A question for BA Domestic Flight Crew
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A question for BA Domestic Flight Crew
Hi Folks
I use your fine Skyflyer service a lot to carry my son between EDI and LHR/LGW. On a day like today, when Heathrow is obscured by fog, what would your alternate be should you not be able to land at LHR? Would it be LGW?
Whenever our routine is upset by weather conditions I end up having an anxious debate with my ex as to what would happen if Junior were diverted ie where would I have to go to collect him. Appreciate your help with this.
I use your fine Skyflyer service a lot to carry my son between EDI and LHR/LGW. On a day like today, when Heathrow is obscured by fog, what would your alternate be should you not be able to land at LHR? Would it be LGW?
Whenever our routine is upset by weather conditions I end up having an anxious debate with my ex as to what would happen if Junior were diverted ie where would I have to go to collect him. Appreciate your help with this.
what would happen if Junior were diverted ie where would I have to go to collect him
It's the airline's responsibility to deliver Junior to his intended destination. You're not flying Ryanair, after all.
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Last time it happened to me I ended up at Bournemouth, very quick transit of the terminal (bags, etc) and an express coach to Heathrow. Total delay - not that long, really.
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@DaveReid
Ryanair dont carry unaccompanied kids. They make it quite clear, thats why I use the Train. Ive had my bags lost by BA, and my son left sitting in an office so in future certainly would never fly my kids with them on their own.
General Terms + Conditions of Carriage
Its a pity really as they (FR) certainly do provide exactly what I want.
Ryanair dont carry unaccompanied kids. They make it quite clear, thats why I use the Train. Ive had my bags lost by BA, and my son left sitting in an office so in future certainly would never fly my kids with them on their own.
General Terms + Conditions of Carriage
Its a pity really as they (FR) certainly do provide exactly what I want.
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Wheelbarrow, I'm sorry you feel that way about BA Skyflyers. I use the service at least once a month, in fact my son has now accumulated over 25,000 miles with BA doing so, and I find the whole process excellent.
We did try the bmi unaccompanied child service, but it wasn't quite so organised. Sadly, it is of course, no longer available anyway.
We did try the bmi unaccompanied child service, but it wasn't quite so organised. Sadly, it is of course, no longer available anyway.
when Heathrow is obscured by fog, what would your alternate be should you not be able to land at LHR? Would it be LGW?
Last edited by wiggy; 23rd Oct 2012 at 14:15.
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wiggy- would the long-haul 747 / 777 BA flights into LHR also tend to divert to Stansted/Luton/Bournemouth rather than LGW, for the same reason?
Last edited by Nicholas49; 23rd Oct 2012 at 07:16.
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When fog is predicted, BA usually tactically cancel a lot of the short haul flights especially a large percentage of domestics to try and keep the operation running smoothly. It is likely that if the flight was going to face very long hold times that it would have been cancelled long before it arrived at EDI. That's not to say short hauls don't get diverted. When they do it tends to be in the order of Luton, Gatwick, Bournemouth then Birmingham. Exact order may change depending on operational requirements and the direction the flight is arriving into London.
Long haul's tend to operate even during periods of disruption. They would usually carry enough fuel to hold for an extended period if poor weather was forecast. Diversions tend to go to Cardiff, Birmingham or Manchester. Aircraft from the south may go to Gatwick or even afar afield as Madrid or Nice!
Champ
Long haul's tend to operate even during periods of disruption. They would usually carry enough fuel to hold for an extended period if poor weather was forecast. Diversions tend to go to Cardiff, Birmingham or Manchester. Aircraft from the south may go to Gatwick or even afar afield as Madrid or Nice!
Champ
Thinks!! whatever happened to the blind landing capability we had on the Tridents and Tristars of so long ago?
What are the rules for category 3 landings ?
R all aircraft equipped for such landings ?
Last edited by wiggy; 24th Oct 2012 at 04:27.
The system used by most current aircraft (ILS) in foggy weather relies on there only being one aircraft flying down the approach at any one time
That clearly increases the approach spacing requirement, but not to the extent that only one aircraft can be on the ILS at any given time. For example on Monday morning, ATC at Heathrow were landing about 28 aircraft per hour on 09L during LVPs, which equates to just under 6nm spacing at 160kts.
