G-OF divert to Glasgow
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G-OF divert to Glasgow
I was in the Glasgow area yesterday visiting some pilot friends and like true sad people we were listening to the RT from Glasgow in the background.
We picked up on a message to G-OF on the approach channel giving details of location. Interesting, so our chat stopped and we listened for a while. As G-OF got closer to the Glasgow area and we were able to hear thier broadcast it turned out to be piloted by a female solo student who had got herself into some weather related problems and seemed to be disorientated. Although she seemed calm it was obvious from her voice and the time that it took to respond to the controllers requests that she was working very hard. QDM 050 was advised by approach to help her find the way to the airfield - coming from the south west would mean her flying over some high ground to the south of the field. This all happened at around 16:00 local time with light fading and lowering cloud and rain cells dotted around. After finding the airfield and being passsed to the tower frequency she landed onto 23 with the wind on the ground at 260/16.
So, you ask, why the post. It just sounds like a normal weather diversion to me.
A couple of things. Firstly, I thought that the young lady (well her voice sounded young) did a very good job in a very tricky situation. It would appear that she was trying to get back to her flying club at Cumbernauld - being asked to land at Glasgow International is demanding enough for us old timers used to a small field - how would it have felt to a solo student. Bravo to her and I am sure she will go on to become a wiser pilot by the experience.
Secondly, I admired the calmness of the controllers involved. Too often do we hear from other areas of the country of arrogant and unfriendly to GA controllers however, I bet these guys were from the old school that had completed a PPL and knew exactly what was going on in her mind and were therefore able to deal with the situation in a knowlegble way. Bravo to the Glasgow controllers.
Finally, however, what the hell was she doing up there in the first place! The TAF for the fields around the area were showing gusts up to 26 knots. It was 4 pm on a November afternoon in the West of Scotland - getting darker by the second. I'm not an instuctor but I would imagine that any intructor worth his/her salt would be asking the same questions to the person that authorised this flight!
VD
We picked up on a message to G-OF on the approach channel giving details of location. Interesting, so our chat stopped and we listened for a while. As G-OF got closer to the Glasgow area and we were able to hear thier broadcast it turned out to be piloted by a female solo student who had got herself into some weather related problems and seemed to be disorientated. Although she seemed calm it was obvious from her voice and the time that it took to respond to the controllers requests that she was working very hard. QDM 050 was advised by approach to help her find the way to the airfield - coming from the south west would mean her flying over some high ground to the south of the field. This all happened at around 16:00 local time with light fading and lowering cloud and rain cells dotted around. After finding the airfield and being passsed to the tower frequency she landed onto 23 with the wind on the ground at 260/16.
So, you ask, why the post. It just sounds like a normal weather diversion to me.
A couple of things. Firstly, I thought that the young lady (well her voice sounded young) did a very good job in a very tricky situation. It would appear that she was trying to get back to her flying club at Cumbernauld - being asked to land at Glasgow International is demanding enough for us old timers used to a small field - how would it have felt to a solo student. Bravo to her and I am sure she will go on to become a wiser pilot by the experience.
Secondly, I admired the calmness of the controllers involved. Too often do we hear from other areas of the country of arrogant and unfriendly to GA controllers however, I bet these guys were from the old school that had completed a PPL and knew exactly what was going on in her mind and were therefore able to deal with the situation in a knowlegble way. Bravo to the Glasgow controllers.
Finally, however, what the hell was she doing up there in the first place! The TAF for the fields around the area were showing gusts up to 26 knots. It was 4 pm on a November afternoon in the West of Scotland - getting darker by the second. I'm not an instuctor but I would imagine that any intructor worth his/her salt would be asking the same questions to the person that authorised this flight!
VD
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I don't think there was anything wrong with what happened. The student went up in conditions that were suitable (Gusts aren't the sole factor in wx interpretation), the student didn't feel able to return to EGPG, so diverted into Glasgow.
A good call from the student and good training from the FI who gave her the ability to make decisions like that.
Unless you've got some sort of axe to grind, then this is a non-story apart from the fact that other students should learn from things like this and ask themselves what they'd do in that situation.
Well done all.
A good call from the student and good training from the FI who gave her the ability to make decisions like that.
Unless you've got some sort of axe to grind, then this is a non-story apart from the fact that other students should learn from things like this and ask themselves what they'd do in that situation.
Well done all.
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Putting the PPL syllabus into practice
I don't think there was anything wrong with what happened. The student went up in conditions that were suitable (Gusts aren't the sole factor in wx interpretation), the student didn't feel able to return to EGPG, so diverted into Glasgow.
A good call from the student and good training from the FI who gave her the ability to make decisions like that.
Unless you've got some sort of axe to grind, then this is a non-story apart from the fact that other students should learn from things like this and ask themselves what they'd do in that situation.
Well done all.
A good call from the student and good training from the FI who gave her the ability to make decisions like that.
Unless you've got some sort of axe to grind, then this is a non-story apart from the fact that other students should learn from things like this and ask themselves what they'd do in that situation.
Well done all.
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Say again s l o w l y & nosignificantweather
Apologies for not coming back to you before now. Been travelling to London BA today and 2 hour delay due wx at LHR.
Anyway, as you can see I do not post to this forum much, however, I felt that the young lady's action were worthwhile praising. At one point when she was talking to Glasgow approach she claimed that it was snowing where she was. I put this down to perhaps her overraction to perhaps being in rain for the first time, however, a friend who was driving from Kilmarnock o Glasgow reported sleet on the new motorway over Fenwick! So her call on snow was a good one. I was also pleased to hear her going out of Glasgow the following morning meaning that her confidence was not shaken by the event - possibly a confidence increasing event.
