Whats the worst fog you have seen?
Whats the worst fog you have seen?
Talking it over with some guys today, it seems that viz of less than 200m is fairly rare. However I have driven through some fog on the Wollongong to Sydney freeway where the vis was 1 centreline stripe ahead of my car.
Anyone else had some ripper fog experience? Maybe the QF guys who go to Europe must have some stories.
Anyone else had some ripper fog experience? Maybe the QF guys who go to Europe must have some stories.
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Coming back from YLEG to YMEM we were flying vfr, we had a fast moving storm approaching west to east.
Unfortunately the storm got to the airport before we did.
Bloody head wind..
Anyway we had to request IFR into Essendon.
Cloud overcast 1000 ft Visibility 800 metres.
Though I've definitely seen worse.
Unfortunately the storm got to the airport before we did.
Bloody head wind..Anyway we had to request IFR into Essendon.
Cloud overcast 1000 ft Visibility 800 metres.
Though I've definitely seen worse.
The YLEC ones were pretty good in days gone by. Used to stand by the fuel bowsers & couldn't see the other side of the apron. For those of you that have been to YLEC you'll know that isn't very far!
DF.
DF.
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75 metres in jersey, channel islands.
couldnt count the fingers on your hand at arms length and it appeared dark even though it was the middle of the day lasted two days!!
couldnt count the fingers on your hand at arms length and it appeared dark even though it was the middle of the day lasted two days!!
Folks,
50-75M in Beijing, and it happens quite often.
Back in the days of the London peasoupers, I have personally experienced visibility down to less than 2M- less than the length of the bonnet of my then Ford Anglia.
Tootle pip!!
50-75M in Beijing, and it happens quite often.
Back in the days of the London peasoupers, I have personally experienced visibility down to less than 2M- less than the length of the bonnet of my then Ford Anglia.
Tootle pip!!
In 1972 during my railway traincrew days there was a fog covering north London including Finsbury Park railway station. Standing at one end of a coach it was only just possible to see the other end. A railway coach then was about 65' long. I've never ever seen such a thick fog before or since.
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21st Novemner 1989 when BA 747-100 G-AWNO missed the Penta hotel at Heathrow by a matter 12 feet after electing to execute a go around. I was working at LHR at the time, while walking around the airport perimeter that very day it was difficult to see cars on the road.
Almost a truly catastrophic day.
Sadly, Capt Stewart was scapegoated and later committed suicide.
A story worth reading.
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...ml#post4538047
Almost a truly catastrophic day.
Sadly, Capt Stewart was scapegoated and later committed suicide.
A story worth reading.
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...ml#post4538047
Avoid imitations
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Leadsled,
If you'd owned a Mini you'd have had a metre beyond the end of your bonnet to play with.... Luxury 
Back in the days of the London peasoupers, I have personally experienced visibility down to less than 2M- less than the length of the bonnet of my then Ford Anglia.
Last year (perhaps the one before) I flew a Cat3b airbus to Glasgow, where they were holding due fog. With vis limits of 75m,75m,75m I felt pretty confident, and asked them what the visibility was.
50m came back the reply ...
It upgraded to 75m a bit later and I landed - but promptly got lost on the taxiway (and Glasgow is pretty simple!).
50m came back the reply ...
It upgraded to 75m a bit later and I landed - but promptly got lost on the taxiway (and Glasgow is pretty simple!).
The worst I've ever seen was in early 1990 in Brisbane.
Was flying a Citation 2 down from Cairns to Brissy and back and was sitting on the ground in Brissy at about 1am I guess.
Forecast was for fog and oh yeah it came.
We were parked out at the GA apron and as I walked out from the big TNT shed towards the plane I could sense something moving behind me. I turned around and a huge bank of fog slowly rolled over the top of the shed like a crashing wave. I'm not sure how long it took because I was mesmerised by how it all looked, but not too long afterwards it was barely possible to see the glow of lights on those big light poles in the middle of the apron.
Mate of mine just managed to land on 14 before the fog got that far, and because he couldn't see where to go he had to wait about twenty minutes for a ground car to get out there to guide him back. Took about 45 minutes from landing on 14 to park the plane at GA.
Was flying a Citation 2 down from Cairns to Brissy and back and was sitting on the ground in Brissy at about 1am I guess.
Forecast was for fog and oh yeah it came.
We were parked out at the GA apron and as I walked out from the big TNT shed towards the plane I could sense something moving behind me. I turned around and a huge bank of fog slowly rolled over the top of the shed like a crashing wave. I'm not sure how long it took because I was mesmerised by how it all looked, but not too long afterwards it was barely possible to see the glow of lights on those big light poles in the middle of the apron.
Mate of mine just managed to land on 14 before the fog got that far, and because he couldn't see where to go he had to wait about twenty minutes for a ground car to get out there to guide him back. Took about 45 minutes from landing on 14 to park the plane at GA.
1996, Zurich, Serious Cat 3++ morning. The driver of the crew bus stopped (we thought) in the middle of nowhere and we were 30ft from the front of the plane and could not see it
Lets just say that we did not make our slot that day. I have never seen anything so dense ever since. (fog that is)
Lets just say that we did not make our slot that day. I have never seen anything so dense ever since. (fog that is)
Worst I ever saw was also in Zurich, we landed CAT III B with 75m all the way down the runway. We landed, exited the Runway, couldn't make out any of the taxiways so asked for the follow me car to come out........ he couldn't find us 
Sat there for around 15 minutes until we finally saw the follow me car and made our way to the stand.
