shnoob940 From Australia, joined Sep 2008, 162 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 16 hours ago) and read 8165 times:
Hi everyone, I was in SFO recently, and was hit hard with a 3 hour delay on my flight (VX305, MCO-SFO-SAN, 13 July). We were told that due to the weather, we couldn't leave until 11:35pm (due out 8:35). Due to the aircraft being even later in from MCO, we didn't leave till after midnight. Is this weather usual for SFO? I also had a 2 hour delay on my inbound flight from PDX (AS224, 12 July). Also, does anyone know my rego on VX305, because I missed it.
AA737-823 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 5336 posts, RR: 11 Reply 2, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 16 hours ago) and read 8072 times:
SFO is known for fog delays, even after the fog is long gone, because things fall like dominoes in that situation.
warden145 From United States of America, joined Aug 2010, 426 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 16 hours ago) and read 8046 times:
Quoting AA737-823 (Reply 2): SFO is known for fog delays, even after the fog is long gone, because things fall like dominoes in that situation.
What he said. SFO's been plagued by delays due to the fog over the last week or so...and, sadly, it's pretty common. SFO becomes a one-runway airport whenever the fog rolls in...well, two runways; one for takeoffs and one for landings, but they're still only able to handle half the number of planes in any given time as they "normally" can...
I have been stuck at work till 2am in 5 straight days. With the large increase in UAL and UAX flying this summer it's cause havoc on ATC delays. Even tonight, (SAT) which usually has a reduced schedule, we has delays till 1am.
"Some pilots avoid storm cells and some play connect the dots!"
Maverick623 From United States of America, joined Nov 2006, 4744 posts, RR: 6 Reply 6, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 4 hours ago) and read 6687 times:
Quoting AirCalSNA (Reply 4): Welcome to summer in San Francisco!
Don't feel bad, though. I know a few people who work for an airline that still don't get that SFO=ATC.
ursh From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 18 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week ago) and read 5353 times:
SJC would be an alternative option to travel to and is not far away from SFO. SJC has hardly any delays even when SFO is suffering from their fog. Sometimes it happens that a flight gets converted to SJC due to weather.
kgaiflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 3641 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (1 year 10 months 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 4997 times:
Quoting ursh (Reply 7): SJC would be an alternative option to travel to and is not far away from SFO. SJC has hardly any delays even when SFO is suffering from their fog. Sometimes it happens that a flight gets converted to SJC due to weather.
As long as it's just fog.
I was on a SEA-SJC Alaska Airlines flight in March that pitched so violently the FA's were ordered to sit down by the captain. We passengers were told to throw any trash we had on the floor for later clean-up.
I've since heard from some SJC ground people that extra cleaners had to be called in to mop-up that 738
united319 From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 513 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (1 year 10 months 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 4045 times:
Quoting shnoob940 (Thread starter): Also, does anyone know my rego on VX305, because I missed it.
I doubt it. The ground delays in downline stations was so extensive as Shnoob said they there was not much holding once in the vicinity of the airports.
Last Sunday there was a SBA-SFO SkyWest that diverted to SJC. Other then that I didn't see any diversion. But the other days I was in the tower I didn't see any to SMF.
tozairport From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 670 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (1 year 10 months 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 2530 times:
Just to be clear, it's not really fog that causes problems at SFO, but more the runway configuration (2 closely spaced parallel runways) and the overcast conditions that or so pervasive here in the Summer. Once the ceiling gets below 3000' or so, then they are forced to do ILS approaches to only one runway instead of landing visually on two. Sometimes they can do the PDA approach to 28R and the ILS to 28L at the same time, the the weather required for that isn't common (I just did my first one yesterday). I've never had to do a CAT II/III approach into SFO in spite of that being my home base for the last 16 years. It's a runway configuration/ceiling problem, not a fog/visibility problem. FYI.
timz From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 6465 posts, RR: 8 Reply 14, posted (1 year 10 months 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 2015 times:
Yeah, it's a puzzle where people get the idea SFO is a fog magnet. The overcast rolls in, forcing ILS approaches, but ground visibility is typically ... 10-15 miles?
c2c From United States of America, joined Jun 2009, 2 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (1 year 10 months 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 1748 times:
The SOIA (SIMULTANEOUS OFFSET INSTRUMENT APPROACH) for Ry 28R/L at SFO is minimum ceiling 2100ft with vis 4 miles, lower than that and everybody is single file. The Ry 28R/L minimum ceiling for visual approaches is usually 3000 – 3500ft.
chrisair From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 1769 posts, RR: 4 Reply 17, posted (1 year 10 months 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1616 times:
Quoting timz (Reply 14): Yeah, it's a puzzle where people get the idea SFO is a fog magnet. The overcast rolls in, forcing ILS approaches, but ground visibility is typically ... 10-15 miles?
I take it you've never driven around Skyline in Millbrae, South City or on the Golden Gate Bridge in the summer?
Seriously though, it's easier for people to understand "fog" than ceiling, runway centerline spacing and simultaneous ILS spacing requirements. I propose calling them evil clouds, but so far that hasn't taken...
Not to argue with another pilot. But technically it is the fog causing the low ceiling. Its just advection fog versus radiation fog. But nit picking aside it gets complicated explaining to passengers they are delays 3 hours cause of fog and easier saying it's the low ceiling. Specially when they can see just fine across the airport.
"Some pilots avoid storm cells and some play connect the dots!"
tozairport From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 670 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (1 year 10 months 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 1272 times:
Quoting as739x (Reply 19): Not to argue with another pilot. But technically it is the fog causing the low ceiling. Its just advection fog versus radiation fog. But nit picking aside it gets complicated explaining to passengers they are delays 3 hours cause of fog and easier saying it's the low ceiling. Specially when they can see just fine across the airport.
Fog is when the cloud is on the ground, thus restricting visibility. A ceiling is when there is visibility on the ground, but a layer of clouds overhead. It doesn't really matter how that cloud was created. When you tell the passengers its fog, and then they look out the window and can see Oakland, then they know you are lying. SFO most often gets ceiling in the 1000-3000 foot range, but less often gets restricted visibilities due to fog (i.e the ceiling is 0'). I can't make it much simpler than that.
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