Biden "mini" state visit

[CHINOOKER]

Hi all,
Quick question. Does anyone know where the helicopters would land at Windsor Castle? TIA
Mike

Think it’s called the “East Lawn” just outside the Castle grounds….JB will travel in motorcade from there into the Castle.

[mikee115]

Hi all,
Quick question. Does anyone know where the helicopters would land at Windsor Castle? TIA
Mike

Think it’s called the “East Lawn” just outside the Castle grounds….JB will travel in motorcade from there into the Castle.

Thanks for the info CHINOOKER.

[EBRUIJN80]

Hi all,

Has anyone been able to see the helicopters come into land at Windsor Castle (East Lawn) on previous visits?
Last time I was at the Home park (North of the Castle), but could not see anything coming in nor leaving.

Would the long walk be better (not sure because of the trees) or Datchet?
Like to know if there is any place where there would be a good viewing point.

Thanks in advance!

Erik

[xkekeith]

For Obama in 2016 photographed Marine One as it crossed the M4 from a bridge in Datchet, identified from the previous days practice. For Biden in 2021 photographed the VH-3s & escorts as they flew into and out of Heathrow. Am guessing this visit with Biden in central London will be more like the 2016 route, the practice assuming there is one is normally a very good guide. the actually landing site is not visible.

[paullangford]

Hi all,

Has anyone been able to see the helicopters come into land at Windsor Castle (East Lawn) on previous visits?
Last time I was at the Home park (North of the Castle), but could not see anything coming in nor leaving.

Would the long walk be better (not sure because of the trees) or Datchet?
Like to know if there is any place where there would be a good viewing point.

Thanks in advance!

Erik

If they're flying directly from Northolt to Windsor Castle, then Riding Court Road bridge over the M4 or Home Park/ Victoria Bridge usually are good spots, if they're flying the more scenic route in up the Long Walk, then it'll be the Long Walk

[STN RAMP RAT]

https://nats-uk.ead-it.com/cms-nats/exp ... Y-2023.pdf

Seems to confirm the dates and times.

[jd4781]

For Sunday (https://www.forth.news/whpool/64a8ac90a6c1e4fb061dfba7):

10:00 AM THE PRESIDENT departs Dover Air Force Base, Dover, Delaware en route to Stansted, United Kingdom
Dover Air Force Base, Dover, Delaware
Supplemental Pool

UTC

10:10 PM THE PRESIDENT departs Stansted Airport, Stansted, United Kingdom en route to Winfield House Landing Zone, London, United Kingdom
Stansted Airport, Stansted, United Kingdom
Supplemental Pool

10:35 PM THE PRESIDENT arrives at Winfield House Landing Zone, London, United Kingdom
Winfield House Landing Zone, London, United Kingdom
Supplemental Pool

[sdad]

Not likely to arrive at Stansted much before 21:00 BST then?

[Supra]

Damn, I struggle with this UTC/BST issue! As per the Schedule, Potus leaves Stansted for Winfield House @ 10:10 pm UTC or 23:10 BST?
Therefore a "21:00 BST ETA" would see Biden bumming about Stansted for nearly 2 hours? I had assumed AF1 would arrive after sunset (Dark!), where have I gone wrong?

[sdad]

How long are you allowing for the flight? He lifts off at 15:00 our time, so I added six hours. Will it be longer? Anyway, why not see the departure on Monday - after 1pm for us, isn't it?

[tw22]

I'm not sure about the time difference, but this should give us a rough estimate

https://factba.se/biden/calendar

[slogen51]

"Est. AF1 Arrival: 7:50 PM" in Lithuania

According to the press pool link posted above AF1 arrives in Vilnius at 19:50 EEST or 17:50 BST on Monday

So it's about 2:35 flight time from Stansted according to Google ( AF1 will probably be a bit faster than Ryanair) therefore if nothing changes AF1 should depart Stansted after 15:00L on Monday

Belmer will be rammed if it isn't already!

[sdad]

I see that factba.se has duplicate times for Stansted to Winfield (is that Woolie's HQ?). 5:10 and 6:10 EDT. I still take that to be 23:10 local. Also, any other estimates on flight time from Dover? Is it more like seven hours?

