Oh joy, GWB arriving at LHR tomorrow

Probably just as I arrive back from SFO - over on FT they are forecasting chaos as one runway will be closed to traffic for a while, the flow rate will be reduced, extra security everywhere, presidential motorcades and choppers.

Gee, why not make him land at Farnborough or Luton something.

[preiffer]

Originally posted by slinky09
Gee, why not make him land at Farnborough or Luton something.

Or Baghdad [}:)]

Or maybe not at all[}:)]

[honey lamb]

It's not only that. It's the area around LHR as well where there will be massive restrictions. When he arrived in SNN some years ago the road closures were ridiculous for a 24 hour period surrounding his visit - and as for aircraft landing there, fergitaboutit! Everything got shunted off to DUB, including my late cousin and his coffin.

Why he can't land at an airforce base like Brize Norton is beyond me

and that may account for the numerous yellow signs that poppped up on street/traffic lights the other day notifing road and footpath closures Sun&Mon in the SW1 area.

[HighFlyer]

Originally posted by honey lamb
Why he can't land at an airforce base like Brize Norton is beyond me

Ahem, that would disrupt us big time. [:)] We had road closures when Prince Harry arrived back from Afghanistan.

Thanks,
Sarah

flew back from DXB yesterday around 14:00 and held on runway for a while
Passport control a little congested but not to bad (Must sign up for IRIS recognition)
Coming out of terminal not to bad either T3 anyway
London will be a little crowded over next few days though

Colin

This may be hear'say but one of the guys I work with flew into T5 yesterday and said there were a number of flights cancelled due to this with PAX collecting luggage who had never flown being directed by staff with clipboards as the baggage info screens had crashed! He was held in the air for a while and the captain announced that LHR had been closed for an hour!

I think they should've sent him to Humberside airport so the locals could give him a traditional local greeting

[honey lamb]

And of course, it all starts all over again today until he leaves for Belfast

[buns]

A whole posse of choppers crossed over London this lunchtime, first the presidential duo, escorted by a few fearsome types, then a plethora of attack helicopters - very impressive from an excellent high vantage point i sometime frequent.

buns

[fozzyo]

On his last state visit didn't the secret service want the entire underground closed?

Seriously how does Washington or America cope if they have to shutdown a city each time?

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by fozzyo
Seriously how does Washington or America cope if they have to shutdown a city each time?

My friends in Washington DC say it's a regular occurrence. The last time we were there we saw a couple of cavalcades of cars, which to my mind would have been worthy of a president but was told it was not so as the roads would have been closed.

On a lighter note, the story I liked best was the one when Bill Clinton was in town and had gone to dinner. His route was over Tower Bridge but he was late leaving the restaurant and there was a bridge lift which split his motorcade in two. Apparently the Secret service went ape and wanted the bridge lift to be cancelled regardless of the boat that was going under!!