BA15 SIN-SYD ended up in BNE......
 

Anyone know why the BA15 ended up in BNE instead of SYD?

Bad weather in SYD.

Yep, Sydney was fogged out this morning, 300m vis.

Really? A 747-400 or 777 (whatever BA operate on the route) can surely cope with 300m, thats only Cat 2. Not suggesting that there is anything else un-toward just would have thought the weather would have to have been a bit more restrictive than this.

Cheers folks. Glad is was nothing tech. :ok:

Yes, and SYD is only CAT1.

Cloud Bunny,

I am sure that the BA aircraft had the equipment and training for a CAT II / III approach. You will find though that there are NO CAT II / III approaches in Australia:eek:. Melbourne is having a CAT II installed as we speak, but this will be the first. So 300m FG = Diversion for ANY aircraft at Sydney unless they have enough fuel to hold until CAT I applies.

CAT 2 approach? This is not an advanced part of the world we're talking about...be glad to get a CAT 1

Yes folks Melbourne will be the first Australian airport to be dragged into the 20th century by having low vis approach equipment installed.
There will be lots of fanfare, politicians cr**ping on in the media about how truly modern Mebourne airport is. :yuk: They don't realise that all this was pioneered nearly 40 years ago.
Luckily the major airports have probably less than 14 days of fog a year each, however when they do the disruptions are quite significant.

Yeah Offchock that's because Melbourne needed it. The weather is far better in BNE, that's why they diverted. Beautiful one day, landed the next.:ok:

Blakmax

Interesting stuff, thanks for the clarification fellas. Shame though, my best mate is a BA F/O was just about to rip into him about not being able to cope with 300m!! :}

Brisbane gets fog in the early morning. Just my luck to be following a QANTAS in, he 'cleared the way' for us and we landed in cat 1. It closed in shortly after that for quite some time.

blakmax

Can't agree more............however BNE, SYD, ADL and PER also have their foggy mornings and should also be at least CatII equiped!

At SYD it can be much more limiting than even your "bog standard" Cat 1 RVR minima of 550m, FWIW during the Southern hemisphere Winter season the BA 15 is one of the flights allowed and scheduled to land before the end of the night curfew. That means "it is a requirement" :ok: to use 34L.....and from memory the RVR requirement for a CAT1 to 34L is something like 1.5 km (no approach lights)....

BAs Minimima for the 747 is RVR/100 last time I saw a FP from BA for the 744.

HeathrowAirport
 

Yes, some of us here know that :ok:, but that's just a number on the flight plan, telling ATC the lowest RVR you can ever accept, anywhere in the World.

Remember (?) you are also restricted by the minima associated with the runway and the approach aid..so if it was down to 300 metres in fog in Sydney and the published minimum allowable visibility/RVR for that runway was 550 metres or even 34 Left's 1.5 km (thanks Deano - see below) then putting it very simply you're not allowed to land, if fact you can't even make an approach to below 1000 feet; the 100m Flight Plan figure is pretty much irrelevant.

Wiggy

You're right, YSSY Rwy34L required vis is 1.5k

D777

Wiggy,

You learn something new everday. I know thats whats filed, becuase thats BAs Minima isnt it for the 747? But then airport and other restrictions come into force as youve stated.

I know this a bit offtopic but how comes BAs A32X can land RVR/075? 25 less than the 744? Is this becuase of the MLS capability or more modern tech?

Wiggy, just out of curiosity how do you know whether the weather is within limits? Do the flight crew rely on accurate information from ATC before making the approach or does the weather radar on board tell you what you need?

Also, if you can bear a further question, what happens when a long-haul BA jet ends up at the wrong destination the other side of the world? Does this not cause big problems with duty hours because presumably the crew can't go on to Sydney without rest and there's no stand-by crew as at LHR? Does the captain have to sort this all out?!