[andygolfer]

I see that factba.se has duplicate times for Stansted to Winfield (is that Woolie's HQ?). 5:10 and 6:10 EDT. I still take that to be 23:10 local. Also, any other estimates on flight time from Dover? Is it more like seven hours?

two of the C17s (RCH 3253 & 4536) that arrived at Stansted from dover on Friday had flight times of about 7 hours 10 minutes, I don't know how their cruise speed compares to a 747 / VC-25 though.
A British Airways B777 flying Philadelphia to Heathrow this morning which is a similar distance was giving flight time of c. 6 hours 30 minutes so either faster cruising speed of more favourable tail winds today

EDIT: I'm a bit puzzled by the times, as departing Dover at 10.00 EDT i.e. 14.00 Z / UTC and departing at Stansted (STN)at 10.10 pm / 22.10 z/UTC gives an elapsed time of 8 hours 10 minutes which seems a lot to me, normally it's no more than 15 minutes from AF.1 arriving and the helicopter flights departing. At a 7 hour flight (which is around the maximum I'd say) it should be on the ground at STN by 21.00 Z/UTC so is the 10.10 (22.10) quoted actually BST and not corrected to UTC?

Andy

[jd4781]

I see that factba.se has duplicate times for Stansted to Winfield (is that Woolie's HQ?). 5:10 and 6:10 EDT. I still take that to be 23:10 local. Also, any other estimates on flight time from Dover? Is it more like seven hours?

The email version of this (https://www.forth.news/whpool/64aa10c360b23d11769c1dc3) has Stansted to Winfield as 10:10 BST, so assume it was a typo in Weekend Guidance email that referred to it as 10:10 UTC.

[sdad]

When he was last at Mildenhall, he spent some time on base inspecting the troops before his onward journey. Perhaps this time, they've allowed an hour to have a look at the check-ins!

[andygolfer]

"Est. AF1 Arrival: 7:50 PM" in Lithuania

According to the press pool link posted above AF1 arrives in Vilnius at 19:50 EEST or 17:50 BST on Monday

So it's about 2:35 flight time from Stansted according to Google ( AF1 will probably be a bit faster than Ryanair) therefore if nothing changes AF1 should depart Stansted after 15:00L on Monday

Belmer will be rammed if it isn't already!

From FR24 data the average flight time for Ryanair from Stansted to Vilnius is about 2 hours 8 minutes, (minimum 2.01 and max 2.17) and the 747 cruises about 8% faster so it should be around 2 hours or a bit less (I presume the climb and descent rates will be similar for ATC management, the gain will only be during the cruising stage), so I'd think the departure from Stansted should be nearer to 15.50 BST.

[andygolfer]

When he was last at Mildenhall, he spent some time on base inspecting the troops before his onward journey. Perhaps this time, they've allowed an hour to have a look at the check-ins!

If he goes through passport control at Stansted he'll be there for much more than an hour

[slogen51]

"Est. AF1 Arrival: 7:50 PM" in Lithuania

According to the press pool link posted above AF1 arrives in Vilnius at 19:50 EEST or 17:50 BST on Monday

So it's about 2:35 flight time from Stansted according to Google ( AF1 will probably be a bit faster than Ryanair) therefore if nothing changes AF1 should depart Stansted after 15:00L on Monday

Belmer will be rammed if it isn't already!

From FR24 data the average flight time for Ryanair from Stansted to Vilnius is about 2 hours 8 minutes, (minimum 2.01 and max 2.17) and the 747 cruises about 8% faster so it should be around 2 hours or a bit less (I presume the climb and descent rates will be similar for ATC management, the gain will only be during the cruising stage), so I'd think the departure from Stansted should be nearer to 15.50 BST.

I guess we all did our own maths but I was just generalising that if you get there by 3pm you should be ok but if you want to arrive at 15:49 then go for it

If you want to see the choppers again you will have to guesstimate a couple of hours before to make sure.

Obviously if the glad handing and back slapping takes longer than expected the jumbo won't go without him

I won't be there as I was thinking of doing Luton for the F1 biz but even that is looking less likely as I have been invited to a pub lunch which given the paucity of my social engagements I can't turn down!

[STN RAMP RAT]

AF1 will go as fast, or as slow as it needs to in order to meet the pre arranged schedule. I seem to remember reading that the USAF took great pride in turning onto stand just as the second hand ticked over to the minute of the scheduled arrival. Clearly there has been some confusion between UTC and BST in tbe published schedule but I doubt there is any confusion in the secret service and airforce schedules.