1) MAD is a large airport with multiple arrivals. What did everyone else do?
Can you place an expected delay with such a weather phenomenon? Were there cases of some traffic arriving and departing prior to the Ryanair's approach time?
2) Under EU Ops for transient conditions such as TEMPO TS etc is there a requirement to take account for planning purposes? What was the TAF for LEMD yesterday?
3) So if you do take extra fuel, how much? Add the Madrid equation plus the weather then the traffic and that's anyone's guess?
4) Ryanair pilots would not be criticised for taking extra fuel to MAD in the event of such weather. Equally I doubt they would be criticised for not, considering IF the weather was localised and forecasted (if it was?) as a PROB30 or PROB40. However I would say that the vast majority, if not all, would
5) The Mayday follows regulatory requirements in the event that you will land with less than your final reserve. Again no criticism.
6) I'm doubting VLC was the first alternate on the OFP and I can't account for the reasons why the crews decided to divert here? There must have been a good one!
7) Ryanair crews don't fly around on fumes and I'm expecting yesterday to not have been something as straight forward as just that.
I reckon this is another case of smearing Ryanair pilots as cowboys. If it is, kindly do one.
Last edited by Callsign Kilo; 27th Jul 2012 at 11:58.