Expect the unexpected

The unpredictability of a flying career

I I see on the news that fog has caused chaos at Sydney Airport with flights diverting hither and thither. I’m thankful it’s not me heading for a relatively unfamiliar airport after a long night at the helm, but equally I recognise it is par for the course. After all, aviation is a highly regulated and procedural business operating in an ever-varying environment.

The operational fallout in these situations is one of controlled chaos. The crewing department struggles to locate flight and cabin crew to replace the current crew whose duty times have just expired. New slot times need to be coordinated and sometimes the destination for the diverting aircraft isn’t even equipped with appropriate stairs or the like for an unfamiliar aircraft type. All the while, the passengers’ needs and customs requirements still need to be satisfied. All in all, the flightdeck is actually one of the calmer places to be.