These pilots earned their money

[Stardrifter_WA]

Awesome flying courtesy of high winds at Bilboa Spain.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20734048

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17863501

[trek1701 (Mark)]

They obviously don’t have a runway that runs perpendicular

Mark

[pgc hunter]

Impressive footage. Must've been mad fun for the passengers.

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

"God damn! What a rush!"

That'll put hair on the pilot's chest!

[Ric]

Now I know why I prefer to stay on the ground.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Originally Posted by mental4astro

"God damn! What a rush!"

That'll put hair on the pilot's chest!

I don't know about the hair, but I bet it made him, or her, a little taller in the seat!

[astroron (Ron)]

I get so bloody angry when I see this stuff, and also hear of pilots trying to land in a storm only to wipe out sometimes hundreds of people.
They should go somewhere else and have less of the heroics.
I have been in Military aircraft doing that sort of stuff and it is not funny
To me it is a load of crap that they will put peoples lives for the sake of a time table

cheers

PS I bet the passengers did not think it was funny

Quote)
Impressive footage. Must've been mad fun for the passengers..

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by astroron

I get so bloody angry when I see this stuff, and also hear of pilots trying to land in a storm only to wipe out sometimes hundreds of people.
..

You'll be pleased to know QF have very stringent stable approach requirements... Many approach parameters are closely monitored and satisfied. If not, the pilot must perform a 'go around' or diversion so they can be met.

If any QF pilot didn't, he/she would not expect employment for much longer.

Low cost and third world carriers often don't have the training facilities, experience or resources.

Possibly worth thinking about next time you look at bargain basement airfares....

P.S.
In my youth I rode a motocycle. I needed a helmet. Torn between the $30 version and a $120 one (hey.... this was a while ago)
the salesman asked: "what's your head worth"

I bought the (previously unconsidered) $150 version...

..and as they say in the good old USA... what's your a$$ worth?

[LewisM]

3 words - DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE. It's SOP in most good airlines.

Only excuse to land there would be shortage of fuel. No other reason!

I once had to land at Jandakot (Perth civilian/GA airport) in what started as 12 knot crosswind (the cross runway was NOT an option since it was worse. There was a MASSIVE storm coming in off the ocean) after taking over from the cadet (they only allow them specific crosswind rating limits). CTA kept advising all the way down on the changing status. By the time I had all 3 on terra-firma, the x/w was 28 knots - quite a LOT more than the aircraft was even rated for! It was NOT a decision I took lightly, but rather had to URGENTLY, as to divert would have taken MUCH longer and we would then have been well and truly in the squall line of that mother of a storm (that turned EXTREMELLY violent!)

[stevous67 (Steve M)]

Totally unacceptable conditions for any commercial airline. Very scary to view.