Windy Day in Scotland!

[NudgingSteel]

A bit windy today (Mon)! On top of various equipment failures, there was some chronic windshear and turbulence on final approach to our airport, especially in the last 500'. We were watching some gut-wrenching approaches out of the tower window, along with a few go-arounds - plus the traffic that literally couldn't taxi onto stand, due to the high windspeeds - just had to stop and be towed on.

Anyway, out of all the landings I saw, practically all were extremely smooth touchdowns - quite unbelievable in this weather. There have been a few threads about great ATC here, so it's only fair to now raise a glass to the flight crews today who made it look pretty easy!!!!

[DHC Twin]

mmm...we were there too...(doubtlessly refering to one of the Scottish Airports today!!!)

. .If it's calm,a bad landing more often ensues than when it's 260 at 60 kts...Focuses the mind you see!!!!! Have a bet next time it's Westerly at 5 kts and rake in that cash..

[DHC Twin]

Incidently,what equipment failures did you suffer today...?

[John MacCalman]

I came in from AMS to GLA as a passenger on the first KLMUK on Monday Morning. An intersting experience. The driver sounded like he was enjoying it. And he did a nice job.

We landed on 23 in a Fokker 100 in a headwind so strong he could have turn off left onto 10 if he wanted to.

Nice to see the training paying off. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[Eff Oh]

VERY windy yesterday at GLA. I wasn't working but the ATIS sounded sporty to say the least! I heard a wind of 260/44G58 however the strongest was 68kts! <img src="redface.gif" border="0"> I believe the equipment failures were the "GLG" and "AC" NDBs about 4 nm from the threshold of either runway. Interesting weather. Well done to all ATCOs and flight crew! <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> . .Eff Oh. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[pulse1]

I half heard a news report as I was driving to work this morning about an abandoned take off at LCY because of "60 knot wind". Apparently the captain would not allow passengers to disembark "for 6 hours" because it was too dangerous. Is this true or another media distortion? Sound like the passengers were a bit miffed.

[Sick Squid]

Yep, the EDI Shuttle 8B certainly concentrated the mind yesterday morning! I was glad it was a heavier 320 rather than the lighter cork-in-a-barrell 319, which would also have meant using Flap 3 and a higher approach speed in those conditions. Still, had 105 kts ground speed for a while at about 10 mile finals, and a 50 knot wind gradient from 1500" to touchdown. Sporty.

You know it's bad when you taxi out watching a Scottish-based ATP crew going-around! At least we were home before 11am when the fun seems to have really started....

£6

[ 29 January 2002: Message edited by: Sick Squid ]</p>

[Nightstop]

Reminds me of a windy approach into GLA on 21st Jan 1993....according to my log book we had a wind check at the OM of 260/80. Seem to recall the roof blew off the new terminal building that night <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

[Eff Oh]

PULSE 1 : The story you mention is apparently true:- [quote] From the Daily Record. .Passengers on a BA jet were close to mutiny yesterday after the pilot refused to take off or let them disembark because of high winds. The Boeing 737-400 - with 105 passengers on board- was due to leave Glasgow for Heathrow at 11:30am but the Captain aborted take-off as 60mph gusts buffeted the jet.. .Passengers, however, were incenced when they were forced to remain in their seats for several hours, because they were told it would be too dangerous to let them off in the high winds.. .One passenger said: "It was complete nonsense.. .Everyone understands the need for safety but when you are virtually held prisoner while you can see other planes taking off, you have to wonder if BA took things a bit too far." <hr></blockquote>

Apparently the flight took off 6 hours later.

Eff Oh

[ 29 January 2002: Message edited by: Eff Oh ]</p>

[Meeb]

The ILS at GLA was also sick yesterday, must have saw the weather and stayed home! Was its antenna damaged by the wind I wonder?

[expedite_climb]

Yes the ILS 23 was damaged by the wind and hence u/s, ILS 05 was still radiating when i flew in this am, but it couldn't be checked so was also out of use.

