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Currently staying at a relative's address which is directly under the main arrivals path from the West in to London Northolt. There are never more than 20 arrivals and 20 departures per business weekday and often only five or ten. The address is slightly unusual in that not only is it on the lined approach to Northolt from the west but often planes coming in to Northolt from across the channel will fly due north over the house here (at about 3,000 feet) before then doing a 270 degree loop over the Beaconsfield and High Wycombe area to get lined up for the approach from the west. This lately seems to have become the main preferred method of approaching NHT instead of being lined up for an approach in to LHR from the west and then being given permission to veer off that approach path north eastwards to Northolt. Although I can hear and observe all movements in to NHT at this address for understandable reasons of both security and antiquity of the aircraft usually no data is shown by flightradar24 for the smaller number of military movements in to NHT (mainly larger military helicopters or ancient looking prop or turbo prop aircraft). Most of the civilian business jets seems to be Bombardier Global 5000 or other similar small business jets of very similar type but in the past I have seen aircraft up to 100 seater BA146 derivatives (principally Avro RJ100) arrive there.
Anyway sitting here minding my own business today and notice a loud and large sounding jet flying northwards over the house so hopped on to flightradar24 to see what it was knowing I should also see it come back over the house to land in to NHT from the west. Anyway was very surprised to find the aircraft was an Airbus A319-115(CJ) with registration D-ALEX that was incoming from Paris Le Bourget airport. This turns out to be the private jet of Alexander Abramov, Chairman of Evraz, Russia's largest steel producer as shown on the private jet fan forum for which I cannot yet post a direct link here but that Google will no doubt readily take you to.
So anyway I expect this is just a little hop over to London by Alexander (or one of his minions) for an important Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning business meeting but I wonder if this is the first know example of an A319 arriving or departing from NHT? Certainly I keep a close eye on NHT air traffic whenever I hear it and am at this address quite a few days per year and this is the first known example of an A319 I have come across. However obviously NHT ought to be within the A319's capabilities (depending on loading factor) given that BA regularly operates a Business only A319 service from JFK to LCY and NHT's runway is technically 500 feet longer than LCY, although safe maximum runway thresholds at NHT seem to currently be under heavy dispute and/or also subject to likely future revision (downwards).
Is this the first A319 ever in to NHT and is anyone else apart from me also under the NHT flightpath and able to keep tabs on the small amount of traffic (on the whole now significantly less than it was 18 months ago after much sour grapes moaning about civilian passenger aircraft safety provision and safe runway thresholds by London City, Farnborough and Biggin Hill business jet airports) operating in to the airport?
I understand that Flightradar24.com is naturally sensitive to comments on movements of military or government aircraft in to the airport but surely we ought to be able to talk freely here about the private business jet of a Rich Russian Businessman?
Anyway sitting here minding my own business today and notice a loud and large sounding jet flying northwards over the house so hopped on to flightradar24 to see what it was knowing I should also see it come back over the house to land in to NHT from the west. Anyway was very surprised to find the aircraft was an Airbus A319-115(CJ) with registration D-ALEX that was incoming from Paris Le Bourget airport. This turns out to be the private jet of Alexander Abramov, Chairman of Evraz, Russia's largest steel producer as shown on the private jet fan forum for which I cannot yet post a direct link here but that Google will no doubt readily take you to.
So anyway I expect this is just a little hop over to London by Alexander (or one of his minions) for an important Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning business meeting but I wonder if this is the first know example of an A319 arriving or departing from NHT? Certainly I keep a close eye on NHT air traffic whenever I hear it and am at this address quite a few days per year and this is the first known example of an A319 I have come across. However obviously NHT ought to be within the A319's capabilities (depending on loading factor) given that BA regularly operates a Business only A319 service from JFK to LCY and NHT's runway is technically 500 feet longer than LCY, although safe maximum runway thresholds at NHT seem to currently be under heavy dispute and/or also subject to likely future revision (downwards).
Is this the first A319 ever in to NHT and is anyone else apart from me also under the NHT flightpath and able to keep tabs on the small amount of traffic (on the whole now significantly less than it was 18 months ago after much sour grapes moaning about civilian passenger aircraft safety provision and safe runway thresholds by London City, Farnborough and Biggin Hill business jet airports) operating in to the airport?
I understand that Flightradar24.com is naturally sensitive to comments on movements of military or government aircraft in to the airport but surely we ought to be able to talk freely here about the private business jet of a Rich Russian Businessman?
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