Virgin flights and tropical storms - panicking!

[ianc]

If you look at the 5 day forecast on the National Hurricane Center web site, which is the one you need to pay attention to for tropical cyclones, then you will see that it is forecast to go due north up the Gulf of Mexico, rather than directly over Orlando. Wind speed drops off the further you are from the centre of the storm.
In any case, you can't do anything about it - none of us can control the weather. What happens will happen - it is just part of the Florida experience, so why 'panic'?

[Guest]

I wouldn't worry. Local forecasts here are suggesting it will be a rain maker rather than what many would picture as a tropical storm (winds/thunder). There is also the chance it misses Florida completely.

[RobertWestwood]

At worst they divert around or over the storm. Few years back on our only indirect flight, we flew all the way down the east coast from new York through tropical storms. Had to have the seat belt on most of the way and that plane fair bounced around

[Warkman58]

One year we arrived into Orlando when a storm was approaching and the aircraft got hit by lightening. Not an issue, had absolutely zero effect to the plane.
The only issue was when the aircraft got to the gate, they were halfway unloading the luggage and the storm came in. They don’t work when lightening is around, so our cases were left out in the rain lol

[ianc]

If you want to know more about this particular weather system, you might want to read this article:
wunderground/cat6/90...ssible-weekend
Enjoy

[Moorlandman]

Originally Posted by ianc

If you want to know more about this particular weather system, you might want to read this article:
wunderground/cat6/90...ssible-weekend
Enjoy

See more...

5” of rain predicted for Florida. Grim

[Kraken]

As above, no need to worry too much about tropical storms as Virgin (& all other airlines) will generally fly above / around them as best they can. Do expect a bumpy ride and possibly a lot of "seatbelts-on" signs.

The biggest problem Virgin have with Orlando is when the airport closes (normally in the afternoon arrival time) due to a storm over the airport. All they do then is land somewhere else - normally Jacksonville or Sanford - and wait for the word that MCO has reopened and do the short hop to MCO.

I've taken off from MCO in pretty torrential rain - all you could see out of the K side of the plane (so towards the Atlantic ocean) was black clouds and lightning. We flew right up the middle of Florida and well into Georgia before we turned right to start the Atlantic crossing back to the UK to avoid the weather.

The big show-stopper is of course a hurricane. Almost been there & done that - as got out of MCO last September on a Virgin flight 2hrs before MCO was about to close for Irma lock-down. The flight should have been 18:30, but was brought forward to 15:30 to get out in time. Virgin flew 3 aircraft into MCO empty from the UK to get passengers out ahead of Irma.