Delta Flight Races Against Hurricane Irma, Becomes Twitter Hero
By Mustafa GatollariUpdated Nov. 18 2019, 2:33 p.m. ET
One of my favorite, over-the-top scenes from The Mummy Returns (aside from the entire film) is when Brendan Frasier and company band together to outrun the sun. That's right: They manage to run faster than an uber-powerful beam of light, from our solar system's biggest star, and crash into the shadows of safety.
It's exactly as preposterous as it sounds, because the film is trying to convince the audience that these everyday humans in the film are faster than the speed of light. But I'm OK with that, because it's a movie. I'd never expect it to happen in real life.
But some pilots at Delta probably didn't get the memo about outrunning nature's natural phenomenons being impossible, because that's basically what they did when they outran Hurricane Irma.
Takeoff! An absolutely amazing job here by @Delta forecasters, dispatchers, flight and ground crews. Full flight back up to JFK.#Irma pic.twitter.com/sSulqA8g7t
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017And just in case you got to thinking any old airline could've pulled off this stunt, there were a few that tried, but couldn't manage the logistics to actually pull off beating the hurricane. Some, understandably, even turned around.
A few flights attempted to squeak into @AeropuertoSJU ahead of Hurricane #Irma
Too late. 2x @JetBlue & 1 @AmericanAir flight turning around pic.twitter.com/ssGLh5EFCp
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017Some called Delta reckless for attempting to fly during the storm.
You really want to fly into SJU during a category 5 hurricane, DL431?
Everyone else has turned around. pic.twitter.com/nHdChvYh2Y
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017But the airline persisted.
DL431 is going for it.
Latest METAR: 35011G20KT pic.twitter.com/MqNgVPenQ8
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017But the airline's team of dispatchers knew what they were doing.
So, how good is @Delta at dispatching?
The TAF calls for 25 MPH winds gusting to 40
It's actually 13 gusting to 23 now.
This will work https://t.co/Bw2cszfEEw
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017Every leg of the journey was down to the wire.
Delta is hoping for a VERY quick turn once they get to SJU.
The return flight is listed as "early," departure bumped up 25 minutes pic.twitter.com/0F6rrn2HR7
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017Now for the quickest turn ever https://t.co/cTFzXKLCKX
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017They sped up boarding as fast as they could.
https://t.co/YvkZOukBOS already listing the return flight to JFK as "boarding" pic.twitter.com/VEk2N1bpqW
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017People were in awe of Delta's speed and precision.
Latest METAR is 33019G30KT, so the wind is picking up but still easily within limits for the immediate time
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017And they managed to beat Irma right before it hit.
Takeoff! An absolutely amazing job here by @Delta forecasters, dispatchers, flight and ground crews. Full flight back up to JFK.#Irma pic.twitter.com/sSulqA8g7t
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017They plane was able to land, taxi in, fuel up, get checked for another flight, board passengers, and get back in the air in 52 minutes. Holy. Moly. That's fast.
Takeoff! An absolutely amazing job here by @Delta forecasters, dispatchers, flight and ground crews. Full flight back up to JFK.#Irma pic.twitter.com/sSulqA8g7t
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017But it wasn't all rainbows and butterflies from there: The pilots still had to wade through the parts of the storm that were calm - they found the one pocket of quiet and rode that until they were out of harm's way.
Now DL302 has to climb out of SJU, and they're doing so between the outer band of #Irma and the core of the storn. Amazing stuff. pic.twitter.com/lOq9Te5DO6
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017It was a concentrated effort.
Don't forget the @Delta forecasters, dispatchers, cabin crew, ground crew, airport staff, ATC tower staff, and dozens others making it work https://t.co/YyDIAyfodz
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017The Internet is showing nothing but respect for the pilot.
Well, that's the end of that story. DL302 is reaching the edge of #Irma's outer bands.
Guess the flight crew serves lunch now...? pic.twitter.com/IDTV3WuLd5
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017The eye of Hurricane Irma struck the west coast of Florida on Sunday, leaving more than 2.5 million homes without power, and parts of the city of Miami under water. Three deaths have been reported in Florida, with 28 people killed when the storm made its way through the Caribbean.
Irma is expected to continue along the coast of Florida before heading inland towards Georgia.
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