THE TIMES came up with a story last week regarding a British Airways innovation, said to come from British Airways, which on the face of it seems the perfect way to reduce noise levels at Heathrow. Indeed the airline is working hard in this area, its annual Social and Environmental Report, published last week shows that the carrier”s aircraft fleet became quieter and more fuel efficient in 2003/4 and that involvement in the UK government”s trial emissions trading scheme has helped to cut domestic carbon dioxide. The story in ”The Thunderer” was that it is possible for aircraft to land deeper (that is further up) into the 27 runways enabling a higher approach over the built-up areas to the east of the airport. Typically a Boeing 737-300 can operate out of an 1800m+ UK regional airport such as Aberdeen. Heathrow 27 right is 3902m, over twice as long. Any aircraft of similar performance only needs half of the runway. Unfortunately a couple of hundred feet of height in the approach mode will not make that much difference noise-wise, and the noisiest aircraft are the long haul four-engined machines, which need most of the runway. The ILS localiser and the landing pattern could be replicated, but the centreline lights would have to be duplicated on the runway. There are flight problems too. A fine well-intentioned idea but not one to find favour with pilots.
http://www.the-times.co.uk