Squall line approaching on taxi out

[ljg]

Hi all,
I was the relieving local controller that evening at ROA and the one that took the pix. It was a very strange weather situation, one that made the controllers run to roll up their windows and move their motorcycles to safety. It looked like armageddon out the window and on the radar scope, but we got nothing but a few raindrops and a little wind.

I posted another photo here http://www.flickr.com/photos/10966049@N04/2574620328/

that shows the other CRJ waiting and I've got plenty more if anyone wants to see. The CHQ dude did the smart thing and departed to the Northeast. I apologize for the previous controller, he's newly checked out and.....well

Those photos on flickr are awesome. Thank you for sharing.

 

[TheAlchemist]

Hi all,
I was the relieving local controller that evening at ROA and the one that took the pix. It was a very strange weather situation, one that made the controllers run to roll up their windows and move their motorcycles to safety. It looked like armageddon out the window and on the radar scope, but we got nothing but a few raindrops and a little wind.

I posted another photo here http://www.flickr.com/photos/10966049@N04/2574620328/

that shows the other CRJ waiting and I've got plenty more if anyone wants to see. The CHQ dude did the smart thing and departed to the Northeast. I apologize for the previous controller, he's newly checked out and.....well

Awesome pictures! Thanks

 

[sargeanb]

Hi all,
I was the relieving local controller that evening at ROA and the one that took the pix. It was a very strange weather situation, one that made the controllers run to roll up their windows and move their motorcycles to safety. It looked like armageddon out the window and on the radar scope, but we got nothing but a few raindrops and a little wind.

I posted another photo here http://www.flickr.com/photos/10966049@N04/2574620328/

that shows the other CRJ waiting and I've got plenty more if anyone wants to see. The CHQ dude did the smart thing and departed to the Northeast. I apologize for the previous controller, he's newly checked out and.....well

Hey kflyin....guess we were both there that day Nice job. BTW, nice Harrier pics, were those taken just yesterday? I was there yet again, and watched them from my hotel room. So here's what we decided: The Capt originally had the idea to get out of dodge ASAP, before the wx moved in, which by what dispatch told us, looked like the best plan, as there were actually a couple lines of T storms, which we thought would make for a bad situation on the field for a few hours. As we taxied to the end of the runway, the capt asked me "are you comfortable with this?" About the same time, the wind picked up dramatically. I told him no I'd rather wait and get an update. We both agreed, so we shut one down (did I mention the APU was inop??), and the wind picked up to the point that it was shaking the airplane. I volunteered to tell the pax what the situation was (I figured it would be good practice) and the capt said go for it, so I did. At the same time, he was on the phone with dispatch, when they told him that there was yet another line of storms to the west, but if "tower says it looks good, then go." An executive EMB 120 taxied out then, and took the opposite runway, as the winds were favoring it at that point. Both ourselves and the other regional crew watched them take off, and they got bounced around pretty good. We waited a few more minutes. Despite the ominous clouds, by this point the wind had died down significantly, and we agreed it was time to go. We fired up the other engine and headed to the opposite runway, and got behind the other RJ, who's crew had the same idea. After waiting a total of about an hour on the ground, we took off heading northeast, parallelling the next line of storms, then turned west, showed nothing but mostly green on the radar, and blasted through the second line of precip with very little turbulence to speak of. The rest of the flight was uneventful. I'm finding a very similar pattern to this little adventure every day I work as of late

 

[ProudPilot]

This is why I want an iPhone.

Someone SO beat you to it! http://www.planebuzz.com/2007/11/we_knew_this_was_going_to_happ.html

"Oh joy! I can't wait for the next ground delay or long taxi due to weather somewhere to get a smart ass with a freakin I-phone shoving it in my face saying "It's NOT raining there... SEE !" Too late ... already happened to me. We push back, get advised of a ground stop in MEM due to storms in the area. Go to the penalty box and wait. My Captain does the lecture over the PA... not one minute later, we get dinged from the F/A "Some guy with an IPhone says the weather is good, and wants to know what the real reason is for the delay. Is something wrong with the plane?"

I want to tell this clown what he can do with his IdiotPhone - but the Captain does it even better. He gets on the PA and makes the following announcement :

"If the passenger with the IPhone would be kind enough to use it to check the weather at our alternate, calculate our fuel burn due to being rerouted around the storms, call the dispatcher to arrange our release, and then make a phone call to the nearest Air Traffic Control center to arrange our timely departure amongst the other aircraft carrying passengers with IPhones, then we will be more than happy to depart. Please ring your call button to advise the Flight Attendant and your fellow passengers when you deem it ready and responsible for this multi-million dollar aircraft and its passengers to safely leave."

Needless to say, the pax was pretty embarrassed. The F/A later told us the rest of the plane was outright laughing at this dude. What a clown."

 

[Pistolpak1]

My Captain does the lecture over the PA... not one minute later, we get dinged from the F/A "Some guy with an IPhone says the weather is good, and wants to know what the real reason is for the delay. Is something wrong with the plane?"

I want to tell this clown what he can do with his IdiotPhone - but the Captain does it even better. He gets on the PA and makes the following announcement :


Needless to say, the pax was pretty embarrassed. The F/A later told us the rest of the plane was outright laughing at this dude. What a clown."

This is a great way to put those passengers back in the pax seats and get them out of the cockpit. Good for the Capt. But why did the F/A even bother the crew with something that stupid from the pax? I dont fly with F/A's anymore so I forget if there is a certain protocol. Heres a thought. Aren't PED ( personal Eletronic Devices) suppose to be off? The Iphone is a PED and so why was it turned on?

 

[N519AT]

This is a great way to put those passengers back in the pax seats and get them out of the cockpit. Good for the Capt. But why did the F/A even bother the crew with something that stupid from the pax? I dont fly with F/A's anymore so I forget if there is a certain protocol. Heres a thought. Aren't PED ( personal Eletronic Devices) suppose to be off? The Iphone is a PED and so why was it turned on?

I believe when you go to the pen and shut the engines down, the pax are allowed to use PEDs.