Storm Dennis Crosswind Landing At Heathrow

NICE !! I made a landing similar to that with a tricycle Cessna and damn near took out the radio house LOL I think i was 15-16 .

Part of that clip made the evening news last night.

Did you catch the rudder flopping around.

Really surprised that the pilot even tried it in those conditions.

Bob

Bob

little known fact these days; most airplanes only take on slightly more fuel than the average flight time for a leg. saves weight and costs less

Many landings like that becaus not enough range to divert to alternate field

you tube right side bar if you watch one cross wind landing has hundreds like this....giant C5 cross wind make this one above seem easy

I think that maybe you are not aware that this landing is not a one off. I lived on the flight path 12 miles from Heathrow and on a clear day you could see 7 planes coming into land. I lived at the point where the wheels came down. During the day, one plane landing every two minutes.

On a windy day, seeing the planes flying in at 45 deg was a sight to behold - it looked almost impossible. Planes flying sideways.

Storm Ciara and Dennis is a testiment to all these pilots. Go rounds were common - 20 in two hours during storm Ciara but the winds are gusting from 40 to 80 mph and the rain!!! Then - this is British weather.



The biggest worry in this part of London is bodies falling from the planes when the undercarriage is lowered.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19562101

and not bad weather approaches.

My favourite airline was always British Airways but I nearly always flew First Class or slummed it in Business. Never flown cattle class other than very short trips - sub two hours.

I was thinking "Go around" Fred.  Common theme on "Air Disasters" ..Why didn't they just abort the landing and go around for a second try?

We posted at about the same time Ian.  Bodies falling from wheel wells.  Fully understand that.  BREXIT won't help much there.

After the wind sheer disaster in Dallas all major airports installed various weather sensing devices.

rsv1cox wrote:I was thinking "Go around" Fred.  Common theme on "Air Disasters" ..Why didn't they just abort the landing and go around for a second try?

We posted at about the same time Ian.  Bodies falling from wheel wells.  Fully understand that.  BREXIT won't help much there.

After the wind sheer disaster in Dallas all major airports installed various weather sensing devices.  

The pilots are under a great deal of pressure to make the landing. I have been on go rounds at Heathrow, the usual reason being that the plane in front hasn't cleared the runway. A go round involves, at a minimum, 20 minutes extra flying time in good weather has the inbound queue has to be rejoined many miles away. One flight I was on took and extra 40 minutes and these were good weather,

The pilot is only allowed 3 attempts at landing and is then forced to divert. This is a small country and the chances are that the weather is no different at the alternatives - Birmingham or Manchester.

Birmingham



Manchester

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krWUK9ygwxU

Imagine how the passengers feel!

This one is 10 years ago at Heathrow - the British Airways pilot makes it look simple landinding sideways.

Oh I get the "go around" but in this story inside a gale force storm...I kina suspect one or more go arounds....or already held in pattern until no choice but land......now

google you tube worlds most dangerous airports....there is a fun 3 hrs and some seriously talented (or lucky) pilots

The real scary part in these days of automation and pilot assists is that when these functions go south the pilot actually has to fly the plane.

Many stories on Air Disasters relate this. Pilot error is in the minority but it does happen. Auto pilot, Auto throttle, ILS, etc.