HC Deb 11 May 1972 vol 836 cc416-7W
Mr. Warren

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what are the expected cross-wind limitations on Concorde and Boeing 747 aircraft landing at Maplin Airport on dry runways, wet runways and icy runways;

(2) what are the expected cross-wind limitations on Concorde and Boeing 747 aircraft making automatic landings at Maplin Airport on dry runways, wet runways and icy runways.

Mr. Onslow:

The Concorde is designed to operate in cross winds of at least 30 knots for manual landings and 15 knots for automatic landings. The precise cross-wind limitations will not be known until flight testing has been completed. The demonstrated cross-wind capability of the Boeing 747 is 30 knots for manual landings. The approved limit is 15 knots for automatic landings. It is normal practice to reduce the manual but not the automatic landing figures by half for landings on wet or icy runways. Crosswind limitations depend on the aircraft characteristics and will be no different at Maplin from elsewhere.