Easyjet - Gatwick to Aberdeen

[Daverb]

Something funny going on just now - Easyjet A319 been circling Dundee and to the North of Dundee in a circuit 5-6 times and is now landing in Edinburgh.

[Daverb]

Has landed now at Edinburgh.

[Double Hydco]

Current metar :
182050z 25001kt 0100 r34/0175 fg vv/// 03/03 q1035 nosig

[captplaystation]

2015/03/18 20:50 EGPD 182050Z 25001KT 0100 R34/0175 FG VV/// 03/03 Q1035 NOSIG

You beat me to it. . . . . somewhat doubt ABZ has Cat3 & that is 200m for most folk, although I guess the Bus has 3b so probably 75m TDZ.

[Right Way Up]

ABZ only Cat 1 so 550m RVR needed.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

So..... nothing funny going on.

[RedhillPhil]

Chem spraying - surely?

[Heathrow Harry]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-31956290

Aberdeen Airport flights cancelled

It comes after a number of services were either diverted or cancelled the previous evening due to heavy fog.



The fog warning is no longer in place, but the disruption led to several planes being in the wrong place.



Early morning flights affected on Thursday included services to London Heathrow, Manchester, Amsterdam and Paris.

[Daverb]

What would have been the situation for this?

Pilots check metar at Gatwick / on route but press on anyway and hope fog will clear?

Pilots check metar when getting close to Aberdeen, realise there is fog and circle until the decision is made to divert.

Surely Scottish control would have known about the fog in Aberdeen too so why not just divert straight to Edinburgh rather than circling North of Dundee?

Just trying to understand this a bit better.

[fireflybob]

What would have been the situation for this?

Pilots check metar at Gatwick / on route but press on anyway and hope fog will clear?

Pilots check metar when getting close to Aberdeen, realise there is fog and circle until the decision is made to divert.

Surely Scottish control would have known about the fog in Aberdeen too so why not just divert straight to Edinburgh rather than circling North of Dundee?

Just trying to understand this a bit better.

Daverb, pilots also use forecasts (TAFs) as well as the Metars but as we know forecasting can be an imprecise science.

Here are the TAFs for the period in question:-

TAF AMD EGPD 181603Z 1816/1912 02005KT 6000 FEW045
TEMPO 1816/1908 4000 BR
PROB40 1816/1908 1500 BKN002
BECMG 1908/1912 9999=

TAF EGPD 181057Z 1812/1912 02005KT 6000 FEW045
BECMG 1812/1815 7000
PROB30 TEMPO 1812/1818 9999
TEMPO 1818/1908 4000 BR
PROB30 1820/1908 1500 BKN002
BECMG 1908/1912 9999=

TAF EGPD 181702Z 1818/1918 VRB05KT 6000 FEW002 BKN040
TEMPO 1818/1908 4000 BR
PROB30 1818/1903 0900 FG BKN002
BECMG 1908/1912 9999
TEMPO 1913/1918 7000 RA BKN014=

TAF AMD EGPD 181807Z 1818/1918 VRB05KT 1500 BR FEW002 BKN040
TEMPO 1818/1906 0500 FG VV///
TEMPO 1906/1910 6000
BECMG 1910/1912 9999 NSW
TEMPO 1913/1918 7000 RA BKN014=

TAF AMD EGPD 181859Z 1818/1918 VRB05KT 0200 FG VV///
TEMPO 1906/1910 6000 NSW SCT002
BECMG 1910/1912 9999 NSW SCT020
TEMPO 1913/1918 7000 RA BKN014=

Pilots use their expertise and evaluate all the weather information to build up the big picture. If the TAF is forecasting above minima it is perfectly reasonable to hold for a while - after all the idea is to get passengers to their chosen destination.

Interesting to note the TAFs were amended a few times also.

[NigelOnDraft]

Just trying to understand this a bit better.

Are you asking about the legal situation? Or the commercial one?

If the weather is below limits before you leave, and likely to remain so, certainly my employer also knows how to read a forecast, and they make the decision on whether to cancel, divert, or "give it a go". I, as Capt, take enough fuel to both legally and prudently carry out their wishes as best possible. If my employer has not seen the weather, I would not just head off, but check what they wished for...

What decision the operator makes is complex - they are not just looking at this flight, but the knock on effects.

Looking about this all seems a non-story and standard practice across most airline.

[Heathrow Harry]

especially at ABZ - the haar or sea mist often rolls inland - it can form a vertical wall with a VERY rapid change in conditions across the boundary

I'v been in offices in Aberdeen near the airport with the front, inland western side in bright sunshine and the back, eastern, seawards side about 50 m away shrouded in thick mist

You might as well go and take look TBH

[SLFguy]

Looking out my office window onto the harbour and it's all clear now.. I'll look again in 10mins tho and not be able to see the water!

[Pistonprop]

No disrespect intended to either the OP or the Mods I assure you, but when we see how rapidly similar posts get moved on, I am genuinely puzzled why this post has managed to remain in R&N for so long. Again, no disrespect intended, just honestly curious.

[SLFguy]

I am genuinely puzzled why this post has managed to remain in R&N for so long

I don't have the foggiest..

[IFPS man]

It's a mistery to everybody....

[PAXboy]

I remember being diverted to EDI away from ABZ on trip from LHR (Brit Midland, if I recall) and that was about 17 years ago. Nothing much new in aviation.