LHR weekend delays.

[Hot Wings]

I was wondering if there is a reason why there seem to be so many delays into LHR at weekends? EATs were being issued last Saturday and Sunday(late afternoon/ early evening) in good weather.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Are you a pilot? It would help those replying to know..

EATs were issued very frequently on Sunday evenings when I was there, which is a very long time ago. Saturday evenings tended to be quieter but I'm sure someone currently operational will tell you they're just as busy.

[Hot Wings]

Thanks for the reply HD - I'm an LHR based shorthaul pilot. I suspect staff shortages but I'm hoping that someone in the know will have an answer for me!

[Defruiter]

I wasn't there at the weekend so don't know if there was a specific problem or not. I would imagine though that it was due to the usual problem - airlines all wanting to land at the same time. There is only so much airspace available and unless airlines stop arriving at once, it will continue to happen.

[Over+Out]

There were just lots and lots of planes.
Some were re-routes that had missed the ''ash'' and came in via LAM, which is also the reason there were so many stack swops to BIG on the BIG 1E
No staff problems that I was aware of.

[Del Prado]

Airborne holding is very rarely due to staff shortages. Lack of staff tends to be known about in advance and flow restrictions are applied.

What was the wind like at the weekend? Strong headwind=low ground speed so although the distance between each lander is the same the time is longer and so the landing rate is lower.

But I'm sure you know all that anyway so it was probably what Defruiter said. In fact there does seem to be a lot more 'bunching' at the moment where there might be a 48 hour scheduled but because the previous and next hour are quieter no flow will be applied and we'll absorb the traffic with airborne holding. It might waste fuel but it gives you an on time departure and that's what the airlines want.

[Geffen]

Trans atlantic running hours behind schedule does tend to throw a spanner in the works.

[Minesthechevy]

Over and Out, I presume you're at EGLL? AAMOI, whats the current movement record please?

It was around 1340 IIRC when I left in Aug2006, but I expect my absence will have shaved that somewhat ..... < Incoming; I set em up, you knock em down.....>

[5milesbaby]

The winds were very light at the weekend, even at the upper levels. The staffing was plenty and no regulations put on for such reason. The problem was that nothing really happened in the morning (I think for about 2 and a half hours, EVERYTHING came straight off the stacks without holding) and then as the day progressed, more traffic began coming in including some strange routings around the ash. The likes of Air Canada flying down the North Sea and then turning through the Clacton sector into Lambourne or other Canadian flights entering from Brest airspace over the Isle of Wight must have pushed them back a few hours. I saw that American flew their B757 service from Brussels to Goose Bay. I have no idea of its intended destination, but the route was due north for quite a while so stopping for a top up must have been needed.

I can't quite think of the strangest route, flying from Gatwick to Italy via Lands End; JFK to Moscow via Spain, France and then cutting across the UK; or departing Heathrow for Toronto and exiting via KOKSY (Eastwards), and there's still more to come.........

[surfingatco]

5milesbaby - spot on. The schedules were way out as the transatlantics were delayed by routing round Efyaj........... This required the arrival regulation and landing on the departure runway was not always available as the tower had considerable start up delays. The runway inspection didn't help though!

The delays were nothing to do with the fact I was doing Heathrow Final Director!

[On the beach]

Should have put 2.5milesbaby on Final Director. :ok:

[Roffa]

Minesthechevy, it's gone over 1400 now but I don't recall exactly what.

[surfingatco]

On the beach - I did ask but (computer) arrivals said no! So it was 3 miles baby, well almost!

[Geffen]

Busiest day so far at LL 1382 or was it 1383?

[Minesthechevy]

Roffa, Geffen, thanks.

I remember when the Chief ATCO (Mike Perry) came up to tell us all how well we'd done when we cracked 1000....... of course, being a modest sort of chap, I told him I'd not done it entirely alone, and had had some sporadic help.;)

[zkjaws]

A little grass airfield in the Land of the Long White Cloud (NZMA) regularly does over 1000 a day (but only during a two week period each January).:ok:

Busiest day there has been over 1200: -
one controller operating from a portable control tower,
on one frequency,
a circuit full of ab-initio pilots (including a few first solos),
and not forgetting the resident gliders :}

Checkout Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School for details of the operation.

[Hot Wings]

Thanks for all of your replies.

My LAM3A ended up as a BIG1E. Perhaps a bit of volcanic ash holding fuel might be in order!

[Minesthechevy]

jkjaws - not bad, I suppose <VBG>

I once had the pleasure of going into the OSH tower during the EAA week. I'm just glad that EGLL wasn't quite like that.......

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<Busiest day there has been over 1200: -
one controller operating from a portable control tower,
on one frequency,
a circuit full of ab-initio pilots (including a few first solos),
and not forgetting the resident gliders >>

Yeah.. I did a 1157 day at Oxford back in 1971, but they were 99% clockwork mice!!