Dec 20, 2018, 5:24 am
Last edit by: Canarsie
Travelling to of from London Gatwick 21 December 2018
All LGW services operated on Friday with 2 exceptions (BA2758/0 to AMS and back; BA2938/9 EDI and back). Many flights were heavily delayed.
List of inbound BA diversions from latest closure is in post 463
Incomplete list of inbound cancellations for Friday 21 December is here in post 298.
Current customer guidelines in this post 344 (you can rebook free of charge to 5 January and reroute via LHR/LCY). Try rebooking via the App if you can, otherwise you need to telephone BA.
Background
Gatwick Airport was closed at 21:03 on Wednesday 19 December following reports of drones flying over the airfield. Sightings have continued throughout Thursday 20 December requiring the airport to remain closed. Gatwick Airport advising all passengers to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport. Gatwick airport was further closed on Friday 21 December from 17:00 until 18:25 at which time normal operations resumed after suspected drone sightings.
Previous updates
Current list of cancelled and diverted services
Post 96 and Post 132 and Post 184
All LGW services operated on Friday with 2 exceptions (BA2758/0 to AMS and back; BA2938/9 EDI and back). Many flights were heavily delayed.
List of inbound BA diversions from latest closure is in post 463
Incomplete list of inbound cancellations for Friday 21 December is here in post 298.
Current customer guidelines in this post 344 (you can rebook free of charge to 5 January and reroute via LHR/LCY). Try rebooking via the App if you can, otherwise you need to telephone BA.
Background
Gatwick Airport was closed at 21:03 on Wednesday 19 December following reports of drones flying over the airfield. Sightings have continued throughout Thursday 20 December requiring the airport to remain closed. Gatwick Airport advising all passengers to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport. Gatwick airport was further closed on Friday 21 December from 17:00 until 18:25 at which time normal operations resumed after suspected drone sightings.
Previous updates
Current list of cancelled and diverted services
Post 96 and Post 132 and Post 184
LGW closed due to drone activity
Dec 21, 2018, 12:30 pm
#511
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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This continuing problem - albeit of short duration - is clearly unsatisfactory for all concerned, but for BA the impact isn't so bad since for some reason their schedule today was morning and lunchtime heavy. There are only a few more flights due to go out now:
They did manage to get JFK out however!
Arrivals is still not so good however, quite a lot of 2 - 4 hour delays on shorthaul due back in.
They did manage to get JFK out however!
Arrivals is still not so good however, quite a lot of 2 - 4 hour delays on shorthaul due back in.
Dec 21, 2018, 1:03 pm
#512
Join Date: Mar 2011
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Dec 21, 2018, 1:31 pm
#513
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This continuing problem - albeit of short duration - is clearly unsatisfactory for all concerned, but for BA the impact isn't so bad since for some reason their schedule today was morning and lunchtime heavy. There are only a few more flights due to go out now:
They did manage to get JFK out however!
Arrivals is still not so good however, quite a lot of 2 - 4 hour delays on shorthaul due back in.
They did manage to get JFK out however!
Arrivals is still not so good however, quite a lot of 2 - 4 hour delays on shorthaul due back in.
Fingers crossed the runway stays open for the foreseeable future.
M
Dec 21, 2018, 1:34 pm
#514
Join Date: Dec 2016
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You may not like the contingency plan (or at least the outcomes it led to), but that doesn't mean there wasn't one. Similarly we won't be seeing everything that is being done, that doesn't mean nothing is being done.
Similarly there's obviously a learning curve for anyone where something hasn't happened before. It's very easy to sit at a keyboard and tell people they're not doing enough and that the response was feeble, but much more difficult to deal with drones coming at unknown times and from unknown locations, at speed and difficult to detect or track. I think the authorities have done a pretty good job in fairly quickly bringing the situation under control. Yes, it's regrettable that travel has been disrupted, but that will be a secondary consideration after aircraft safety. I am sure lessons have been learned and that things could have been done better, but that is in the nature of disruptive events like this.
Dec 21, 2018, 1:38 pm
#515
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Since I've put that list up, all flights have now got away except the late EDI, AMS and JER, the latter now has a 22:15 timing.
Dec 21, 2018, 3:12 pm
#516
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Well, made it out only about 90 mins late. Very nice captain spoke for a little while before taxi, apparently they were inbound and due to be diverted to Stansted when LGW reopened, so quite lucky to get out at a reasonable time. Once again the bumblings of the “ba entity” being saved by excellent front line staff...
also got sent this on the drone defence being used at LGW:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/uk-arm...ondon-airport/
also got sent this on the drone defence being used at LGW:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/uk-arm...ondon-airport/
Dec 21, 2018, 3:21 pm
#518
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci.
