Hiroshima Airfield RJOA

[autoflight]

Requesting info re any significant study of wind and weather effects on airline jet operation at RJOA.
I operated there today, and it does seem to have interesting terrain on approach rwy 10.

[autoflight]

Obviously very few PPRuNers go to Hiroshima. Those that do, aren't too interested in sharing their valuable safety information.

[Kaptin M]

Sorry af, we don't operate into there, so your having been there once already qualifies you more than me. I would expect that windshear is the norm (as with most Japanese airports) considering the terrain, and that snow may be a consideration in winter, however you have Fukuoka and Matsuyama not too far away.

Although thte Japanese tend to make a big deal about "their" weather conditions, they don't vary much from most other places of similar latitudes.

[greybeard]

autoflt,
Only been there twice and had no sheer problems. The main caution to our ops was to keep speed and sink rates under control to avoid GPWS warnings due to the varying terrain.

Arrivals were in early AM and the sun off the top of the fog/haze was the main worry as the very thin layer was virtually invisible from the ground.

Great place if expensive to spend a day or so. The memorials and scenery are quite stunning.

:rolleyes:

[autoflight]

I was beginning to think nobody looked at this forum. Thanks for replies, but still looking for much more info.

[Kaptin M]

What sort of info do you want? Obviously you're aware of the typography, airport facilities and runway orientation/pcn/length etc, nav aids and approach procedures, having operated into there.

[autoflight]

I was thinking of info like the high quality turbulence and windshear warnings at Hong Kong [old & new airports].
There have to be some wind directions that are recognised by experienced RJOA operators as more interesting.

[Kaptin M]

Windshear is fairly common at most airports in Japan because of the mountainous nature around them - even the coastal airports such as Miyazaki, Oita and Sendai, and is esp. pronounced at the inland strips with the wind above 10 or 12 knots. The atis can be misleading because the wind given is a spot wind at the time, rather than the average over a certain period.

For your info, the following is the recommended engine failure procedure (to avoid obstacles) ]';l// used by a major operator in Japan, for 767/737/777 aircraft:

RWY 10
Follow extended rwy centreline (097) and commence RIGHT turn @ 1500' MSL then intercept 115 radial.
Fly HGE 115 radial to 25 dme then proceed to BINGO and hold at 4,000' MSL.
(737/767 acceleration alt. at or above 100' MSL. B777 accel alt at or above 2,600' MSL)

RWY 28
Follow extended rwy centreline (277) and commence LEFT turn @ 2,200' MSL or HGE 9 dme whicheber is sooner, direct KINOE, then proceed to BINGO and hold at 4,000' MSL.
(737/767 start accel at or above 2,200' MSL.
777 accel alt at or above 2,600' MSL)

Hope this helps.

[autoflight]

Kaptin M
Thanks a lot.

[sia sniffer]

Did a flight once to HIJ with SIA, was a bit of a laugh, as I was witness to how not to go about an approach into this airport.

I was actually on a training flight, in the jump seat, with a senior instructor pilot "training" another pilot.

Upon initial approach into HIJ, the pilot under instruction nominated to do a visual downwind for RW10 .Good idea as the weather around the airport was clear, and we could see the airport ages before we arrived. The instructor immediately barked that it was unwise to even consider such a preposterous idea, and that we would be coducted a VOR app for RW10.

Anyway, as we went outbound for the 20 odd miles, we went over the high ground.Prior to the procedural turn, we entered thick cloud, followed by a GPWS warning, "too low terrain"
Although there are warnings about this in the app brief, our SIP nominated to continue as he was certain he knew where we were, an could make out the ground below. Well the final descent point was a long time in coming, a very quiet few minutes of flight! The trainee had many thousands of hours in command, but was forced into a decision he regretted, by a heavy handed instructor.

We did break cloud once descending, and landed uneventfully.However, this was a lesson to me that visual would have been a lot more expedient and stress free.The Singaporeans were almost fearful of visual approaches, I often wondered why.