weather fail
So, the flight from SFO to ATL started early enough, with the 0300 alarm so we could catch the 0330 airport shuttle because the 0400 airport shuttle had filled up before we checked in... No big deal, but the Delta self-service kiosks don't wake up that early:
As we approached Atlanta, the weather started looking more and more convective:
Thunderstorms over the the field closed down ATL, so we spent about an hour in two minute leg holding patterns, descending from about cruising altitude to 16,000' in the second one:
Eventually, we got low enough on gas to divert to Nashville for fuel:
Luckily, a departure slot opened up after about 45 minutes on the ground at Nashville and we made it in to Atlanta. Subsequent fall-out only delayed my 1651 flight home until 2025, and all was well. I can't complain - in five days of Mountain backpacking the clouds only came out on the last day!
As we approached Atlanta, the weather started looking more and more convective:
Thunderstorms over the the field closed down ATL, so we spent about an hour in two minute leg holding patterns, descending from about cruising altitude to 16,000' in the second one:
Eventually, we got low enough on gas to divert to Nashville for fuel:
Luckily, a departure slot opened up after about 45 minutes on the ground at Nashville and we made it in to Atlanta. Subsequent fall-out only delayed my 1651 flight home until 2025, and all was well. I can't complain - in five days of Mountain backpacking the clouds only came out on the last day!