Midwest to Train Pilots for Foggy Runways: Decision Follows Period Marked By Limited Visibility
By Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Jan. 13--One week ago, on a foggy Sunday in Milwaukee, Midwest Airlines was forced to delay flights at Mitchell International Airport because of limited visibility.
While those Midwest passengers were waiting, they might have noticed that jets operated by other airlines at Mitchell were landing and taking off.
That's the result of a decision by Midwest to forgo additional training and maintenance procedures that would have allowed the airline's pilots to land their jets despite reduced visibility. Pilots from other carriers serving Mitchell International, including Northwest Airlines and AirTran Airways, were able to use their advanced training to reduce the number of delays.
With additional training, pilots can land with 1,200 feet of visibility -- what the airlines call "category II" landings -- or 700 feet, known as "category III" landings, Reeve said.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/busine...gy_runways_decision_follows_period/index.html
By Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Jan. 13--One week ago, on a foggy Sunday in Milwaukee, Midwest Airlines was forced to delay flights at Mitchell International Airport because of limited visibility.
While those Midwest passengers were waiting, they might have noticed that jets operated by other airlines at Mitchell were landing and taking off.
That's the result of a decision by Midwest to forgo additional training and maintenance procedures that would have allowed the airline's pilots to land their jets despite reduced visibility. Pilots from other carriers serving Mitchell International, including Northwest Airlines and AirTran Airways, were able to use their advanced training to reduce the number of delays.
With additional training, pilots can land with 1,200 feet of visibility -- what the airlines call "category II" landings -- or 700 feet, known as "category III" landings, Reeve said.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/busine...gy_runways_decision_follows_period/index.html