The FAM Fuel Policy (approved by CASA) says that it is accepted that there will be rare occasions when the weather deteriorates after deciding to commit to an airport. What QF did is not illegal, it is an approved fuel policy.
That's nice to know maybe we should all get one of those exemptions, would make life a little easier. It makes for interesting discussion at a policy/legal point of view. Maybe they should apply the same common sense to their taxi light policy on the ground......
My question is --- so?
Point being that the QF guys here seem pretty blasé about the whole autoland thing. I was just saying they can go wrong. Maybe it being in the QRH might add to that, dunno.
End of the day if CASA says you can do it, you can. It is only really an issue in Australia as the rest of the world has CAT II/III.
I still think it's pretty gutsy to have it as 'policy' though and does give QF a significant edge over the 'rest of the world'.
Here whys when you ask for a autoland the towers says 'Critical areas not protected':