Breaking News: SYD airport shut down until further notice

[JohnK]

I am sitting in the QP waiting to board QF575 to Perth when an announcement was just made. The staff on the tarmac have walked off the job due to possible electrical activity about from the storm warning. I can understand them being concerned as I would not want to be anywhere near an aircraft with lightning around. They will make an announcement again when boarding flights will resume.

I think I will be OK as I have a 4 hour transit in PER but I think some people are not going to make their meetings or further connections this morning.

 

[serfty]

Looks like the flights have started to depart SYD again.

Generally between 15 and 50 minutes late ...

 

[serfty]

More info:

Message at 08:10 - 

qf575 delayed depart ex syd due syd storms   

tarmac closed 0747hrs

etdn 0900hrs   ats

 

[d15.in.oz]

I am in the city, close enough to the airport...and another front has just started to pass overhead. The thunder noises have been LOUD over night, even for Sydney!

 

[serfty]

The storm seems stuck around the centerpoint tower ... 128 km Sydney Radar Loop

QF575 is showing departed 8:55, 10 minutes late.

 

[d15.in.oz]

All cleared up, beautiful day now...and many planes now zooming past!

 

[JohnK]

In total the tarmac was closed for around 1/2 hour.

QF575 was actually late waiting for a rogue passenger! Got in to Perth on time but that is another story.

 

[NM]

Its interesting how an electrical storm is such a dangerous activity in Sydney and many places in the USA (had the same thing at DFW several times). Yet in KUL the daily thunder storm is not a dangerous event at all.

Tuesday evening I was able to enjoy the sights and sounds of a typical tropical storm, complete with ground-striking lightning in very close proximity to the airport, while the engineers replaces the bulb in one of the underside beacon strobes on our aircraft. Once that replacement was tested we were pushed back, taxied and took-off into the dark clouds.

Perhaps the Malaysian ground staff are less conductive than Australian ground staff and hence not in any danger of lightning strikes? Or is it just that labour is cheaper in KL and so the cost of replacing fried ground staff is less than the cost of delayed flights?

 

[Shano]

Perhaps the Malaysian ground staff are less conductive than Australian ground staff and hence not in any danger of lightning strikes? Or is it just that labour is cheaper in KL and so the cost of replacing fried ground staff is less than the cost of delayed flights?

You might be onto something - higher beer consumption of Australian ground staff -> higher concentration of electrolytes in blood stream -> higher electrical conductivity -> more easily fried

 

[NM]

You might be onto something - higher beer consumption of Australian ground staff -> higher concentration of electrolytes in blood stream -> higher electrical conductivity -> more easily fried

Or maybe for the Malaysian staff, its more a case of "more easily fired"?

 

[Maca44]

I think it was Golf Professional Lee Trevino who said that when in an electrical storm hold a 2 iron in the air because even god can't hit a 2 iron.

 

[QF WP]

Almost, but not quite - he was talking about a 1 Iron

 

[Maca44]

Almost, but not quite - he was talking about a 1 Iron

I was only one number off, and I think his comment is correct which is why a lot of players have gone to a rescue club.

 

[oz_mark]

I am sitting in the QP waiting to board QF575 to Perth when an announcement was just made. The staff on the tarmac have walked off the job due to possible electrical activity about from the storm warning. I can understand them being concerned as I would not want to be anywhere near an aircraft with lightning around. They will make an announcement again when boarding flights will resume.

I've lost count of the number of times I have been sat at a closed Sydney Airport. Melbourne outdid it recently, when the airfield closed twice while I was waiting for my flight

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Its interesting how an electrical storm is such a dangerous activity in Sydney and many places in the USA (had the same thing at DFW several times). Yet in KUL the daily thunder storm is not a dangerous event at all.

Tuesday evening I was able to enjoy the sights and sounds of a typical tropical storm, complete with ground-striking lightning in very close proximity to the airport, while the engineers replaces the bulb in one of the underside beacon strobes on our aircraft. Once that replacement was tested we were pushed back, taxied and took-off into the dark clouds.

Perhaps the Malaysian ground staff are less conductive than Australian ground staff and hence not in any danger of lightning strikes? Or is it just that labour is cheaper in KL and so the cost of replacing fried ground staff is less than the cost of delayed flights?

Ditto for SIN.