Kameraden,

Flew from Toronto (YYZ) to Ottawa (YOW) today, arrived to a brutal winter storm and it was below Air Canada minimums. So we flew around for awhile and it did not improve, flew back to YYZ from YOW which was the alternate.

Landed back in YYZ and they handed us boarding passes for a 787-9 flying back to Ottawa. Got back on the plane, flew back and the sun was out.

I've had canceled flights before, but never had unable to land due to weather.

Plus side was I got to fly back and forth most of the day on one ticket.

S!

Sorry to hear that you got sent back to Toronto.  That weather must have been crazy.

3 hours ago, Lipfert said:

Plus side was I got to fly back and forth most of the day on one ticket.

The real question... did they give you comp drinks? 🤪

Well I hope you managed to enjoy it even if it wasn't an optimal experience.

It's really interesting that you mention this phenomenon right as I've learned how/why it happenes and am now responsible for having caused it myself.

I'm in my 2nd week of OJT and have planned several flights this week in the south central US where I threw the departure Airport on as the WX Alternate due to a massive stationary front that was covering eastern Texas up to the Great Lakes near Rochester NY from the 21st-24th. Some diverted to more standard alts but others required some creative problem solving with the flight plan if the WX all along the flight path to the Dest was shitty but the Departure was actually above Alternate Minimums. .

notably there were:

3x Pilots going MAP at TYS and diverting to  GSC nearby
1x Canceled IAD -> BRO today where the WX was just never going to improve
1 or 2 each of IAH -> BTR/AEX/LCH all diverting right back to the Departure
And a nasty IAH -> SAF flight where I had to amend the flight release in the air to throw a destination alternate on due to an Amended TAF only to remove it en-route due to improvement again. 


It's not impossible to have happen but conditions have to come in a very specific way. And/or the Dispatcher + PIC basically have to plan the flight that way for them "Go take a look" at the destination before intentionally coming back to the departure because they knew it would look bad but were pressured into doing it from higher up the chain, or prayed for a weather improvement that never came to fruition. 
 

5 hours ago, Klaiber said:

Sorry to hear that you got sent back to Toronto.  That weather must have been crazy.

Total soup, couldn't see anything outside.

S!

5 hours ago, Vonrd said:

The real question... did they give you comp drinks? 🤪

Sadly no, but the rum flowed when I arrived finally.

S!

A few years ago while trying to get home from Costa Rica I had a flight that was delayed for 12 hours due to 'volcanic ash'.   While on the flight I happened to talk to an attendant who explained what actually happened.

It seems the evening before the plane was in Miami destined for San Jose, Costa Rica.   It was to spend the night there and be available for the flight back to the US in the morning.    When the flight was approaching San Jose they were told they couldn't land due to volcanic ash and told to divert to Liberia airport (smaller, but still able to handle passenger jets) about two hours away.   They landed at LIberia where they were told they could not deplane because there were no immigration agents at Liberia to receive the passengers from the US.   They spent two hours on the tarmac and were ultimately told that they were denied entry into Costa Rica.   The plane, with all passengers still on board,  returned to Miami.

2 hours ago, Jaus said:

A few years ago while trying to get home from Costa Rica I had a flight that was delayed for 12 hours due to 'volcanic ash'.   While on the flight I happened to talk to an attendant who explained what actually happened.

I was stuck in Germany for 5 days due to volcanic ash.  Unfortunately for me, I had to report every morning to find out it was cancelled or I would have had a much more enjoyable time

Having to report for a flight that's surely canceled sounds no fun. Hopefully they gave you some free food at once of the nicer terminal resurants.