slightly OT- flying over Atlantic during hurricane

[Ariel on Land]

Hi folks, this question isn't really Disney travel related, but I do know we've got a LOT of international Disers that fly in for vacation, so I'm wondering if any of you might know the answer to this! My DH is scheduled to fly in to the States (east coast) beginning of next week from Europe after his deployment to Afghanistan. Obviously, we're extremely anxious to get him home, and to get him home safely! Now, hurricane Igor is predicted to be in the Atlantic during that time, but isn't predicted to be hitting land. Does anyone know how this might affect air travel into the east coast??

Thanks for helping a very anxious gal out!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

The Atlantic is a BIG ocean. Pilots will fly a different pattern and avoid any hurricane. Odds are passenger planes fly higher than the storms anyway,

 

[uva185]

The typical transatlantic flight plan routes the planes over the North Atlantic (above 50 degrees North), then down over Canada. If you look at a globe this is the shortest flight path. If there is a storm in their flight path its easy to load a bit more fuel and fly around it.

 

[tinka-belle]

They will just deviate their normal flight path, sometimes to a higher altitude to avoid the storm turbulance.

We flew OVER a hurricance once (above & beside it to avoid any turbulance directly above the arms) on our way to a Caribbean vacation and it was an awesome sight! Swirling cloud patterns in bright sunshine.

 

[pr surfer]

They'll plan for it, either flying around it or over it. This means either flying with more fuel, or making a tech stop en route for fuel.

 

[MAH4546]

With few exceptions, flights from North America to Europe fly high above Canada and Greenland and the northern Atlantic, not the middle Atlantic.

There is not even any "planning." The hurricane simply isn't in the way.

 

[ancestry]

Think of the earth as a globe. Flying over the middle Atlantic is a lot more miles than flying north close to Greenland when flying across the Atlantic ocean. Planes tend to take the shortest route on Trans-Atlantic flights.

 

[Ariel on Land]

Thanks everyone! That's fascinating about the actual flight path. I never realized that. I suppose I just drew a "straight line" from Europe in my head! DH doesn't think it'll be a problem at all, which is good. I just really don't want any more delays than we've already had!!!