Hard landing in UK ?

[Sean Simpson]

I was on my way out the door the other night when I caught a news story re the weather in the UK. . .There was some footage of what they said was a "private jet", crabbing in on what was obviously a gale force crosswind.. .Just before the gear hit the tar, it must have copped a gust as it violently rolled to the left and the port wing looked like it hit the dirt, before correcting. New pair of undies for the crew I suspect. Excellent recovery though.. .Anyone else see this, and if so what was the outcome ? Any damage ?

[Bigpants]

Good attitude you are a bit behind the news, I believe it was a shot of an aircraft landing at Leeds on Friday. They walked away from it! Having had to make 3 approaches myself at BHX I have to question my own common sense. The trouble was the weather was equally bad at the diversions so you pays your money and..... .Next time I see a weather system approaching the UK that synoptically resembles a Zebra's rearend I'm going sick!

[JA1]

Biz jet landing did look a bit on the hairy side...still, it's all character building stuff!

[Sean Simpson]

Thanks BP

That's the Aussie media for you. Sometimes they show us file footage from a couple of years back and try to pass it off as current. Creative license or something like that.

Certainly made for momentary heart in the mouth viewing.

[No comment]

Can I just say to all the pilots who flew into LGW on friday, you caused me to get hardly any work done. Watching you struggle(?) with that (at times) 40kt crosswind and the windshear off those damn hangars was most entertaining! Next time I'm putting the blinds down so as not to get distracted.. .Best landing of the day?. .Air Europa 737 - flew it straight into the runway at what looked like cruising speed! nutter

[driver1]

flew one approach into LCY on friday then the big yellow stripe down my back made me divert to STN!! what a day! washing machine now full of soiled undies!!

[OLNEY 1 BRAVO]

I gather that there was do damage done, but the paint got a little scraped.

It was a German registered Challenger 604.

[Unwell_Raptor]

driver 1, you are my kind of pilot! I think I will fly with you in the future, as you seem to value your hide as much as I do mine.

<img src="wink.gif" border="0">

[Firm Touchdown]

A320 was a handful on approach to 23 at LHR. Thank heavens it was only 40 degrees off. It was sure gusty, up to 48 knots.

LHR tower reported numerous go-arounds. I did one myself due windshear alert. Got in on second approach.

A real adrenalin rush. Better than Alton Towers.

[Gaza]

I wonder what a certain individual (not heard from for a few weeks) thinks of all you "Button Pushers" and "System Monitors" now??? <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

For those that missed that nights news check the link below to the BBC website:-

<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1795000/video/_1796668_weather18_marston_vi.ram" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1795000/video/_1796668_weather18_marston_vi.ram</a>

You will need "Real Player" to view it. Scary. Very scary!

[ 04 February 2002: Message edited by: Gaza ]</p>

[aiming point]

driver1 what happens to the pax when you divert to STN from LCY? Are they allowed to disembark there with their baggage?. .How long before you could position back to LCY?. .Cheers!

[sleeper]

Gentlemen

Are there airlines and or aircraft with crosswindlimits of more than 30 kts (including gusts)?. .From some of your posts it sure seems that crosswinds were more than 30 kts.. .In my airline this is not allowed. Can anyone enlighten me?

Fly safe. .Sleeper

[LevelFive]

sleeper, I fly 73’s for a US carrier. Our max steady crosswind is 35 knots. Gusts are not a limiting factor and are advisory only.

[Bus14]

A320/321

29 gusting 38 for take off. .33 gusting 38 for landing

(both Max demonstrated)

[Grounded and Fed Up]

I'm not sure what all the excitement's about - this was just a normal day at Leeds. If you fancy some exciting flying, try the LBA 14 approach with a gusty south westerly. Please bring alternative underwear. It whitens those knuckles!

[WorkingHard]

I fly my own company single engine and after seeing what you guys coped with I have tremendous admiration for your skills. Question. My aircraft is very responsive but yours must not be so, how the hell do you do it in such violent conditions?

[5 APU's captain]

You won't believe but it works:. .I never have the thrust levers at idle before touchdown (just a bit fwd) with the wind in excess of 10 kt!, immediately after touchdown only.. .I know the western pilots don't like that, I do not understand why, if the RW is 4000m in lenth?

[Full_Wings]

Apologies for the slight thread creep but having landed at LGW today, just as the next batch of c**p fell out of the sky, I started wondering why so many UK airports have an (in)conveniently placed hangar or office building just upwind of the threshold of the most-used runway.

27L @ LHR has BA & BMi buildings, 24 @ MAN has the CAA tower (a real peril in a strong NW blow), 26L @ LGW the BA base etc. etc.

