United Kingdom Archives - Fire Aviation

Videos of extreme crosswind landings yesterday at Heathrow

Landing at Heathrow Airport, Feb. 18,2022. Big Jet TV — On this attempted landing at Heathrow Airport, Feb. 18,2022 the pilot decided to go around. Image from Big Jet TV video.

The arrival of storm Eunice at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom yesterday resulted in strong crosswinds and elevated heart rates as airplanes were landing on runway 27L. In many cases, they aborted the approaches and decided to go around.

Big Jet TV was on the scene streaming live for nearly eight hours, providing Olympic-like commentary as the big planes attempted to get on the ground during winds that gusted up to 70 mph. At one time the live stream had 200,000 viewers and about 24 hours later has had more than 6 million views.

Jerry Dyer shot the video from a platform on top of his van as he narrated what was happening with many of the planes heavily crabbing against the wind gusts. As the aircraft in the photo above aborted the landing a few feet above the runway (at 1:14:10) he shouted, “Ohhhhhhhhh nooooooo…. he didn’t like that!”

“He’s not having that. He’s not having any of that,” he said as another pilot decided to go around. And at other times, “Easy! Easy!”, “Are you sure? Are you sure?” “Drop it! Drop it!”, and “Yeahhhhhh! Nicely done!”

If you have eight hours to kill, check out the video below. Or, just sample it.

Two new single engine air tankers are being designed

October 3, 2020 | 1:45 p.m. MDT

Firecatcher F-45 air tanker — Firecatcher F-45. Firecatcher photo.

Three companies are collaborating to design and manufacture two new versions of single engine air tankers (SEAT).

A UK company, Arcus Fire, is coordinating the projects which are designed and built by two New Zealand companies, Flight Structures Ltd and Pacific Aerospace.

Firecatcher F-25 air tanker — Firecatcher F-25. Firecatcher photo.

Flight testing is scheduled to begin soon of the smaller of the two aircraft, the F-25, which is capable of carrying up to 660 gallons. It is a modification of Pacific Aerospace’s Super-Pac XL utility aircraft. The companies are working on CAA/CASA/FAA Certification and expect the air tanker will be available in 2021. It will be powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140A engine.

Construction is in progress of a clean-sheet larger SEAT, the F-45, with a 1,188-gallon water or retardant tank. It will have a high wing and a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67F engine. Initially it will be a Restricted Category aircraft, but eventually will be certified in the Standard Category with both cargo and passenger variants. The first flight is expected in 2023 with deliveries planned to start in 2024.

fuselage Firecatcher F-45 air tanker — A portion of the fuselage of the Firecatcher F-45. Firecatcher photo.

The cargo version will have a large cargo door with a flat floor cabin that can take three LD3 shipping containers with a 5,500 lb maximum payload capability. The aircraft will have a cruise speed of up to 190 knots (218 mph) and a 1,000 nautical-mile maximum range. The 19-passenger cabin will have full stand-up headroom and double abreast single-aisle seating.

FlightGlobal reported the pricing will be $4.2 million for the F-45 and $2.2 million for the F-25.

Neither the F-25 or the F-45 are amphibious, but they can be outfitted with a scooping tube, or as Erickson describes it on their Air-Crane helicopter, a “scoop hydrofoil attachment”. A Blackhawk operated by HP Helicopters also has one of these devices.

Erickson Air-Crane scooping — SDG&E’s Sunbird Air-crane helicopter, scooping water at Lake Hodges, shortly after it was delivered in August, 2010. SDG&E photo.