October '87 Hurricane-Were you on duty ?

[aidybennett]

I was wondering what happened the night of the hurricane at airports etc. Was there sufficient warning to prepare? What happened to airliners on the ground? Were they evactuated to Europe or wasn't there time? I was ten at the time so my memories of it are a bit scetchy but I was interested in how the airlines and airports coped.

[Floppy Link]

Remember it well, back when I was a Pilot's Assistant on the DHC6 Twin Otter for Loganair...we were flying the Glasgow to Inverness late night service. The centre of the low pressure was near Inverness so the weather there was fine...we sat rocking on the threshold of runway 23 at GLA waiting for a lull in the wind below the crosswind limit...and off we blasted.
Apart from that, can't remember much
FL

[Doors to Automatic]

LGW allegedly reported crosswinds of 90 m.p.h that night!

Wonder whether the 'crab' or 'wing down' method would have been best in those conditions? :eek:

[henry crun]

Leaving aside the estimates, what was the highest measured wind speed during that storm ?

[Waldo]

I was a flying back from tenerife on that night in a 757. There was no warning of the night to come. The first inkling we had that something might be amiss was halfway back when I listened to the RAF volmet on HF. Luton came through as something like 240 75KT gusting 95KT !!We obvioulsly thought there must be some mistake but not so.
In fact the tower at LGW was evacuated in the early hours along with most of the terminal and the airfield was closed.
We were one of the first planes to land in the morning just after the night jet ban ended at 6:00AM. It was just like the mary celeste as we taxiied in with no movement whatsoever and a completely deserted South terminal satallite.
We realised it must have been windy when we spotted the anomometer on the terminal was hanging over the edge on its cable!!
The worst part was trying to get home. It took me over three hours to drive 20 miles. :eek:

[ 16 October 2001: Message edited by: Waldo ]

[Wycombe]

I was a pax on an RAF VC10 routing AKT-BZZ that night - we landed early evening before the worst of it started, but I remember being told on the PA that there was going to be a bad storm and to be careful driving home!!

Bowsers were parked in front of aircraft at BZZ to stop them getting airborne on their own!!

[411A]

Operated into LHR in the late evening with a TriStar on the date in question....wind out of the south at 35-45 knots and very warm....at the hotel many were standing outside....leaving their beers to get warm (warmer)... the aircraft was damaged as a maintenance stand was blown into the left inboard aileron later on...three day delay (more warm beers)....!!

[Mycroft]

There is a museum on a hill just north of Portsmouth which at the time had a Thunderbird SAM on display. Unfortunately they only had the (empty) airframe, and as they had no mounting or boosters it was dislayed on a wooden trestle, and was blown off it. Only a short flight (a small Rubb building (metal framed tent) flew further), but probably the last flight of a Thunderbird.

[Avman]

Not on duty; but that morning I was on the J/S of BA296 (a B747 from ORD captained by Ian Wallis) for the landing at LHR. Although the worst was over, I remember that the winds were still strong and we landed on 23, which made for quite a change. Later that day I flew J/S with NLM (Fk-27) from LGW to MST and experienced windshear on landing.

[Hamrah]

I have very vivid memories of trying to land a 737-200 into Bristol. I was in the left seat on command assessment. We suspected the forecast was a bit optimistic by virtue of the upper winds we experienced. Sure enough, on the descent into Bristol, the wind increased until the final report I received was 080/35-55 with a reported gust of 68. As we passed 6000 ft, the turbulence was so severe it took both of us to keep the aircraft under control. At about 2000ft, I said "F*** this, I'm off to Cardiff". My training Captain said " Right, you've got your command, lets go". We were spat out of the cloud 15 miles west and made an uneventful landing in Cardiff.

A never to be forgotten moment. Myself and the training captain had a few stiff drinks later that evening. Our poor passengers had to suffer a further 3 hours ground transportation as the severn bridge was closed.

H

[itchypuss]

I was flying a 1-11 that night about an hour before the storm hit LGW the wind on the ground was calm but the turbulence atFL100 was some of the worst I have ever experienced anyone remember this

[Arkroyal]

I was aboard my namesake about 100 miles west of Glasgow that night, and as Floppy Link says, the weather was fine oop norf.

Next morning we poled in to GLA in a Sea King to pick up some folk due in from LHR on the shuttle.

The obvious delay meant I had time to nip around to the UAS and blag 30 mins in a Bulldog. The wind was quite strong by then, as I remember landing on the short runway and stopping before the end of the piano keys.

