It wouldn't be fair to say that this crew are tough to deal with but this happened to me tonight and in hindsight is hilarious. Despite the hassle it caused me at the time.
1900 arrive to work to find an overnight crew route has had a change of a/c, we need an extra cabin crew member for min crew. Night shift = running office alone, all phones, all crewing and despatch duties are mine.
1915 can't get anyone. Mobiles off or just ain't interested, hardly surprising. at 1915 on a Sunday evening would you? Flight departs at 2220.
1920 crew on ramp about to depart 2 hours late for their overnight station call on VHF. Tell me that the wx at destination is below published minima. I get a metar and taf and have a look. SCT004 BKN006 5000, I understand this to be above minima and put it to the crew.
1925 have phoned 8 people for o/n duty, still no takers. Crew on ramp call again and say that they are looking at a jepp plate dated 02/03/02 for the approach and published MDH is 990'. At this I'm incredulous and get my own jepp manual. My plate is out of date but states the minimum is 359'. I decide to go to the a/c and see this plate for myself.
1930 Arrive at a/c and get the plate. Turns out they got their altitude and height figures mixed up. And it takes two minutes of explaining to convince them!!! No lads, the MDH is in brackets... That's the MDA....
WTF????? And these people are earning two and three times my salary!!! I did get somebody for the o/n duty though
