Not true, she said that when he called, she wasn't at a computer but CRP was VFR at last check. Our dispatchers don't just sit in an office, they have other duties and she wasn't able to give him a weather briefing. That is why he called FSS.
CRP might have been VMC but it was enroute wether which was the problem. As it sounds, you think we just sit up here in "our tower" and watch the planes on the screen. Any one who has been to BUR during the night operation knows we are out on the ramp with everbody else.
And why did he call BUR and not DFW? The flight was not under BUR's control. The fact is the pilot was not experienced and he was looking for someone with the same inexperience to tell him what he wanted to hear. The route I advised him to take, would have only added 5 minutes to the flight and did not require him to take on more fuel than standard. If he needed more fuel, then he had less than standard fuel on the aircraf and that needs to be addressed.
BTW, he ended up flying the exact route DFW advised him to take, and he did not take on extra fuel.
OK under our operations manual, It has Tropical Depression under Severe Weather, Why I do not know. Anyways it states: "Alert
BUR Dispatch when Potential weather conditions are developing.
If communications with BUR are interrupted, the local station manager is authorized to take whatever steps are necessary"
As for the Inexperience, Someone with 20yrs here, said its a no go. He may have flew the route DFW advised him to take but if i remember correctly he departed some hour & a half later, it was about 0700-0730 our time.
DFW asked him why he wasn't leaving because no one called and told DFW he had delayed the flight. DFW, per DHL's request, then called back later and asked if he would consider departing north and fly around the edge of the weather. Keep in mind, the weather had only gotten closer and it was still safe to depart
DFW was notified, I personaly did not do it, but heard she was, DHL was also notified by us. The reason DFW had a heart attack about it was, the base manager was not there yet, and got upset about it. Per DHL request at the time it would be fine to wait it out, rather than go out around it.
Actually, you don't know the whole story, you only know what you where told and your characterization of what happened is inaccurate. Next time you want to air what you think is dirty laundry, get your facts straight.
The fact is, the pilot was asked to fly with in all AMF guidelines and not once was he asked to do anything unsafe. He didn't want to depart because he could see lightning. Well, I have news for you, in Texas, if it is dark and there is lightning, you can see it for 50 to 100 miles.
Actually I DO, I got the intinal call from the pilot, I stayed from the first call untill he departed. So I was here, I did not here the story from another DX, or another pilot.
That may be the fact that you can see Lightning 50-100 miles away. The point is, the pilot did not want to depart, weather other pilots would do it or not is Irrivliant. There are some pilots here would would fly through a hurrican. I can give my opnion, tips and facts, but the pilot has the final say, not us, not mangment, not FSS.