Second worst was in Guernsey, I was down for 4 days of flying and had all 4 days cancelled due to 'sea fog', funny thing was the airport wind was gusting 20kts. The company tried to get me home by catching the ferry to Jersey, but they were cancelled due to the fog also. I thought I might try and get a round of golf in, but couldn't see the fairways from the tees, so all and all a bad week.
Sat there for around 15 minutes until we finally saw the follow me car and made our way to the stand.Second worst was in Guernsey, I was down for 4 days of flying and had all 4 days cancelled due to 'sea fog', funny thing was the airport wind was gusting 20kts. The company tried to get me home by catching the ferry to Jersey, but they were cancelled due to the fog also. I thought I might try and get a round of golf in, but couldn't see the fairways from the tees, so all and all a bad week.
....you poor bastard.
Maaate!!!, That was a top car ----- compared to what else was available.
I even had a new one, (1962) did something like 120,000 miles in it with no serious problems, pretty unusual for pommie cars of the day, where a de-coke and valve grind at 10,000 miles was common --- including with older side valve Fords.
Re, viz, Yes, several times I actually had to get my girlfriend of the time to walk along the gutter, with a hand on the mudguard, shouting steering instructions, to find a side street to get off the road before some clown rear-ended me. I retrofitted a new fangled thing called a windscreen washer, even in the lesser fogs, I would have half an inch deep buildup of solids at the end of the wiper sweep after the 20 or so miles from Biggin Hill to home --- and we breathed that sh1t in!!
To say that the peasoupers were bad for tour health would be an understatement, they used to be an "orrible yellow/green colour --- the colour of pea soup, hence the name.
Tootle pip!!
Launceston, about 30m
Fog was forming in all the low spots on the way to the airport about 4:30am.
Tried to get loaded and out asap.
It literally rolled over the airport as we started to taxi from CAVOK to nothing.
As we had already started to vacate the apron we continued to taxi out and could only just make out one centre line taxi way light before we could see the next shining through the fog.
Sat on the threshold for 15+min as the vis varied but never got above 200m til we taxied back in and shut down.
Of course the fog started to clear and a minute or two after shutdown.
Fog was forming in all the low spots on the way to the airport about 4:30am.
Tried to get loaded and out asap.
It literally rolled over the airport as we started to taxi from CAVOK to nothing.
As we had already started to vacate the apron we continued to taxi out and could only just make out one centre line taxi way light before we could see the next shining through the fog.
Sat on the threshold for 15+min as the vis varied but never got above 200m til we taxied back in and shut down.
Of course the fog started to clear and a minute or two after shutdown.
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Coming in to land at Albury at 3am, we thought only half the runway lights were working... the other half were under fog! As we hurried to refuel there was a eerie moist feeling on the back of our necks as the fog continued to roll in over the airport. We got out of there as quick as we could!
Launceston, 1982, about 0330, L188 with a crazy but very nice ex crop duster from NZ as the Cpt, airport closed due fog, FO (me) mind in neutral after a long night. Cpt asked tower for a start clearance and to have a look, we could barely see the taxi way lights, got clearance to line up and see how many lights we could see, about 30 / 40 mts was all, he asked tower for clearance to taxi along the rwy, they ok, taxied about 100 mts and on the brakes opened the throttles ( about 15 feet discs x 4) he did this about 4 times every 100 mts, asked for back track, rwy clear, quickly back track to threshold, asked me how many lights can you see, we agreed we had sufficient for a legal T O, we could see the fog rolling quickly in again, asked for a T O clearance, we got that, and left. I learned something that night.
I have a couple of other GREAT flight with him in the Electra as it was being retired in 1983. Dawn between Townsville and Cairns B050, coastal.
Hobart to Launceston special charter at 1600 also got a clearance B050, I remember telling him " You are nearly retired, I am just starting, we will be both OUT of a job" Got photos of the sheep running up the sides of the valley higher up than the Electra. The good old days. Survived that but resigned in 89.
I have a couple of other GREAT flight with him in the Electra as it was being retired in 1983. Dawn between Townsville and Cairns B050, coastal.
Hobart to Launceston special charter at 1600 also got a clearance B050, I remember telling him " You are nearly retired, I am just starting, we will be both OUT of a job" Got photos of the sheep running up the sides of the valley higher up than the Electra. The good old days. Survived that but resigned in 89.
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H1 'twas maybe 13-14, duck shooting on the Waihou river...."quaaack" ...dad "**** that's close....get ready" me.. "huh?" dad "I said get ready...the duck is close"..... me "huh???" dad "oh for christs sake H1..there's a fecking duck getting close...can't you hear it?" me..."hear it? of course I can hear it..but as you are 4 feet away and I can barely see you...I reckon I'm gonna have to club it to death rather than shoot it..."
Was the thickest fog I have ever experienced...RVR me thinks was about 6 feet
Was the thickest fog I have ever experienced...RVR me thinks was about 6 feet