian Airlines
HZ-AK42 Boeing 777 300ER 62762 Saudi Arabian Airlines
JA736J Boeing 777 346ER 32435 Japan Airlines
JA793A Boeing 777 300ER 61512 All Nippon Airways
JA837J Boeing 787 8 34860 Japan Airlines
JY-BAB Boeing 787 8 35319 Royal Jordanian Airlines
LN-RCZ Boeing 737NG 883 30197 Scandinavian Airlines System
N154DL Boeing 767 3P6ER/W 25241 Delta Air Lines
N2140U Boeing 777 300ER 62651 United Airlines
N26910 Boeing 787 8 34826 United Airlines
N27903 Boeing 787 8 34823 United Airlines
N670UA Boeing 767 322ER/W 29240 United Airlines
N675UA Boeing 767 322ER/W 29243 United Airlines
N717AN Boeing 777 323ER 31543 American Airlines
N719AN Boeing 777 323ER 41668 American Airlines
N723AN Boeing 777 323ER 33125 American Airlines
N731AN Boeing 777 323ER 33523 American Airlines
N736AT Boeing 777 323ER 33538 American Airlines
N776AN Boeing 777 223ER 29582 American Airlines
N785UA Boeing 777 222ER 26954 United Airlines
N786AV Boeing 787 8 37508 Avianca
N827AN Boeing 787 9 40647 American Airlines
N829AN Boeing 787 9 40651 American Airlines
N831AA Boeing 787 9 40652 American Airlines
N859NW Airbus A330 223 722 Delta Air Lines
N860NW Airbus A330 223 778 Delta Air Lines
N961AM Boeing 787 8 35306 AeroMexico
OD-MRL Airbus A320 232 5000 Middle East Airlines
OE-LXC Airbus A320 216 3502 Austrian
OH-LTO Airbus A330 302E 1013 Finnair
OH-LXM Airbus A320 214 2154 Finnair
OH-LZH Airbus A321 231SL 5803 Finnair
OO-SNG Airbus A320 214 1885 Brussels Airlines
OO-SSK Airbus A319 112 1336 Brussels Airlines
P4-GAS Boeing 757 2G5/W 28112 Air Astana
PH-BGN Boeing 737NG 7K2/W 38125 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
PH-BXK Boeing 737NG 8K2/W 29598 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
PH-EZB Embraer EMB-190 STD 19000235 KLM cityhopper
PH-EZM Embraer EMB-190 STD 19000338 KLM cityhopper
PH-EZY Embraer EMB-190 STD 19000649 KLM cityhopper
PT-MUG Boeing 777 32WER 38888 LATAM Brasil
SE-RON Airbus A320 251NSL 8404 Scandinavian Airlines System
SP-LNL Embraer EMB-195 AR 19000382 LOT Polish Airlines
SP-LUA Boeing 737NG 79P/W 30651 LOT Polish Airlines (Blue Air Colours)
SX-DGP Airbus A321 232 3302 Aegean Airlines
SX-DVO Airbus A321 232 3462 Aegean Airlines
TC-JSH Airbus A321 231SL 5546 Turkish Airlines
TC-LJB Boeing 777 3F2ER 44124 Turkish Airlines
TC-LLC Boeing 787 9 65803 Turkish Airlines
TF-FIK Boeing 757 256/W 26254 Icelandair
V8-DLC Boeing 787 8 34789 Royal Brunei Airlines
VH-OQB Airbus A380 842 15 Qantas
VH-ZNH Boeing 787 9 36241 Qantas
VQ-BEK Airbus A330 343X 1077 Aeroflot Russian Airlines
VQ-BTU Airbus A321 211SL 8378 Aeroflot Russian Airlines
VT-ALP Boeing 777 337ER 36314 Air India
VT-ANV Boeing 787 8 36293 Air India
ZK-OKO Boeing 777 319ER 38407 Air New Zealand
ZS-SXL Airbus A330 343E 1779 South African Airways