VOR approach's in use, but the wx wasnt too favourable for those either (sct 008)

[EGPFlyer]

Geez, it was windy at Glasgow <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> The ILS failed for a while but then became localiser only. The secondary radar failed as well not too long after lunch time but it was soon up and running again...apparently a tree had fallen against the radar. Thankfully the only dammage to our place was a broken window and a few letters on the office wall blowing away <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[Eff Oh]

expedite_climb : Why were you up in GLA?? Did all of our GLA based pilots (like me) decide to stay on the ground? <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> I would have thought that there were LOADS of guys hanging about yesterday? Oh well hope you enjoyed LPA!! :) . .Eff Oh.

[DHC Twin]

mmmm...fluffy clouds,a distant mountain,Palm trees and a sandy beach.......No, more f*cking winds actually!

[OzExpat]

The only time we ever see winds that strong is in the occasional cyclone. And those things never get as far as Port Moresby anyway because, like me, they prefer to track toward Cairns, Oztralia! One really DOES, however, try to avoid blundering into one of those things!

For the most part it's pretty much like DG daydreams about ...

[quote]fluffy clouds,a distant mountain,Palm trees and a sandy beach<hr></blockquote>

The mountain's ain't quite so distant in these parts but the rest is accurate enuf! Keep them light and variable breezez coming! :)

[Doors to Automatic]

Fortunately after my Geneva adventure last week (see my posting in the Questions forum!)I have been office based, observing the various weather events from the comfort and safety of my PC!

Interestingly at one point on Monday Leeds/Bradford was reporting a direct crosswind of 29knots gusting to 47. Assuming most aircraft have a crosswind limit of around 35kts what happens in instances like this where the wind is within limits but the gusts are outside?

[bullshot]

Use the time-honoured formula - land between the gusts!

[THAI TUN]

Doors to Automatic, we flew into Leeds Bradford on Monday and I enjoyed it so much I wrote this little account :-

'I looked at the METARS for a few UK airfields this morning and felt pretty pleased that I wasn't flying in Scotland or the North of England today. Fortunately for me I was rostered for a night mail run to Liverpool, and the low was forecast to move away, and the wind drop by late evening.

Then ops rang with a change of plan, a 'go-now' charter. We were to position. .to Leeds Bradford and fly passengers to Glasgow, Edinburgh, and back to LBA.. .******.

Before top of descent for LBA the F.O. got the ATIS which was pretty much as forecast, with the wind from 250 degrees 29 gusting 43 knots, cloud just above circling MDA and the viz a few km in rain. The main Rwy 32 had ILS but our wet runway crosswind limit for landing is 30 kts so I decided I would take the short cross Rwy 27 if performance allowed. Our performance manual. .didn't have Rwy 27 data so I quickly consulted the Flight Crew Operating Manual and determined that our appropriately factored Landing Distance. .Required was within the Rwy 27 Landing Distance available - about 950m. I briefed for an approach to Rwy 32 to break right and circle to land Rwy 27, but then accepted ATC's better offer of an SRA to 27.

The approach was the roughest I've known and the gusts to forty odd knots, plus being in the lee of high ground, made it a bit of a challenge. As we got lower I had to make bigger and harsher control inputs to stay positioned as the turbulence and windshear got worse. I carried more speed over the threshold than I intended so she was inclined to float, not good on a short. .wet runway, and a gust caused us to yaw as we crossed the threshold. Both problems were cured by just flying her onto the ground, the yaw being wiped off as the mains bit into the wet tarmac and the CofG continued straight ahead. Such conditions are no time for finesse, you just have to treat her harshly and make sure she doesn't get away from you. We stopped very quickly. .in the headwind and were marshalled to park on stand into wind.

After getting performance data for a Rwy 27 departure faxed to us, and checking that the winds in Scotland had dropped as forecast, we set off for Glasgow. By the time we arrived the winds had dropped, but had left their mark - both NDB's and the glideslope were out of action after the storms.'

And as if the winds weren't bad enough, our handlers didn't think we'd get in so they didn't order us any crew meals . . <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

THAI TUN