These edifices seem almost to be designed to create the worst sort of turbulence at low level; I think they shed enormous vortices at regular intervals. No effort seems to have been made to 'feather' the edges of the buildings or aerodynamically tailor them to produce less of a wake. There also seem to be large unused (or used for carparks) areas around the runways which could have been developed, but no, they build as close as they can get to the numbers. I notice that around Europe the areas around the ends of the runways are left pretty clear.

Am I being paranoid?

[E cam]

Remember hangar 3 @ BHX?

[MAX]

Challenger reg. was 'thankyou' in German.

MAX <img src="cool.gif" border="0">

[Dom Joly]

Our 737's have a crosswind for LANDING of 40kts on dry runway or wet runway. Our take off is restricted to 35kts dry (25kts wet).

I thought this was about the industry norm for the Boeings?

[No comment]

Full_Wings - its odd at LGW. if you look at the MET office page, the prevailing wind at LGW is Southwesterly and where are the 3 hangars placed in relation to the threshold of 26L? to the Southwest... beats me.... .Who planned it all?!

[smellster]

Don't worry Full_Wings it's not you. It's probably the daily venting of hot air that goes on from these places, they seem to produce more wind than my bowels after a madras.

You should try landing at Luton some early mornings, after the EasyJet beings have had a brainstorming session.

Can't understand why their hot air reduces visibility so much, maybe it's because it's orange!

Later

Smellster

[Anti-ice]

I believe many years ago the hangars at LGW, were called 'BCALS revenge'or something similar - they can induce an interesting sensation prior to touching down in this WX .

Has anyone previous/current experience of similar conditions flying into GIB ,or the original Funchal airport (v short runway on the side of a rock,suspended either end, with sheer drops onto more rocks) - had many go-arounds at both in wintertime in the past .. .Excellent flying by the guys up front always got us in though - just - !

[arrow2]

Came into LHR as Pax on BA319 from CDG last night - good work from Captain who had warned us it was going to be a bit rough. All went well until the flare on 27L when a gust had us nearly sitting on the left wingtip - round of applause from pax after we were attached to ground. Seemed like hard work to me...

A2

[Sonic Cruiser]

I saw a 747-400 landing on 23. I thought 23 was too short for heavies, must have had to brake very hard to stop

[leander]

LHR 23 is a bit limiting for a 744 but the big Boeing works pretty well.

We landed yesterday pm at max permitted weight , full reverse and max autobrake - could have turned onto 27L.

[ 05 February 2002: Message edited by: leander ]</p>

[dave@murtle]

I remember going into Suburgh (EGPB) mid 70's. .wind 240/70g80 one guy says "let us know when there is a lull" ATC " This is the lull!". .Seriously, been into EGKK acouple of times in the last few days, hard work! Sitting at the holding point seen some pretty impressive handling. well done guys n galls.

On another point, being past the age of reason and having to fly a turbo prop, I found the sheer physical effort required to put the beast on the ground, quite demanding. How do some of our more slightly built female colleagues cope with this?

Des

[DontSink]

To: ANTI-ICE

<img src="cool.gif" border="0"> Anti-ice, I fly 737 and based in Funchal, used the old runway (06-24) then the intermediate runway (05-23 short), and since september 2000 we`ve been using the brand new 05-23, 2880m long. . .I don`t know if you keep flying to funchal, but the approach for runway 23 is much worst than the old 24. you fly much closer to the rocks and when the wind blows from 180º to 240º winds from 15 Kts or more can produce severe windshear at 50 feet or bellow. Few days ago I had to GA and into Porto Santo, the Hapag Lloyd A310 was the only one who made it for the entire day on rwy 23. And there is still no app aid for that runway (obstructions). So you have to fly visually from the VOR to the runway. (4.5 NM if you remember) <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

Cheers!

[southern duel]

Hi just an update for you guys. .on Friday the 1st there were 24 go arounds at LGW compared to 10 at LHR. Obviously 23 helped , perhaps they wont dig it up now and extend Terminal 1 !!.

Just one more thing when i was on duty on the following monday when 23 was promulgated with gusts to 47kts there were some very dubious landings and it seemd the A319/A320's had the most problems. B737's seemed ok. The B747's had no problems at all apart from the JAL that didnt like it at all and when to the sticks (Stansted

[ 08 February 2002: Message edited by: Southern Duel ]

[ 08 February 2002: Message edited by: Southern Duel ]</p>

[WO]

Just as an aside, my office is about 0.5 miles south of Gatwick, right on the path that the diversions follow. A big thanks to all of you guys who had to go around over the last few days, it really cheered me up watching everyone running for cover every time a heavy rolled overhead!

Keep up the good work chaps!

WO