HugMonster, I have to agree with you. I think I was guilty of careless terminology. Flying under an active thunderstorm is a no-no, but frequently Cb activity at higher levels leaves no activity lower down. The point I was trying to make was that the actual reported BROKEN Cb, and then not necessarily on the approach. The thunderstorm reported could have been anywhere in relation to the field.

Perhaps someone who was there on the day could tell us just how long a gap there was between the Ryanair and the aircraft which landed before and after it. They could also tell us if there were any departures in the same period.

If no other flights except this Ryanair flight moved then questions could be asked but I suspect that there might have been more than one airline operating in the same time frame.

I always noticed that when the WX radar is painting the ground that it shows mostly red!!!!

DFC

WX Radar Red from 4 degrees up through to 11 degrees up - think about it - it wasn't a ground return :mad:

It's the WORST I've ever seen it for departure.

About three landed and a couple departed (one CPT one DET I think). When the sky is BLACK and there is fork lightning clearly visible in the direction you're supposed to be going, my personal opinion is that you would be foolish to depart. You may get away with it, but it would be mighty uncomfortable for all concerned.

Reading the comments from HEATHROW DIRECTOR (another thread), if you suddenly want a heading to avoid you won't necessarily get it if it's going to reduce radar separation below minima, then you are literally "in it". You place an additonal load on to ATC - which is probably why London stopped accepting departures on the CPT/BUZ SID's on the day.

I'm not standing in judgement on anyone - but I've read enough accident/incident/stories that have convinced me that if it's looking THAT bad, just don't risk it - divert or stay on the ground. If the schedule slips by 30mins - so what, press on and there is the potential for it to "slip" a whole more than 30 mins!

Bottom line - keep it SAFE! :cool:

a4 that reply was one of the most sensible comments that I have read.

As a ltma atco the one thing that gets the heart racing is when some one gets airborne and won't follow the sid or worse still ends up going in any direction other than the one specified on departure. That is the time when you see alot of pale atcos and the noise level hits the roof as you try and find ways for the a/c to miss all the others!!

So a number of Aircraft Captains made the desision to operate their aircraft in the same weather conditions as the Ryanair Pilot.

One could even say that while the Ryan Air pilot was airborne and could have decided that landing was the lesser of two evils...the other one being holding while the CBs tracked through the holding area...other Captains left the safet of the ground into the conditions.

Just so that we have ALL the facts....what were the other airlines who were operating at the same time?

So tied of this constant name placement and publicibility that Ryan Air gets on this web site. Thanks to the knockers, as soon as anyone mentions an airline, most will imediately think Ryanair!!

DFC

At last.....some silence. :) :) :)