Thunderstorms on approach....

[timmcat]

Being told as a member of 'Joe Public' that pilots religiously avoid t/storms at all costs, I just wondered what circumstances dictate that a final approach through CB's with potential severe turbulence, hail, windshear etc is in fact acceptable? Factors I presume which are taken into account are fuel, atc issues, a lack of alternative airfields, operational reasons (!) etc. Does wx radar paint an accurate enough picture to give the PIC enough information to make a decision? Just how much stress to pax, crew and airframe are deemed acceptable, and who sets the parameters?

Thanks in advance.

[Intruder]

If I'm flying? NONE!

[CentreFix25]

I came across this clip a while back of the usual daily influx of FedEx aircraft into Memphis. On this particular day there was a thunderstorm passing by, and they avoided it like the plague. CLIP HERE (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6886880938991195179)

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Different pilots treat storm cells differently.. Some will happily fly through, others will want to go round whilst others won't go near them. Whilst the airport is operating close to normal, some pilots spend half an hour being radar vectored over half of southern England. It happens and, rightly so, it is up to the individual crew to take the action they consider necessary on their interpretation of their weather radar.

As a (retired) Heathrow radar controller, given our appalling weather record in the UK, I often experienced thunderstorms on the approaches to Heathrow. Whilst doing my best to direct one or two aircraft into clear skies for 20 minutes, I would land a dozen aircraft who's crews happily flew through the rain. Potent storm cells are often very localised so it was sometimes possible to fly "off-set" approaches one or two miles away from the normal centreline and then turn the aircraft towards the airfield when they entered clear skies.