Superb flying in adverse weather

Having recently retired after 40 years of airline piloting, including ten years at Bristol International, I have a few comments to offer the young lady who said she suffered a ‘near death’ experience on a recent flight from Bristol to Dublin.

Well she didn’t, that’s best left to Alton Towers! What she did experience was a flight in very adverse weather conditions which resulted in two ‘go-arounds’ conducted superbly by the crew operating the aircraft at the limits stated in the operations manual.

These limits are applied by the aircraft’s manufacturer and the airline that owns the aircraft.

Another limit applied by most airlines, including the four airlines I worked for, requires a diversion following two unsuccessful approaches that have resulted in ‘go-arounds.’ The pilots on Mollie Gardner’s flight were operating to the requirements of their operations manual.

My advice to air passengers is to pay close attention to the safety briefing given before each flight and in particular all after the words “if the cabin air supply should fail’’ and you would be surprised how important it is to comply with the instruction ‘’seat back upright, armrest down, tray table stowed and window blind open’’!

I recommend Mollie takes a copy of the poem ‘High Flight’ by John Magee on her next flight which starts thus;

“Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter silvered wings.” Colin Starkey Combe Down