Posts: 2,047
Love the way Aurigny have staying power; years of battling the fog in Guernsey
Last edited by allturnleft; Dec 21, 2018 at 3:27 pm
Dec 21, 2018, 3:27 pm
#519
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
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ATC audio and photos of Aeromexico drone strike last week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fts9u5ND24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fts9u5ND24
This is probably a stupid presumption on my part and a bit OT and I thought all pilots and ATC people are mandated to speak English, no matter where they are.
In any case I hope everybody’s holiday plans get sorted out quickly.
Dec 21, 2018, 4:03 pm
#520
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: BA exec, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 554
Really!
You keep pushing yourself as a defender of this mess
Shutting down the airport doesn’t = a continengency plan?.
you give authority more credence than due - ask them for their business continuity/emergency planning policy docs
This is and stands as a unmitigated mess. You don’t demonstrate any informed knowledge- pure subjective hyperbole on your part.
feeling so confident - why don’t you go for a walk about amongst those stranded at LGW and extole your views of UK plc handling of this ?
Last edited by Telecasterman; Dec 21, 2018 at 4:32 pm
Dec 21, 2018, 4:08 pm
#521
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I thought that too. I love that youtube channel and will often here the country's language when its a state/country airline.
Dec 21, 2018, 4:25 pm
#522
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
I think at large int'l stations like MEX where a lot of the traffic is in English sometimes they'll stay in English for the local flights to avoid switching all the time.
Dec 21, 2018, 4:28 pm
#523
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,016
Dec 21, 2018, 4:47 pm
#525
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,158
https://assets.publishing.service.go...sion-study.pdfUnfortunatly the risk of serious injury to pilots is now proven via testing conducted by the DfT, MAA and BALPA. The risk of delamination and penetration of the windscreen structure of commercial aircraft is a real and significant possibility. As for helicopters the situation is even worse still!
Conclusions
6.1 Unlike birdstrikes, the aviation industry is only beginning to understand the risks of drone collisions. This study has resulted in an increase in knowledge in this area.
6.2 It is clear from the results that helicopter windscreens could be critically damaged by collisions with a drone in several realistic scenarios. It has also been shown that helicopter tail rotors can also be severely damaged.
6.3 Whilst more resilient than helicopters, the modelling and testing in this study has shown that airliner windscreens could be critically damaged by mid-air collisions with 4 kilogram class quadcopter components, and 3.5 kilogram class fixed-wing drones with exposed metallic components at high, but realistic speeds. These impact speeds would usually be encountered when the aircraft is at higher altitudes, 10,000 feet or above, but aircraft do sometimes operate at these speeds at lower altitudes.
6.4 The testing has also shown that the construction of a drone can make a significant difference in the impact of a collision. Where the toughest and densest drone components were covered with a plastic casing, or did not hit the windscreen first, the impact of the collisions was lessened.
6.5 With regard to the comparison with the severity of a birdstrike, it was realised that drones can cause significantly more damage than a bird of equivalent mass at the same speed. This seems to be due to the hard metallic components present in drones and means that birdstrike certification cannot necessarily be used as a prediction of complete protection from drones.
6.1 Unlike birdstrikes, the aviation industry is only beginning to understand the risks of drone collisions. This study has resulted in an increase in knowledge in this area.
6.2 It is clear from the results that helicopter windscreens could be critically damaged by collisions with a drone in several realistic scenarios. It has also been shown that helicopter tail rotors can also be severely damaged.
6.3 Whilst more resilient than helicopters, the modelling and testing in this study has shown that airliner windscreens could be critically damaged by mid-air collisions with 4 kilogram class quadcopter components, and 3.5 kilogram class fixed-wing drones with exposed metallic components at high, but realistic speeds. These impact speeds would usually be encountered when the aircraft is at higher altitudes, 10,000 feet or above, but aircraft do sometimes operate at these speeds at lower altitudes.
6.4 The testing has also shown that the construction of a drone can make a significant difference in the impact of a collision. Where the toughest and densest drone components were covered with a plastic casing, or did not hit the windscreen first, the impact of the collisions was lessened.
6.5 With regard to the comparison with the severity of a birdstrike, it was realised that drones can cause significantly more damage than a bird of equivalent mass at the same speed. This seems to be due to the hard metallic components present in drones and means that birdstrike certification cannot necessarily be used as a prediction of complete protection from drones.
Last edited by Sigwx; Dec 21, 2018 at 4:53 pm
