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Delta Goes Big, Then Goes Home

flightradar24.com

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Re: Delta Goes Big, Then Goes Home

#51

Post by KeepTalking »

This is the second such instance in the past month. - For a longer discussion on the topic see this thread on airliners.net http://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1373093

- On August 24 Typhoon Hato hit HongKong hard. All airlines canceled their service in and out of HKIA, except a lone KLM flight from Amsterdam. Similar to the delta flight into San Juan, this flight created a large media storm into the risk involved. http://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2017/08/24/klm-747-ty...

While I am not a pilot, I know that such flights involve sophisticated planning (route, fuel, approach), weather prediction as well as diversionary plans if things do not work out. No airline would undertake such a high-risk move without the confidence that they are not putting lives at risk.

Re: Delta Goes Big, Then Goes Home

#55

Post by DigitalJack »

throwaway613834 wrote: post #40
treyfitty wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't quite follow what you're trying to say. My comment makes no suggestion of any coincidences, nor mention any timing to use calm air effectively. Yes, timing calm air effectively requires calculation. I'm at a loss when deciphering how that relates to what I'm saying.

What I'm saying is, you're saying this was a case of the airline trying to get out as many people as they could, without much regard for the risk and costs. But from what I see, they seemed to have optimized for the risk and the cost extremely well, to the point where it made perfect sense to do what they did, both business wise and humanitarian. Meaning those seem contradictory. (In no way am I playing down what the…

I'm sure they did their best to calculate it as precise as they can. Other airlines tried and failed. They had to turn back or were stuck on the island.

So the realized risk is fuel and cost of a grounded plane.

Re: Delta Goes Big, Then Goes Home

#56

Post by puzzle »

mikeash wrote: post #10
Cshelton wrote: post #4

Other than a very bumpy ride and lots of nerves, I would think a 737 (and many other commercial jets) would have no problem flying through a hurricane. Landing on the other hand... Anyone with knowledge of this?

I'd think that flying through one would be pretty doable. I don't think the "hurricane hunter" planes are anything special in terms of their ability to withstand turbulence. You may need to avoid the parts with the most severe convection. Airliners don't necessarily fare well in the middle of violent non-hurricane thunderstorms either. Landing and taking off in one, however, would be really bad once the winds pick up…

It's not the same at all, but yesterday my flight had 150mph head winds (compare to Irma's 185) and you couldn't even notice. I only did because of the news coverage and wanted to compare.

Re: Delta Goes Big, Then Goes Home

#57

Post by mnglkhn2 »

nxsynonym wrote: post #3

As easy of a target as airlines are for the usual criticism, this is an heroic feat. I applaud the efforts of everyone involved. I can't image what it must be like to fly into a storm system like that. Nerves of steel.

That is why they were able to charge more than 3k per ticket to fly out of troubled locations on Irma's path.

Re: Delta Goes Big, Then Goes Home

#58

Post by 21 »

losteverything wrote: post #45
Tuxer wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They did, this was a volunteer crew. Most of the passengers on the return flight weren't passengers in the normal sense of the word, but non-reqs, delta and other airline employees that were working in that airport and wanted to get out of dodge.

Who was on the arrival flight?

Mostly officials and emergency personal, according to other reports.

Re: Delta Goes Big, Then Goes Home

#59

Post by DigitalJack »

ihsw2 wrote: post #26
passivepinetree wrote: post #12

Does anybody who works in the industry have any idea of what the risk management is like for these types of events? What are the odds something could go wrong compared to the relative good of squeezing in one last flight's revenue for a while? Is flying in a hurricane actually not that bad and the airport turnaround/takeoff the most dangerous part?

Hurricanes are relatively slow-moving, relatively predictable, and have relatively consistent wind speeds/directions. Obviously it would be quite bad to fly into a hurricane's rain bands (the weather outside of the "corridor" that the DL431 flight moved through). The real feat here is the real-time and reliable coordination between all interested parties -- as mentioned in the article, the meteorologists, dispatchers…

So you are saying thunderstorms contain more intense wind shear than a hurricane...I don't think I believe that.
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