§ 82. Mr. Ronald Bellasked the Minister of Aviation how many aircraft arriving at London, Heathrow, Airport between 8 o'clock in the morning and 6 o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday, 10th October were directed to a flight path over the parish of Datchet, Buckinghamshire.
§ Mr. Roy Jenkins134. Because the traffic flow at Heathrow is normally from east to west, aircraft landing at Heathrow usually do not pass over Datchet, but on the day in question the wind was easterly and the normal traffic flow had to be reversed.
§ 83. Mr. Ronald Bellasked the Minister of Aviation what was the minimum interval between arrivals of aircraft at London Airport at peak periods on Sunday, 10th October; and in how many cases contraventions of the rules governing height and noise were observed.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsThe minimum interval between arrivals of aircraft at London (Heathrow) Airport between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on 10th October was between one and two minutes. As the times at which aircraft land are taken to the nearest minute, it is not possible to express this more exactly.
There is no evidence to suggest that any pilot approaching to land on 10th October disobeyed his instructions from Air Traffic Control. A sample check of heights between 7.45 and 8.47 a.m. showed no infringements.