Passengers flying into Heathrow in fog or poor visibility will be guided in using a new microwave-based system.
On a clear day, about 44 planes an hour land at Heathrow. However, if the visibility drops and aircraft have to use the ILS system to land on full autopilot, that figure falls to 24 aircraft an hour. This is because the radio transmitter at the end of the runway needs good line of sight to the approaching aircraft, but because it is at the far end of the runway, planes have to land and taxi clear before a full signal is restored.
The new MLS allows an extra six aircraft an hour to land, meaning that while fog will still cause disruption, its effects will be less prominent.
This is very interesting, thanks for the post. :-)
Posted by: sarah jenkin | October 02, 2009 at 05:53 PM