Your tone, Say again s l o w l y, is somewhat defensive by asking if I have an axe to grind. There was no need for that comment as I had praised all involved in the event - unless, of course, it was you who authorised the flight.
VD
Apologies for not coming back to you before now. Been travelling to London BA today and 2 hour delay due wx at LHR.
Anyway, as you can see I do not post to this forum much, however, I felt that the young lady's action were worthwhile praising. At one point when she was talking to Glasgow approach she claimed that it was snowing where she was. I put this down to perhaps her overraction to perhaps being in rain for the first time, however, a friend who was driving from Kilmarnock o Glasgow reported sleet on the new motorway over Fenwick! So her call on snow was a good one. I was also pleased to hear her going out of Glasgow the following morning meaning that her confidence was not shaken by the event - possibly a confidence increasing event.
Your tone, Say again s l o w l y, is somewhat defensive by asking if I have an axe to grind. There was no need for that comment as I had praised all involved in the event - unless, of course, it was you who authorised the flight.
VD
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Not my School and definately not my student. (Unfortunately!) I am annoyed as I know the FI involved well and he is very professional as well as being a mate. Having some amateur who heard a radio call passing judgement on his skills because of a well handled incident seems very harsh and unfair. If it had of been me, then I would be far more verbose rather than just implying you had an axe to grind.
I don't remember there having been sleet or snow on the forecast either, so if there was, then the student made a good call and the FI did a good job in having passed on enough awareness for the student to act as they did. Wx changes up here a lot and very quickly. I have sent students on flights that have had to be abandoned due to unforecast conditions, that doesn't make me a bad instructor. I don't have a cristal ball. We can only make judgements on the information presented.
There can be "politics" at this airfield between two of the operators, so I am always suspicious of of things posted on Pprune. My club isn't involved in any of this stuff and I thought all of these games had been finished with. Hopefully that is the case, but I recognise your style of writing and the backhanded way of insulting someone under the guise of "praise."
I don't remember there having been sleet or snow on the forecast either, so if there was, then the student made a good call and the FI did a good job in having passed on enough awareness for the student to act as they did. Wx changes up here a lot and very quickly. I have sent students on flights that have had to be abandoned due to unforecast conditions, that doesn't make me a bad instructor. I don't have a cristal ball. We can only make judgements on the information presented.
There can be "politics" at this airfield between two of the operators, so I am always suspicious of of things posted on Pprune. My club isn't involved in any of this stuff and I thought all of these games had been finished with. Hopefully that is the case, but I recognise your style of writing and the backhanded way of insulting someone under the guise of "praise."
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OF Div to Glasgow
In my line of work Better to go to an Airport with radar and staff that can help in that type of Problem.
As Cumbernauld is only Ground Air Radio with no radar to assist in getting her back on the ground.
All's well that ends well and if only one thing comes from this in my view the Student will live long as she will make more good choices in her flying that will keep her out on the back of my other transport Helimed Helicopters
Rgds
As Cumbernauld is only Ground Air Radio with no radar to assist in getting her back on the ground.
All's well that ends well and if only one thing comes from this in my view the Student will live long as she will make more good choices in her flying that will keep her out on the back of my other transport Helimed Helicopters
Rgds
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Sayagainslowly, if you are suggesting Volvodriver is an agent provocateur making this post with the sole intention of stirring **** against a legit' business, report it to the mods and ask them to investigate.
If this was a student on a nav ex, then it was under the FI's licence and said FI made a call on the wx which resulted in a student finding themselves in a divert situation.
If on the other hand the student made a judgement call to divert because of the percieved risk of poor wx - not actually encountering it (nor it occuring), then good on them. No harm done or risk to the student.
I am not inclined to bother, but it might be an interesting exercise for someone to look at forecast v actual wx for the event.
Now that would be worthy of debate given what happened.
The Wombat
If this was a student on a nav ex, then it was under the FI's licence and said FI made a call on the wx which resulted in a student finding themselves in a divert situation.
If on the other hand the student made a judgement call to divert because of the percieved risk of poor wx - not actually encountering it (nor it occuring), then good on them. No harm done or risk to the student.
I am not inclined to bother, but it might be an interesting exercise for someone to look at forecast v actual wx for the event.
Now that would be worthy of debate given what happened.
The Wombat
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Wombat, this has been done to death on here and I certainly don't want to up the ante. A certain other school also had a diversion due wx for a solo student, but no-one has come on here slagging anybody off about it.
These things happen, the student did well. End of story.
These things happen, the student did well. End of story.
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What an adventure for her - and great story to tell mates in the pub!
Also great landing at a new a/f, with fairly gusty x-winds - sounds like she had no probs - gotta say, wish I could have done that when I was learning!
Only downside I think is how much the whole thing must have cost her...!!
Also great landing at a new a/f, with fairly gusty x-winds - sounds like she had no probs - gotta say, wish I could have done that when I was learning!
Only downside I think is how much the whole thing must have cost her...!!
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I would join you in praise for Glasgow, and other airfields who don't charge for Wx diversions, but that does not make Glasgow 'sensible' - have you tried to drop someone off at the terminal recently, or be picked up in a taxi which is not one of the 'white monopoly'? Furthermore, BAA, who own it, are not what you could really call a GA friendly organisation.
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Nice story Volvodriver. Proud for the lady, well done and agreed with Glasgow_Flyer, after all must be fantastic student experience to land at an Intl Airport under such circumstances. 
