Is the weather at OOL airport that bad?

[JohnK]

I notice that most if not all of Virgin flights are cancelled today.

It would appear that JQ, QF, TT, AK are still operating.

Are Virgin being ultra-cautious? I am starting to worry about getting back to Brisbane tomorrow afternoon as my flight is SYD-OOL.

 

[Jousams]

In northern NSW it has been nowhere near as bad as predicted. (Yet)
Can't really speak for OOL.

 

[gwilli1]

I have just noticed that also . Whilst I'm no expert on weather & the intricacies of landing in OOL . It would appear that they may have jumped the gun and cancelled flights a little bit early . It appears that they cancelled flights for today around 5-6pm last night if you go by their notification on Facebook .

As for tomorrow, the worst of the weather is suppose to be in the Sydney area , therefore i could see delays & the odd cancellation .

I notice that most if not all of Virgin flights are cancelled today.

It would appear that JQ, QF, TT, AK are still operating.

Are Virgin being ultra-cautious? I am starting to worry about getting back to Brisbane tomorrow afternoon as my flight is SYD-OOL.

 

[markis10]

As for tomorrow, the worst of the weather is suppose to be in the Sydney area , therefore i could see delays & the odd cancellation .

The ex cyclone will be sitting on the border at 11 AM tomorrow, so I doubt Sydney will be the worst place to be. Wind is picking up on the coast, with it coming from the east I would suggest VA have done a very good thing, as Police are saying you should not even be on the roads and their early move gives people a chance to make alternate arrangements.

 

[markis10]

If you don't mind landing in 38 knots of crosswind with some downwind on a wet runway be my guest:

ATIS YBCG J 270357
APCH: EXP INSTRUMENT APCH
RWY: 14
SFC COND: WET
+ WIND: 040/25-38 KTS..MAX XW 38 KTS..OCNL MAX DW 3KTS
+ VIS: REDUCING TO 2500M IN RA
+ CLD: FEW005 SCT007 OVC ABV
TMP: 24
QNH: 1004
SIGWX: SEV TURB FCST BLW 5000 FEET

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm about 20km NNW from OOL and visibility is poor and winds are gusty. Not impossible but they've said it's getting worse by 6pm so perhaps erring on the side of caution? I do know that I've discovered a leak in my roof!

 

[N860CR]

Jetstar have a much better shot of landing at the Gold Coast than Virgin. Jetstar use an RNP approach at OOL which gets them much lower than the approach Virgin have to use. Not sure about Tiger or Air Asia.

It's certainly pretty bad here at BNE but we're getting in and out ok.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Here's the warning issued just over 1 1/2 hrs ago.

UPDATED Storm Force Wind Warning
Double Island Point to Point Danger, including Moreton Bay
E to NE winds 40 to 45 knots, increasing to 45 to 50 knots south of Noosa Sunday
afternoon. Scattered squalls to 75 knots.


We're certainly getting the scattered squalls but not to 75 knots. If I were to guess right now I'd suggest gusting to 30 - 35 knots at my place.

 

[markis10]

Jetstar have a much better shot of landing at the Gold Coast than Virgin. Jetstar use an RNP approach at OOL which gets them much lower than the approach Virgin have to use. Not sure about Tiger or Air Asia.

It's certainly pretty bad here at BNE but we're getting in and out ok.

RNP wont be of much use at OOL if you cannot handle 35 knots of crosswind, which they cant, thanks to an easterly wind across a north/south runway.

Not much better in BNE


ATIS YBBN W 270412 APCH: EXP INSTRUMENT APCH RWY: 01 SFC COND: RWY WET + OPR INFO: HIAL ON. TWY BRAVO BETWEEN B6 AND B7 NOT AVBL. STANDING WATER ON THE APRONS WIND: 020-080/25 G35KTS XW MAX 30KTS WIND REPORTED AT 500FT, 085/50KTS VIS: REDUCING TO 2000M IN RA CLD: SCT008, BKN012 TMP: 24 QNH: 999 SIGWX: SEV TURB FCST B050. WIND SHEAR WARNING. B737 REPORTED SEVERE UNDERSHOOT WINDSHEAR AT 50 FEET ON FINAL RWY 01 AT TIME 0242

 

[N860CR]

A few of the JQ's seem to be getting in ok. Wind seems to be all over the place a bit (as it is here in BNE) so it's just being in the right place at the right time.

We're managing in BNE ok. No dramas about 2 hours ago (other than some fairly unpleasant wind shear), does seem to have gotten a touch worse so we'll see how the next go!

 

[MarkD]

Would rather they not try to make it in, than try and make it, then crash. Personally, would rather my feet firmly on the ground in this cough.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Would rather they not try to make it in,

Me too. I'm happily indoors and on the ground although I just heard our illustrious Premier give some warning about the Nerang River. My property boundary is the Nerang River so I guess we'll see how good the flood mitigation dam wall raising goes.

BTW, in last hour it has definitely got worse.

 

[markis10]

Tiger is on descent, should be interesting.

 

[JohnK]

Hmmm. I don't want to risk it either but need to be at work Tuesday morning.

Would BNE be a better alternative for tomorrow? Cannot afford to defer travel as I have a return from OOL again next Friday.

 

[markis10]

Hmmm. I don't want to risk it either but need to be at work Tuesday morning.

Would BNE be a better alternative for tomorrow? Cannot afford to defer travel as I have a return from OOL again next Friday.

Short answer, rebook to Brisbane ASAP, its the better alternative right now, and I suspect VA will cancel more flights soon for tomorrow, when that happens options will diminish quickly.

 

[KCMil]

They are also resourcing additional crew to op extra flights at short notice. A mate locally was meant to go to OOL today, as he said to me it was better to know his flt was CXL than just "delayed" or similar and spend a day sitting around the airport to potentially have the flt CXL anyway! Or worse with a bad landing...

 

[pippy]

We are currently on the 24th floor of an apartment building in Surfers looking straight down Cavil Ave to the Ocean. We are on a status run/weekend getaway. I can tell you that I would not want to be getting on a plane right now. It has defiantly got much worse in the last hour or so. An emergency announcement through in room speakers has requested everyone to stay in the building.

We are due to fly home Qantas tomorrow but I was very curious how Qantas and JS have continued to fly while virgin have cancelled all of theirs.

 

[Travelqueen]

Im on a weekend away also, and currently on 32nd floor at the oracle in broadbeach. We are facing south, but the wind has definitely picked up over last hour.
im due to fly out to Melbourne via Sydney from coolangatta on tuesday......hope the wind has settled by then.
However, the reports are that the weather will get worse before it gets better.

TQ

 

[JohnK]

Short answer, rebook to Brisbane ASAP, its the better alternative right now, and I suspect VA will cancel more flights soon for tomorrow, when that happens options will diminish quickly.

They will not re-book without additional cost if not a flexible airfare.

I am in the SYD VA Lounge now and apparently flights to OOL today have not been cancelled but have gone to BNE instead with passengers. I cannot see them on Flightstats but they are on the departures board as VA9841, VA9837, VA9843.

More than likely the same thing will happen tomorrow if weather has not improved.

 

[Jousams]

This just come up in my Facebook newsfeed, apparently off Tweed Heads.
Certainly glad I'm not flying today.