No go to La Rochelle

In aviation we have what are called TAFs – Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts, which are produced every few hours for larger airports and tell us what the weather is expected to be doing there at any particular time in the following 24 hours or so. They are useful when planning a flight not only to see what conditions will probably be like at your destination but also at any airfields along your route if they produce their own TAFS.

For me, not only is the TAF for La Rochelle useful but en route I also pass Cognac, an ‘armée de l’air’ air base conveniently half way between Malbec, my starting point and La Rochelle, which also produces a TAF. So I use both in my flight planning and they are important in influencing my decisions about the flight including whether I should even go or not.

As seems to be becoming more and more usual whenever I rely on other people for something to happen, I was let down. I didn’t make it to La Rochelle yesterday. The testing station there that was responsible for damaging my transponder said that they have received it back from repair but that they were unable to refit it yesterday and carry out the testing on my Savannah’s avionics they were originally supposed to do.

I told them that I had to fly up yesterday because otherwise the weather was going to become unsuitable for an indefinite period but they said they couldn’t accommodate me but that they could maybe fit me in today. But sure enough the TAFS yesterday for Cognac and La Rochelle looked to be ruling the flight out so at the end of the afternoon I told them I’d not be coming and indeed, although the Cognac TAF has marginally improved, the TAF for La Rochelle is still indicating a high probability of thunderstorms at about the time I’d be arriving.

Cognac TAF

From Friday 5:00 till Saturday 5:00:
Wind 300° 5kt. Ceiling and visibility OK.
Becoming from Friday 6:00 till 7:00:
Clouds broken 14000ft towering cumulus.
Temporarily from Friday 6:00 till 8:00: Visibility 3000m. light thunderstorm rain. Clouds broken 14000ft cumulonimbus.
Becoming from Friday 9:00 till 11:00:
Ceiling and visibility OK.
With 40% probability, temporarily from Friday 14:00 till 16:00: Clouds scattered 9000ft towering cumulus

La Rochelle TAF

From Friday 8:00 till Saturday 8:00:
Wind 340° 8kt. Ceiling and visibility OK.
Temporarily from Friday 8:00 till 12:00: Visibility 2500m. thunderstorm rain. Clouds broken 7000ft cumulonimbus.
Temporarily from Friday 15:00 till 22:00: Wind 290° 15kt, gusting 25kt.
With 30% probability, temporarily from Friday 22:00 till Saturday 5:00: Visibility 4000m. light shower rain. Clouds broken 7000ft towering cumulus.
With 40% probability from Saturday 2:00 till 8:00: Clouds broken 900ft.

So that looks like it and for some time to come from the weather forecasts that are currently available. That’s really annoying as it wasn’t my fault that I’ve got to make a second trip up to La Rochelle but yet again I’m the one being subjected to the maximum inconvenience and disruption because of it. 🙁