Fog - the great leveller
 

Looks like someone important won't be getting to bed early. Challenger (presume RAAF) from Canberra missed at YMML, tried YMEN, circled some more and just landed at YMAV with the vis somewhere between 900m and 100m (consecutive METARs)

PS I'm not really a plane spotter - just stuck in Sydney wondering if I'll end up in Melbourne or Brisbane - the two possible alternatives VA have given me....

Driving home 2 hours ago in the eastern side of melb, Ground level vis was about 200 M at best...was a very slow trip :eek:

Hey UTR,

That will teach ya to live down there.

Not far from AY but this was 9am at Deni…..icing n the mirror at ground level, Temp -2.0C

Glad I was only seeing this by SMS and not actually there. It was 19dC and climbing (CAVOK) where I was :}

http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps67d60734.jpg

20DME ML on the 340 radial it was clear skies, I know 'cause that's where Wmk2 lives:-)
Got the Quad drone out today & video'd the muck...yuk!

You can see the murk down Sth from ground level, now I know why I left the rat race many years ago:)
'Tis that time of year, high pressure, cold clear nights, the Fog God goes to work:-)


Wmk2

I suppose that's why some Sydney residents refer to Melbourne as "Bleak City"... :eek:

Fog as far as the eye can see.

http://imageshack.com/a/img661/8317/ed431f.jpg

This was taken about 0815. I confidently predicted that the fog should start to lift/break up by around 0900. I wasn't even close. It was more like midday or a bit after when it finally started to disappear.

Gee 'GB' ya must have had a sh1t load of fuel:E


Wmk2

Hey Jabba

I spent end of last week in Mt Gambier - a place invented to make Melburnians feel good about their weather.

UTR

High pressure system, no wind, low overnight temps and high dew point.. Pretty much the perfect scenario unless you actually have to get anywhere by air..

Well this is why YMML spent a small fortune on a CAT III system.

So why so many delays?

Evidently the fog rolled in early last night at YMEN. It was still there as I approached LACEY this morning at about 0915 and was going to hold for 30 minutes when advised that it was clearing from the north. Made a visual approach to 17 when you still wouldn't have got in off a 26 ILS. :uhoh:

Mind you it was -1 at YGTH this morning and the bleedin' aircraft needed de-icing yet again. Never so pleased to get airborne and get the heater on and thaw out. ;)

I gather Australia does not have any Cat 111 or Cat 11 runways?

Don't know about QF but VA appear to be using CAT II only as they have been delaying flights and had some go missed and divert with RVR < 400m or so. Captain on my flight last night gave a long description of 400m being the minimum required.

Even some INT missed out yesterday so clearly use of CATIIIb isn't universal.

Melbourne is Cat III, Sydney is Cat II, the rest are CAT I

Heard a RFDS aircraft talking to the base a few afternoons ago saying that fog was starting to form at YMTG, & they wouldn't be doing any more flights in there that night!

DF.

Jetstar were getting in last night using CAT IIIB autoland. 75/75/75m min - fog was well above that, at around 300m.

10 minutes earlier there Lovett and 17 wouldn't have been an option either!

How were flights still departing from RWY 27 in MEL when the Mid Point RVR was U/S and the vis was below 550m on all the other zones?

ML RWY 27 is available for LVTO to appropriately trained crews. Minimum 125 metres visibility. RWY 16 also 125 metres or 100 metres LOC guided takeoff.

550 metres applies to CAT I landing provided the TDZ transmissometer is serviceable.

Ahhh Mount Gambier, fog one day, 35 knot crosswind and rainy the next! ;)