Do flights ALWAYS get cancelled if there is fog or just sometimes?

Show all answers

sniik

Yes, it depends.

KNOWALL

It's not fog in the air, It's fog on the ground that causes them to cancel flights
If the control tower cannnot see the aircraft they will cancel the flight

brandy

No they are not always cancelled. It depends on the radar capability of the airport in question. Big airports can land planes and despatch them in fog because they have sophisticated radar and blind landing facilities. Never would planes be allowed to take off if there was any danger.

beanie

Yes, it depends on the visibility - the pilots need to be able to see the runway to land or take off.

jlentz0530

It depends on how much fog there is. They are not always cancelled. Just sometimes.

10-T3

NOT ALWAYS; BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY. IS WHAT HAPPENS . WHICH YOU AND WE ALL AGREE IS THE RIGHT WAY.

CarlisleGirl

No, not always. It depends on how low the clouds are and how high. If the visibility is bad throughout, then they will cancel, but if it is burning off, then they will open it up again.

Adele P

I work at an airport, and yeah its dependant more on visibility.

I work with cargo aircraft, high winds cause us more of a problem though.

LPnerd

it depends on how thick the soup is, and visibility. I think they need 3 miles of visibility to take off, and a little more to land. But its a visibility thing.

Mike R

It depends on how much fog

cherub

It depends on fog density at departure and arrival airport as well as on the routing. Some flights are delayed by it and others are cancelled while some can go according to schedule if fog isn't too bad.

Paul McDonald

I'd say it's much more closer to "never" than "always" ... fog isn't that big a deal with modern-day equipment.

black_dahlia

well, if it is a very bad weather condition, they will cancel the flights...better this option than crashing planes...

what do you think?

.com

it depends
how much fog there is
if you can see the lights al the way down the runway
if all radar is working properly
and about 200 other things

jade t

It depends on how much fog because it messes with the planes sensors..or that might just be what British Airways decides to tell people!!

Av8trxx

ALWAYS? No, not always.

The flight will be canceled if the current weather or weather forecast indicates that fog will bring conditions below MINIMUM LANDING CRITERIA for the instrument approach to that airport. Instrument approaches are necessary to land when the weather cloudy or poor.

Runways with INSTRUMENT APPROACHES, have a minimum visibility and altitude values associated with them to keep pilots from flying into the ground. The more advanced the approach equipment at the airport, the lower the visibility criteria. Read about what they are here- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrument_approach

Most major airports have approaches with a required visibility of 1/2 mile or a "RVR/runway visual range" of 1,800 feet (horizontal visibility down the concrete) and a "decision height" of 200 feet above the ground. Pilots can go no lower than this height without the runway or other specific lighting/markings in sight. Upon reaching the minimum altitude at a specified point on the approach, the pilot must go around without that visual contact.

For airline operations, visibility is the controlling factor. The weather can form a ceiling of 100 feet above the ground but if the visibility under it is at least 1/2 a mile, they are still legal to attempt the approach even if they are unlikely to get the runway in sight.

A select few have runways certified for what is called Catagory 3 or "CATiii" that allows equipped aircraft with specifically trained crews to use the autopilot for a zero visibility landing. Fog doesn't affect these kinds of operators but they are relatively few due to the cost invovled.

BTW, it doesn't "mess with the planes sensors" in any way as posted! That must be a BA joke on passengers.....

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: