BS: who has flown near a hurricane?

Subject: BS: who has flown near a hurricane?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 16 Sep 03 - 10:08 AM

On Thursday I am going to France, leaving the US from Philadelphia. As a midwesterner, I am not familiar with hurricanes. It is my impression that they hit the South with terrific force, then turn into incessant rain as they go north.

At present, it looks like we will be in the air long before the storm is a problem that far north.

However, my curiousity is aroused. What do airlines do when a hurricane is "weeping itself to death" on the northern East Coast? Fly over it? Re-route people? Is there turbulance? I would like to hear people's experiences.

Subject: RE: BS: who has flown near a hurricane?
From: Bill D
Date: 16 Sep 03 - 11:26 AM

if their planes are in the path, airlines move them until it passes! Planes can be moved quickly, and they can be back as soon as it's safe...but flights out of OR into endandered places will likely be cancelled. It 'does' look like flights out of Philadelphia will go ok thru Thursday evening, as the real strom will be south of there...but winds are tricky things.

Subject: RE: BS: who has flown near a hurricane?
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Sep 03 - 11:42 AM

I have a friend who is a pilot, who regularly flew INTO hurricanes to do weather research. Worked that gig for about five years, and loved it.

Subject: RE: BS: who has flown near a hurricane?
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 17 Sep 03 - 03:16 AM

Back in the early nineties, I used to be fairly casual about the seat belts---till the day the oil tanker was wrecked on Shetland shores ["Braer"?]. That just happened to be the day I was flying Prestwick to Toronto en route to Vancouver. For some reason, the flight path leads almost due north for the first part of the journey [still does, in most cases], and when we approached the Shetland area things got more than a wee bit rough! That was my most telling lesson regarding the benefit of seat-belts, I can assure you! [ Captain's comment on intercom--"She doesn't do this very often!"] Not as vicious as hitting the jetstream of another plane though-----

Subject: RE: BS: who has flown near a hurricane?
From: nutty
Date: 17 Sep 03 - 04:12 PM

I had a very bumpy ride some years ago flying from Sydney, Australia to Narita Airport in Japan.
Ignorance proved to be useful and I was not in the least concerned when a stewardess told me that we were flying on the edge of a typhoon.
It was only after I arrived back in England that I discovered that an Eastern Hemisphere typhoon is really a hurricane ....... if I'd known at the time I would have been seriously worried.

Subject: RE: BS: who has flown near a hurricane?
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Sep 03 - 08:55 PM

Well, danged! Ain't nuthin' else happenin' so I reckon since Bush ain't taken' me up on my challenge to land on a carrier deck, might as well fly a danged Cesna out off the coast thru the hurricane and land on one of them carriers they moved out there. Then Bush will have to accept my challenge. Whaddayathink?

Shoot, if I get the right head winds the Cesna will land just like a helicopeter. Man, Bush would have a tough time toppin' that...

Don't worry about nuthin', leeneia. Them airliners can fly way over these hurricanes, which like to hunker down right close to ground so they can find them trailer parks....

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: who has flown near a hurricane?
From: Amos
Date: 17 Sep 03 - 09:38 PM

Inexperienced passenger: "Do these planes crash very often?"
Veteran passenger: "Usually only once, ma'am."


A

Subject: RE: BS: who has flown near a hurricane?
From: artbrooks
Date: 17 Sep 03 - 10:31 PM

I walked through the middle of a typhoon once...DC is closing down Thursday, and Philly isn't all that far away. Call your airline now and once again just before your flight.

Subject: RE: BS: who has flown near a hurricane?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 06:11 AM

Thanks, Bobert. Thanks, artbrooks. Chatting is nice, but it's good also to hear from someone who addresses another person's concerns.

Subject: RE: BS: who has flown near a hurricane?
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 12:57 PM

the strongest winds are expected along the coast in a widening band from N. Carolina right 'toward' Philly,though Philly will not see the worst of them, as it is at the far end... but how soon they arrive and when airlines will shut down is local matter.