jumpjet From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2005, 218 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 8428 times:
I've just been watching a First Choice/Thomson A320 circling over East Devon, UK, for the last hour or so and it's started heading north at 10,000 feet. Having looked on-line it seems that it was the flight from Manchester, UK, to Gambia, West Africa. I watched it finally descend and it's just landed at Bristol.
Does anyone know what's happened? I presume it will be a technical problem rather than medical as it looked to me as if they were circling whilst deciding what to do or maybe dumping fuel. If it was medical, they'd get down as soon as possible wouldn't they?
blueshamu330s From UK - England, joined Sep 2001, 2533 posts, RR: 24 Reply 1, posted (1 year 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 8364 times:
No, it's an inbound to Exeter, diverted to Bristol due Fog at Exeter.
CHRISBA777ER From UK - England, joined Mar 2001, 5964 posts, RR: 63 Reply 3, posted (1 year 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 8352 times:
Not necessarily - flight to Banjul (?) would put the A320 at MTOW or near as damnit. If there was a medical emergency or MX issue the crew cannot dump fuel and she wouldnt be at safe landing weight yet on reaching Bristol, so they either land overweight (which would put the frame out of action for a few weeks while they do surveys etc) they probably circled to burn off as much fuel as possible to get down to a safe landing weight - obviously if the medical problem was a stroke or a heart attack then they'd eat it and land immediately, (full emergency, inc fire services for a possible brake fire etc) but if the problem was something MX-related or a medical emergency not bad enough to divert immediately but bad enough to warrant the aircraft holding while they assess the patient, then they would circle to burn fuel to land at a safe weight so that once they've bussed a new crew in (am assuming they didnt have a spare crew on board to fly the return leg?) they can be on their way after filing new flight plan etc.
What do you mean you dont have any bourbon? Do you know how far it is to Houston? What kind of airline is this???
jumpjet From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2005, 218 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (1 year 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 8326 times:
Thanks for that. I'm only 3 miles from Exeter airport and it all seems fine. On the Plane Finder app on my phone it said it was a flight from Manchester to The Gambia - obviously duff information. I'm glad that's all the problem was, fog.
wilco737 From Greenland, joined exactly 9 years ago today! , 8542 posts, RR: 78 Reply 5, posted (1 year 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 8296 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD MODERATOR
Quoting CHRISBA777ER (Reply 3): (which would put the frame out of action for a few weeks while they do surveys etc)
Few weeks is a little long. The overweight inspection doesn't need a few weeks. Depends on how much overweight and the touchdown vertical speed which can be checked in the computer. Then the mechanics can check how hard the touchdown was and then decide how much of a check they have to do. Of course if there is some structural damage, then the airplane is out of service for a bit. But the check itself is rather quick.
Airplanes can handle a lot more than one imagines.
I did an overweight landing in the 744 simulator. MTOW was 395.6 tons and we landed with 385.0 tons. Pretty high approach speeds, pretty hot brakes (got cooled down by the fire brigade) and long landing distance. But apart from that, all was well. And the stress for the cell isn't too bad if you do a normal touchdown.
blueshamu330s From UK - England, joined Sep 2001, 2533 posts, RR: 24 Reply 6, posted (1 year 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 8296 times:
Quoting CHRISBA777ER (Reply 3): Not necessarily - flight to Banjul (?) would put the A320 at MTOW or near as damnit. If there was a medical emergency or MX issue the crew cannot dump fuel and she wouldnt be at safe landing weight yet on reaching Bristol, so they either land overweight (which would put the frame out of action for a few weeks while they do surveys etc) they probably circled to burn off as much fuel as possible to get down to a safe landing weight - obviously if the medical problem was a stroke or a heart attack then they'd eat it and land immediately, (full emergency, inc fire services for a possible brake fire etc) but if the problem was something MX-related or a medical emergency not bad enough to divert immediately but bad enough to warrant the aircraft holding while they assess the patient, then they would circle to burn fuel to land at a safe weight so that once they've bussed a new crew in (am assuming they didnt have a spare crew on board to fly the return leg?) they can be on their way after filing new flight plan etc.
Jambo bwana !
Did you stop once to breathe in that sentence Chris ?! LOL
No medical div., it was just a weather div and yes, Acelanzarote, it's the a/c for the now rather delayed ACE.
So I drive a 4x4. So what?! Tax the a$$ off me for it...oh, you already have... :-(
wilco737 From Greenland, joined exactly 9 years ago today! , 8542 posts, RR: 78 Reply 8, posted (1 year 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 8255 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD MODERATOR
Quoting jumpjet (Reply 7): as a complete aviation amateur,
We all have to start at one point. Everybody here in the forum didn't know anything about aviation when he was born
jumpjet From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2005, 218 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (1 year 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 7991 times:
Do you ever watch the TV series "The Big Bang Theory". I'm sure you lot out there in aviation cyberspace are just like the four main characters in that!! p.s. that's actually a compliment!!
JRadier From Netherlands, joined Sep 2004, 4599 posts, RR: 51 Reply 11, posted (1 year 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 7965 times:
Quoting jumpjet (Reply 10): Do you ever watch the TV series "The Big Bang Theory". I'm sure you lot out there in aviation cyberspace are just like the four main characters in that!! p.s. that's actually a compliment!!
As long as it's leonard it's fine, Sheldon I'm not so sure
For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and ther
wilco737 From Greenland, joined exactly 9 years ago today! , 8542 posts, RR: 78 Reply 13, posted (1 year 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 7706 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD MODERATOR
Quoting JRadier (Reply 9): Except from me, I was born with encyclopaedic knowledge... you should know that
Oh right... Who had the nickname "the brain"? was it you or me
wilco737 From Greenland, joined exactly 9 years ago today! , 8542 posts, RR: 78 Reply 15, posted (1 year 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 7466 times:
PlymSpotter From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 11257 posts, RR: 63 Reply 18, posted (1 year 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 6714 times:
Quoting JRadier (Reply 9): Except from me, I was born with encyclopaedic knowledge... you should know that
So you are like Grolsch then - only born when fully ready
Quoting jumpjet (Reply 4): I'm only 3 miles from Exeter airport and it all seems fine.
I found that odd too - I headed North on the train through Exeter at about 6am this morning and there was no fog, not even in the Exe Valley where you often get patches. Must have been sudden radiation fog once the sun burned the dew off.
I find most of the UK charters (TCX, TOM etc) to be wildly out on route/flight no. on Plane Finder. With any other airlines if it looks a bit dodgy you can research the flight number and come up with the correct route, but I can rarely do that with those. As an example, last night's TCX from AYT to NWI, which came over my house at around 10,000ft (about 15m from NWI) came up as AYT-MAN! That's a long way to go at 10,000!
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Very good one 
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