PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - I just love the wet season!!
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Old 23rd Mar 2007, 01:53
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OpsNormal
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: The Hornets Nest, NSW
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Thumbs up

The one that sticks in my mind was one late wet season afternoon in 2005 when for about twenty minutes there was a goodly sized thundery over DN airport and another about 8-10nm east of the Howard Springs NDB, with clear air in between the two cells. If I recall correctly the holding patterns started at 3K at HWS, with mostly two aircraft in each holding pattern (one inbound, one outbound at the same time) a 1000' apart, all the way up to 9K (I started at 8K) before the storm over the AD moved enough away to allow approaches to commence. Luckily enough most of the aircraft were CAT B aircraft.

As each aircraft was able to approach and land, we were all consecutively given descent in the hold and then approach clearances in turn. 'Twas a thing of beauty to hear the Eastern Approach Controller co-ordinating this with VFR aircraft also having to hold out near Elizabeth River Bridge, latest divert times etc. How he kept the struggling kittens in the bag was just pure genius to listen to! Big thumbs up!!!

Had an interesting one here at Isa a couple of weeks ago too with a cell arriving just before about 6 aircraft did.
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