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You aren't a fan of maximum breaking or reverse thrust? Reverse thrust is only effective if applied immediately after landing. It loses it's effectiveness after that so it's no good getting beyond the midpoint and then considering reverse thrust. Personally I prefer the crew use whatever is necessary to stop the aircraft and if they can turn off at Delta or Alpha 2 then great. There's nothing better than looking at 600 metres plus of concrete after the aircraft has come to a standstill.The runway is there to use and I am not a fan of maximum braking/full reverse thrust throwing one forward against the lap belts if it's not necessary . Came back from Spain - can't remember where - maybe one of the Islands many years ago when Thompson, as was then, I believe had the base, on a 757. 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning if I recall correctly - no heavy braking and no reverse thrust just rolled to the end of 33! Saved the brakes and some stress on the pylons etc. and probably didn't wake Rodney and Co.![]()
I remember watching it land from the old café and it stopped with ease by around the midpoint but not forgetting it was before the threshold moved forward.The runway changed to 14/32 on 4th November 1984, the day the extension officially opened, and prior to that Britannia Airways never operated 757s into LBA, only 737 200s. In fact I believe the only 757 to land on the short runway 33 was G-MOND of Monarch, and as I recall, it was empty when it landed.