[Closed] This storm? Will my flight be affected?

Oh, it'll be going alright !

It's nice and sunny in Aberdeen for when you get here (if that's where you're heading). 🙂

it'll be all blown out by then, the main problem will be the bits of cathedral spire scattered about the runway.

Runway is east-west at Exeter isn't it? Should be fine...

I thought they'd stopped running the Aberdeen flight?

Euain yes indeed.
Mr Nutt, indeed, or trees down on the route..
Jambo, I hope not otherwise the last 6 months have been a pigment of my emulsion. Maybe it was all a dream?

Is it direct or do you have to transfer through Manchester?

I took off in a storm in a Fokker 50 from London City Airport, so I think you'll be ok. Was a hell of a bumpy climb out so make sure you're well strapped in!

Give me a second - I'll have a look at the weather for your flight (Im an airline pilot)

wobbliscott - Member

I took off in a storm in a Fokker 50 from London City Airport, so I think you'll be ok. Was a hell of a bumpy climb out so make sure you're well strapped in!

Ahh ... Fokker 50, what a wonderful plane.

Right - Exeter only produce an aviation forecast up until midnight, but from other sources, the maximum wind in the Exeter area is 50 Km/hr, and is blowing down the runway.

The weather should be within the limits of the aircraft - the only issues will be damage to the airport infrastructure or aircraft from the strong winds.

The main London airports will be a different kettle of fish. The winds there are stronger, verging on the maximum allowable wind speed for ground movement of aircraft ( a higher limit than take off/landing) so this could lead to heavy cancellations.

Strong winds always lead to delays anyway. Aircraft on approach to land are separated by a minimum of 3 miles. In strong headwinds, aircraft take longer to cover the distance, meaning the landing flow rate is reduced. Airports like Heathrow work at capacity all the time, so this reduced flow rate will inevitably lead to cancellations.

Hope this helps.

Dantsw13, it does thanks. Can you update me later. xxx
Jambo, yup via Manc, which is normally the source of my troubles...
Not as bad as a fokker, 50, but FLYBE's Dash 8's are the airline equivalent of a rigid singlespeed on 100psi tyres..

How about a 12 noon flight into Bristol from Guernsey ?

will it be going do you think?

It may be going, but it may not be going where you want it to go.. somewhere in the Netherlands maybe..

I hope all the carnage has got out of the way for my 10.30am flight on Tuesday from LHR.

Stoner - the weather will have calmed down by then. However, whenever there are big delays/cancellations, it can take days to get all the a/c and crews back in the right place.

Fingers crossed, as this is all anticipated, disruption, whilst inevitable, can be kept to a minimum.

I'm supposed to get myself up to Tooting tomorrow morning for an orthopaedic appointment, now that I'm (sort of) walking again. Ooh er.

All flights to Tooting are cancelled.

cheers dan.
Not sure why Im that bothered, it's not like I even want to go on the trip 😉

It'll be fine. You'd be surprised at what they fly in 😉

It'll be fine. I've done loads of flying in high winds, including diagonal landings, blown off course when landing, and emergency throttle due to wind almost killing the props and I'm still alive.

Although I now have a tamizipam addiction.

Still glad I'm not flying tomorrow! I seem to miss all the really crap weather 8)

I find in or out of City airport bloody terrifying on a calm day!

City airport is a real one-off, with steeper approaches and take-offs than usual, and a very short runway.

Not sure about in the SW, but SE trains cancelling everything until midday, and London overground closure, inability of critical staff to get to work will have a big knock on effect on airports.

City airport is a real one-off, with steeper approaches and take-offs than usual, and a very short runway.

Well that was an anticlimax. Flights all running fine this morning. Not even that bumpy..

City airport is a real one-off, with steeper approaches and take-offs than usual, and a very short runway.

For little aircraft. If you want a similar experience in bigger planes then fly to Innsbruck - it's a fun approach to experience if you're not too bothered by that sort of thing, and the pilot certainly earns his money.

I've flown into Innsbruck, and whilst it is technically challenging, it doesn't require the steepness of approach that LCY does. It also has a 50% longer runway.

Toys - glad it all worked!!

I've flown into Innsbruck, and whilst it is technically challenging, it doesn't require the steepness of approach that LCY does. It also has a 50% longer runway.

Which is why they don't fly 737s etc. into LCY - the planes which do fly there are designed to perform steeper approaches and have shorter rolls. In terms of getting near the edges of the envelope of the planes involved I wouldn't have thought there was much in it.

Scariest landing (although not very by global standards) I had was Gibraltar. The new runway is made from reclaimed land and appears immediately out of the water without anything before it. So you look out of the window and see water getting closer and closer, the tarmac only appears a second before you touch down.

Scary landings eh? Try Saba in the Carribean, worlds shortest commercial runway, its on the only "flat" part of a volcanic island and the approach has you flying at a cliff face until the minute with a left turn to a stall landing.

Takeoff would benefit from an aircraft carrier catapult.

BA now fly an A318 into LCY, which is the shortest variant of the A3XX family of Airbus - so pretty much a stubby 737. It needed specially modified flight control software to allow the steep approach to be flown. The landing zone at LCY is very small, with no margin for error, requiring special training and frequent refreshers.

The challenge at Innsbruck is more lateral navigation, with the steep valleys. The missed approach is also particularly tricky if you have had an engine failure, as you need to maintain visual flight conditions until the valley becomes wide enough to perform a turnback. In normal conditions, the landing itself is more straightforward.

I've also landed at Gibraltar on many occasions. The main issue there is when the wind comes over the Rock, giving severe updrafts and downdrafts.

Landing at city is fine but taking off is always a bit disconcerting. I don't really notice the rapid altitude gain, but you seem to get to a certain point which isn't that high and then spend ages flying at the altitude which always makes me think somethings wrong and we're about to crash into Buckingham Palace.

Boardinbob - that's a pretty standard acceleration profile. The aircraft climbs in its takeoff configuration until all close in obstacles have been cleared, then accelerates almost level whilst bringing in the flaps, then resumes climbing.

The other factor at LCY is that you are flying under the LHR approach lanes, so will have a level flight segment until you clear them. It will probably feel very low!!

I knew it was windy at Heathrow this morning when even Cathay's and Singapore's wouldn't attempt landings.

Saba...

Now this looks like fun!
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Going to Nevis in May. Might go for a wee look!

dan thanks for your input, always nice to get an actual expert. Cheers

[i]I knew it was windy at Heathrow this morning when even Cathay's and Singapore's wouldn't attempt landings.
[/i]

Errm everybody else was landing fine - are you trying to suggest Cathay and Singapore have better pilots than everybody else?? 😕

Toys19 - Pleasure!!

Er no they weren't. Between 0600 and 0700 there were many go arounds as it was 235 gusting to 80. As I left there was numerous diversion requests and all ground movement was stopped.

I only say Cathay and Singapore as I'm sure they have lots of experience of extreme winds and they decided to make approaches but ended up going round and holding again.

Fair do's. Thats BA's peak arrival time, and they had 2 GA total due to windshear, and no diversions at all. You sound like a pilot too, and were obviously there - thankfully I was still in bed!!! The highest reported wind on our pilot forum was 270/41G67.

No probs. ATC. As I left an emirates was diverting to Manchester and there were a few twitchy requests for weather updates.

It was the poor a318 from JFK. Couldn't get into city this morning.

I left at 0700 so after that I don't know what was happening.

D13,

Try Deptford Down at 3000' in a C130 for a short rwy! Also 12-15 degree approaches in a B200; absolute hoot! Happy days!