Pax offloaded from Dash 8 due to weight and balance

[Mattg]

This is a new one for me after many Dash 8 flights between CBR and SYD.

I’m currently on QF1450, a fully booked Q400 and we’re delayed because the plane is too heavy. The captain explained that with the weather conditions the way they are currently, they can’t take off here in Canberra with a full payload.

They started first by removing bags, and then that wasn’t enough so they offloaded around 11 people. Now they’re moving passengers within the aircraft to different seats. The scheduled departure time was 45 minutes ago.

 

[AuSammy]

This is a new one for me after many Dash 8 flights between CBR and SYD.

I’m currently on QF1450, a fully booked Q400 and we’re delayed because the plane is too heavy. The captain explained that with the weather conditions the way they are currently, they can’t take off here in Canberra with a full payload.

They started first by removing bags, and then that wasn’t enough so they offloaded around 11 people. Now they’re moving passengers within the aircraft to different seats. The scheduled departure time was 45 minutes ago.

Unfortunate for the passengers but kudos to the captain assessing the situation and assuring/insisting the flight Is safe to takeoff and land under the weather conditions

 

[offshore171]

Pie in the sky, but this would be a great route for high speed rail

The scheduled departure time was 45 minutes ago.

A TGV would be almost at central station in Sydney in that time.

Yes a pipe dream.

 

[SYD]

This is a new one for me after many Dash 8 flights between CBR and SYD.

I’m currently on QF1450, a fully booked Q400 and we’re delayed because the plane is too heavy. The captain explained that with the weather conditions the way they are currently, they can’t take off here in Canberra with a full payload.

They started first by removing bags, and then that wasn’t enough so they offloaded around 11 people. Now they’re moving passengers within the aircraft to different seats. The scheduled departure time was 45 minutes ago.

I hope it wasn’t like a school footy team selection. The fuller figured PAX left behind!

 

[justinbrett]

I hope it wasn’t like a school footy team selection. The fuller figured PAX left behind!

They use average weights not actual so no.

They’re not operating at the margins so that it would become an issue - but certainly for smaller planes which is why most of them weigh on check in.

 

[SYD]

They use average weights not actual so no.

That was a joke.

They’re not operating at the margins so that it would become an issue - but certainly for smaller planes which is why most of them weigh on check in.

But to be far, there is / was a “Storm” wind warning issued by BOM!

 

[Melburnian1]

Pie in the sky, but this would be a great route for high speed rail



A TGV would be almost at central station in Sydney in that time.

Yes a pipe dream.

Only a "pipe dream" in Australia. One might well ask how other nations such as Spain can build huge high speed rail networks when we cannot - not yet.

But we do have a High Speed Rail Authority, funded initially with $500 million.

 

[justinbrett]

One might well ask how other nations such as Spain can build huge high speed rail networks when we cannot - not yet.

Crippling national debt and EU grants at the expense of richer countries like Germany (who ironically have a notoriously unreliable train network)?

Also Spain has double the population of Australia and 1/16th of the area?

 

[Saab34]

I assume our airlines are not as generous as other nations with compo when bumping people to the next available?

 

[Himeno]

Only a "pipe dream" in Australia. One might well ask how other nations such as Spain can build huge high speed rail networks when we cannot - not yet.

But we do have a High Speed Rail Authority, funded initially with $500 million.

Need to contract JR to build an east coast shinkansen line.

 

[PERLHR]

Crippling national debt and EU grants at the expense of richer countries like Germany (who ironically have a notoriously unreliable train network)?

Also Spain has double the population of Australia and 1/16th of the area?

Spain's fast rail network started in 1992 and has continued expanding. Yes it's expensive, however in European terms for fast rail travel it's actually cheap. It's politically supported and like most things, if there is a will there is a way....something Australia perhaps lacks.
Partly EU funding well yes ..but that's also what the EU is all about. Many other countries benefit more from EU funding than Spain. It's a great network and works well.

 

[justinbrett]

Spain's fast rail network started in 1992 and has continued expanding. Yes it's expensive, however in European terms for fast rail travel it's actually cheap. It's politically supported

A lot easier with double the population an 1/16th of the area

if there is a will there is a way....something Australia perhaps lacks.

