A storm is approaching northern France and the forecasts call for rain and strong winds. The French aviation authotiries took a wise decision: create a controllable chaos by closing the three Paris airports, instead of leaving frustrated passengers accumulate in the terminals. When I heard the information, I quickly read the NOTAMs for Paris and I was not disappointed. Such NOTAMs are not so frequent…

A0658/09 – DUE TO STORM ‘QUINTEN’ CROSSING FRANCE, ‘LA DIRECTION GENERALE DE L’AVIATION CIVILE’ DECIDED TO STOP THE COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC ON FOLLOWING AERODROMES OF LFPO, LFPG, AND LFPB. 09 FEB 19:00 2009 UNTIL 10 FEB 09:00 2009. CREATED: 09 FEB 15:32 2009

After the surprise my second thought was to find it funny that they stopped “commercial traffic”. Paris Charles-de-Gaulle probably don’t accept private traffic, but the two others do. Is it a good opportunity to jump in a plane and file to Paris ? Could be from a legal point of view, but do you think that suspending commercial traffic at such airports is a light, or unjustifiable decision ?

Before rushing there with your light aircraft, have a look at the TAF. Just in case, I highlighted the most relevant parts for you:

091700Z 0918/1024 20015G25KT 7000 BKN005 BKN010 BECMG 0921/0923 22025G50KT 9999 BKN015 TEMPO 1002/1012 4000 RA BKN004 PROB40 TEMPO 1005/1007 24030G60KT BECMG 1013/1015 29015G30KT 8000 -SHRA BKN015 BKN025 TX09/0923Z TN04/1018Z

Still tempted ? The TAF do not mentions it, but some windshears are expected… You know, these nasty direction-changing winds which perturbated the landing of an Airbus 320 in Hamburg so much that its wingtip hit the runway.