When the team arrived from LHR we put their tales of derring do and hurricanes down to BA's generosity with the laughing juice until we saw the TV news.

[deltahotel]

Certainly was. The Metman at RAF Ly****m said much the same as Michael Fish - bit blowy, nothing to worry about. Got to Germany pretty quick - **** of a long time to get back though.

[farsouth]

Just saw this old thread while idly looking at other items-

I was a passenger on an RAF Tristar from Ascension to Brize Norton that night, (was on my way home for leave while working on S61's for Bristow in the Falkands). We arrived about 5am, went around from the first approach after a fairly bumpy ride, and landed off the second go - were warned to take care walking to the terminal as it was "a bit windy", then sat waiting for about 3 hours for my lift home - delayed due to fallen trees etc.

[Ranger 1]

I was at BRS Marshalling that day, a good friend of mine parked the SH-36 (Capital airlines) in front of the Terminal into wind.
The wind was about 240 30 Gusting 40 kts.
As it was getting stronger & starting to veer to 270, & the pax had just got off, we decided to park it into wind on another part of the apron out of harms way. (as there was no way the crew were going to take it out again in these conditions).
I proceeded to close the rear Hold door in preparation for it to start up, to reposition, as I approached the rear hold the wind gusted to 78kts & the open hold no longer was in front of me but overhead, It was a case of running for my life it, felt as though my legs were running in mid air along with a piece of bungie cord attached to me, I felt as though I was not getting anywhere.
As I looked back I saw the Shed's wing strike the ground & the Port rear main trye separate from the rim of the wheel.
Then out of the rear pax door came one screaming Hostie who fell over onto the airstairs but she managed to pick herself up again & ran staright into the arrivals entrance, unhurt.
Shortly after this the heads of the Capt & First officer appeared from the doorway, we all shouted at them to get out the other side as we thought they would be crushed should the aircraft blow over, any further, eventually with the assitance of Fire service we managed to open the rear starboard door, as the 2 crew members were unable to open it on their own, due to the wind blowing against it, after they were safe, we towed / dragged the aircraft into wind with a large Tractor & secured it to snow plough which was stored near by, & left it where it was.
On surveying the scene a number of light aircrft had blown over which were parked, & we saw 40 ft lorry on the nearby A38 on its side.
Then we had the news, that the roof of the Bar in the terminal was being ripped off :E & the terminal staff needed a urgent help to shift the Bar stock, this the whole section did without asking any questions :D (Excluding me)
This was 1 shift I will never forget, & for those of you flying out there that day I take my hat off to you :ok:

[woodpecker]

I seem to remember the groundspeed on the gripper (Trident) was 65 kts as we passed the Southall Gasometer.

The two staff on the jumpseats said very little during (and for a couple of minutes after) the approach!!

230/55 G75 says it all. I think the landing roll was about 400M

[surely not]

I was on duty at LGW that day........... Avman I must have seen you 'cos I despatched the NLM flts (I remember the Hosties but not you I'm afraid :D )

It took me about 3hrs 30mins to get to work compared to the normal 20mins. Trees were down everywhere, and one house had its wall ripped down where the adjoining telephone pole had fallen.

At LGW very few of anyones workforce had made it in, and it was like a ghost town. A/c landed and then had to wait for the few day shift workers plus the night shift to get to them. Pax were told 'don't worry about the delay because you can't get anywhere anyway!!'

There was a Canadian Air Force 601 parked on stand 97 and it hadn't been possible to contact the crew to get it parked into wind. The wind had lifted it up to such an angle that the fuel had drained from one wing into the other leaving it very lop sided on stand. An engineer told me that this was supposed to be impossible!

Cargo and baggage bins were scattered everywhere, and had created havoc as they flew around during the night.

The great thing about that day was the way everyone pulled together to get the job done as best it could be.

[Big Tudor]

Was working in the tower at Kinloss that night. Called St Mawgan for their METAR as they were our No 1 diversion that night. IIRC the QFE was 946 and the surface wind was 50kt gusting 80kt. Kinloss on the other hand was VRB05kts. Not even enough to ripple the Pimms! :cool:

[Arkroyal]

I breezed into Glasgow in a Sea King4 from my namesake to pick up some PAX due in from LHR.

Delays in London meant time on our hands, so we went over to the UAS to blag a coffee.

Bumped into a crab mate who took me for a Bulldog flight. A few aeros and back to runway 28 at GLA.

I remember virtually hovering over the fence, and stopping before the piano keys.

Took a bloody long time to get back to the ship, too