Ah well, that's what happens when, as an "end user", you're trying to keep it simple since this is the Spectators Forum, not the Tech Forum.
.................( I'll let you go on to accurately explain "LVPs", "09L", "LSA")....
.................( I'll let you go on to accurately explain "LVPs", "09L", "LSA")....
Last edited by wiggy; 24th Oct 2012 at 08:43.
Point taken, though personally I've never subscribed to the prevailing view that everything needs to be dumbed-down.
LVPs = Low Visibility Procedures = WTDWTF (What They Do When There's Fog)
LVPs = Low Visibility Procedures = WTDWTF (What They Do When There's Fog)
Last edited by DaveReidUK; 24th Oct 2012 at 13:05.
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In the days when QANTAS was still flying into Manchester having first deposited a goodly number of passengers at Heathrow we took off again at around 08:00hrs for Manchester. A few minutes into the flight the Captain decided to update us on the conditions in Manchester. "There is some fog at Manchester" quoth he "and at the moment it is outside our landing limits. ATC tell us that it should clear by about 10:00hrs but I'm sure it will be fine by the time we get there". Those of us familiar with some of the vagaries of the weather in the North West looked at each other and giggled. All were of the same opinion that if ATC said 10:00hrs then 10:00hrs it would be and no Aussie Captain would be able to make any difference to the time. Arriving in the area about 30 mins later the Captain cheerfully informed us that the 747 required 250m (if I've got this wrong please forgive me, it was a long time ago but I remember thinking it was a short distance) visibility to land but that it was currently 150m. He was, however certain that it would all alter in a few minutes. (They don't get proper fog in Oz). The aircraft entered the hold and round and round we went with occasional updates on the visibility, seemingly fixed permanently at 150m, and the captain's opinion that it would be only a few minutes before we were able to land (and ours that he hadn't a hope). At 09:30 the visibility improved to 175m, then at 0950 it was the magic 200m and "I'm going in"! The wheels touched the tarmac at precisely 10:00hrs and apparently quite some way down the runway as I noticed the BA cargo sheds being passed very rapidly. Never mind, we were down safely and one of very few aircraft to make it into Manchester that morning which was a real blessing after the long flight from Oz. The arrivals board told its own story "Diverted Prestwick" being the most common destination visible and we were the first of the big aircraft to have made it into Manchester.
and apparently quite some way down the runway as I noticed the BA cargo sheds being passed very rapidly. Never mind, we were down safely and one of very few aircraft to make it into Manchester that morning which was a real blessing after the long flight from Oz. The arrivals board told its own story "Diverted Prestwick" being the most common destination visible and we were the first of the big aircraft to have made it into Manchester.
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Way back when I was a student in Manchester, BEA briefly operated a Sunday Blackpool-Palma rotation with a One-Eleven positioning up from MAN in the morning and back in the evening. They had the idea to sell the positioning legs for £4 return, giving the punters a nice day out by the seaside.
The time a bunch of us did the trip, the flight was full, mostly with people who probably hadn’t flown before – which was the purpose of the exercise, I guess. On the return into MAN we were thrown all around the sky, and I imagined the pilot stirring the stick a bit to give us a bit of an experience. But as we got closer, it got a hell of a lot bumpier, and there was a lot of concern in the cabin. When we finally made it down, the Captain told us (in a somewhat shaky voice) that we had been right on the crosswind limit, any more and we would have been heading for Birmingham.
The time a bunch of us did the trip, the flight was full, mostly with people who probably hadn’t flown before – which was the purpose of the exercise, I guess. On the return into MAN we were thrown all around the sky, and I imagined the pilot stirring the stick a bit to give us a bit of an experience. But as we got closer, it got a hell of a lot bumpier, and there was a lot of concern in the cabin. When we finally made it down, the Captain told us (in a somewhat shaky voice) that we had been right on the crosswind limit, any more and we would have been heading for Birmingham.
