Departing In Red
 

To the Ladies & gents from that wonderful airbase on the lovely Anglesey coast who took off today whent he weather was RED and you couldn't get home, one question. WHY? PS HOPE THE SERVICE AT sTRAWBERRY WAS ACCEPTABLE.

No diversion flying is ops normal for us Dark Blue.
Man or mouse Kpax?!?

Nothing wrong with departing in RED if the weather at destination is suitable. If that means that an improvement is forecast by the arrival time, then so long as fuel for a suitable alternate is available, there is no problem. That's equally true for an A330 as for a Hawk; the difference lies in the definitions of required weather at the point of departure, point of arrival and alternate aerodrome.

Presumably the rum, bum and baccy mob have rules under which their alleged 'no diversion' policy is acceptable. I doubt whether it would be so in all weather conditions.

Sounds like it was a better option than hanging around there for another night:-)

As a gash line pilot I agreed with BEagle,(not for one moment suggesting that BEagle is gash!!) but as I QHI I used to ask "What if you had a 'Land as Soon as Possible' just after take off?" :confused:

It is not required for us to nominate a diversion, however it is something that should be considered before flying

Whats the drama? Red T/O as long as you info stn cdr and your diversion criteria can be met. Much rather go for the red than the brown(if snookered behind the pink!)

In my neck of the woods - N Sea offshore one can depart in viz down to 150m RVR (AS332L2) so long as one has a single engine weather suitable diversion within 1hr and one has a wx diversion within one's company published limits for the return from the rig (in order of 2xDH and RVR 1000m so long as the rig weather is VFR)

HF

So there's me, sitting in the tower, can't see the windows of the tower because of fog, let alone seeing out of them. Jag mate asks for taxi, which is duly given. Jag mate sits at end of runway, reports ready for departure and is duly given clearance to take off. Jag mate asks for the lights to be turned on. They are, I reply. Request the lights to maximum, asks Jagmate. They are I reply. "Uhhhhh, roger, rolling now" comes back a very quiet voice seeming not quite the usual gallant airman that we are used to on the wing!:ok: