Nor does an A340 stuck at the end of a 3215m single runway airfield prevent an emergency landing... a 737 can land within 2000m easily.
However I have seen MXP close, because of a suspected fire either onboard an aircraft parked at the gate or even in the terminal itself. Never found out exactly.
No blocked runways whatsoever! Simple fire category downgrade and ATC closing the airport.
MXP = fire 9
Sorry but flying around northern europe and especially london airfields is an entirely different ATC perspective then southern europe. Especially spain and especially madrid.
The extra fuel those Ryr aircraft took are less then what I take on a cavok day into Madrid! I have never had to think hey maybe I shouldn't have taken it cause I didn't use it.
MAD atc is piss poor on a cavok day and completely unreliable. They once sent me around from 7nm to threshold. After the G/A I queried the reason... Previous aircraft had not reported runway vacated, eventhough they have groundradar, us flying at final approach speed and thus having 2-3 minutes to go. Landing 20 minutes after the G/A.
They are useless and can't space aircraft into a decent sequence. And groundcontrol is even worse. Don't get me starter on their meteorologists either...
Anyone going with plog fuel into MAD on a regular basis is bound to encounter problems. Anybody waiting to reach minimum fuel before diverting in spain is likely to encounter problems.
My reason on the plog... MAD/spanish ATC... Never queried by management or trainers.
Some places require planning for multiple contingencies certainly if bad ATC is one of them. And even in northern europe simply busy airspace requires some thinking ahead.
Do I feel any pressure from my management (not FR btw)... No...
Any pilot who feels pressured to take less fuel than what he wants is one too many! And it is up to management to create an environment where this doesn't happen. Publishing fuel league tables is not a good way to promote this imho.
The valencia incident has equal blame between pilots and atc. ATC for not being up to standard on even a normal day and the Pilots for not realising this!
Yes fuel is expensive, try having a crash. Although I suspect the beancounters in aviation statistically inferred that you can have one every 7 years or so, I don't want to be that statistic. Nor get my company or my head all over the news.
Last edited by 737Jock; 29th Dec 2012 at 17:03.