Also population density. No actually, just population density.

Partly EU funding well yes ..but that's also what the EU is all about. Many other countries benefit more from EU funding than Spain. It's a great network and works well.

And poor old Germany that’s funding it all gets left with coughty DB!

 

[dajop]

A lot easier with double the population an 1/16th of the area



Also population density. No actually, just population density.

Although to be fair no one is talking, or as ever seriously talked about a HSR network covering the whole of Australia. The more realistic of the pipedreams seem to cover Newcastle-Geelong axis, which takes in about 1/4 the population of Spain and about 1/3 the area.

The problem isn't just one of density though, more of economics, travel time and efficiency. IIRC the optimal distances for HSR is 150km-750km. MEL-SYD some 150km more than this, makes it problematic and plane travel quicker door to door and arguably more efficient.

Europe is often held up as as an example of HSR, fine within Spain, France and Italy, but crossing borders it is a fustercluck. Japan has the density and distances and China the population and money to make it work. Australia, not so much.

 

[serfty]

[Moderator hat]

While initially it was slightly relevant, continued discussion on high speed rail etc. is off topic for this thread. Please desist.
​

[/Moderator hat]

 

[Mattg]

Unfortunate for the passengers but kudos to the captain assessing the situation and assuring/insisting the flight Is safe to takeoff and land under the weather conditions

Absolutely. I have nothing but praise for the way the flight crew handled the situation.

Turns out the reason we needed to offload weight was so that we could take on extra fuel, which we needed as we indeed got put into a holding pattern. That was probably one of the worst flights I have ever taken as far as turbulence goes, it was like sitting in a washing machine. The lady in front of me needed the sick bag, and I was physically sweating and shaking when we landed. At least I'm in Sydney - now to wait for my bag to arrive on a later flight.

 

[Human]

Had a similar experience just a few days ago — all luggage offloaded, partly due to weather conditions.

On a somewhat larger plane and longer flight, though!

Post in thread '‘Scripts, Skeletons & Scriptures: Writing About Writing in Yorkshire.'

Monday at 2:19 AM

Stop the presses. I’m renaming this chapter…

Chapter 6: A Perfect Storm.

At 11am another announcement came through: “Passengers travelling on Cathay Pacific flight CX216 to Hong Kong, please meet at reception”.

It turns out that we were bring chucked out of the Lounge. The airline had only paid for us to be there until 11am, given the scheduled 11:10am departure. Probably fair enough, I suppose. I have no problem with airlines trying to keep costs down … I suppose?

We were taken to here.


Soon another announcement came through from the CX representative who was with...

• Human

• 

 

[kookaburra75]

Absolutely. I have nothing but praise for the way the flight crew handled the situation.

Turns out the reason we needed to offload weight was so that we could take on extra fuel, which we needed as we indeed got put into a holding pattern. That was probably one of the worst flights I have ever taken as far as turbulence goes, it was like sitting in a washing machine. The lady in front of me needed the sick bag, and I was physically sweating and shaking when we landed. At least I'm in Sydney - now to wait for my bag to arrive on a later flight.

Listening to the wind today at home in Canberra I was thinking I would hate to flying into Sydney, especially in a Dash 8. And you've just demonstrated why that was a bad idea.

PS. The real money to be made on high speed rail in Australia is freight, passengers are just a nuisance.

 

[Franky]

Pie in the sky, but this would be a great route for high speed rail



A TGV would be almost at central station in Sydney in that time.

Yes a pipe dream.

As long as those in CBR and SYD pay for it….

 

[jbda2017]

The virgin/link Saab’s on the Syd-cbr are real shockers when there’s weather en route. Normally QF are pretty good with rescheduling people out of cbr on thursdays. There’s like flights every 20 mins between 520 and 7pm

 

[Mattg]

The virgin/link Saab’s on the Syd-cbr are real shockers when there’s weather en route. Normally QF are pretty good with rescheduling people out of cbr on thursdays. There’s like flights every 20 mins between 520 and 7pm

I was sitting on the Dash 8 feeling lucky I wasn't in a Saab!

I've had bad turbulence before, but what was different about this was it was just relentless. It didn't really stop until we were on the ground.