UK airports in snow

[Paul2412]

I'd be interested to know what pilots from carriers that come into the UK think of how our airports "handle" the snow.

I've been flying in the USA when the snow is far worse than its been here and everything ran like clockwork still.

I can imagine that the UK is a laughing stock with international pilots when it comes to snow (and probably quite a few other things as well!).

[I Just Drive]

Seems to me that it's the rules culture. Rather than just declare the depth of contaminent or declare a breaking action, they go for total clearance which nowhere has the equipment to do. I wish they did exchange programs. The Scandies etc. Deal with far worse snow effortlessly. Berlin -13 in snow was a pleasure. Here, it would have shut. Not even to mention the trains that run.

[GarageYears]

I've been flying in the USA when the snow is far worse than its been here and everything ran like clockwork still

I live about 5 miles from Washington-Dulles (IAD).... it closed at 6.30PM on Saturday (with the intent to open at 6AM next day), after struggling to keep one runway open all day. Hardly clockwork. Now I'll admit snow rates of 2 inches/hour are hard to deal with, but it's not all perfect here either.

- GY

(Feeling sore after digging the 20 inches+ of snow off my driveway) :ooh:

[pontifex]

It's all down to the temperature; the colder it is the easier it is to deal with. As a student in Alberta we flew of rolled snow runways and they had the texture and braking effectivness of concrete at temperatures around -40. Here, where it fluctuates a few degrees either side of zero, the situation is totally different (That's what the railways call "the wrong sort of snow"). So it is a mistake to compare UK snow clearance disasters to the efficient handling of the problem in much more, apparently, severe conditions

[purplehelmet]

gatwick,luton and london city all shut at the mo due to snow and ice.
has heathrow got better equipment than other uk airports or have they been lucky and missed most of the snow?

[DOOBIE]

You can add Stansted, now also closed. Its looking a bit busy in EMA, BHX and MAN!

Heathrow seem to have only had a bit of sleet so far.

[spaceman18]

Chaos yes. However, I dont think that the decision to clear runways before using them is a wrong one.
This is clearly the safest option, which surely is the only factor here. The problem is the lack of equipment to quickly deal with the situation, and airports will be unwilling to spend money on more equipment for something that happens only a few times a year.

[JW411]

Paul 2412:

You have obviously never been based at KJFK like I was for 3 years. You obviously have never experienced being No.54 in a congo line that went on to the extent that I heard No.78 behind me.

You obviously have never ended up, like I did, with my cockpit overhanging the grass (if that is an apt description of the flora and fauna of the overrun of 31R at JFK) in a DC-10 when nobody bothered to point out that the braking action was nil and that every second aircraft was having to G/A because the previous aircraft could not get off the runway fast enough. Fortunately, the nose wheel was still on the runway.

Despite the normal requirement to be out of reverse at 60 knots, I was still in full reverse at the end. On changing to 'Point 9' I was told to go left on the outer etc etc. I slid past the outer still in full reverse and just made it on to the inner.

When I complained, I was told that the previous five aircraft had made the same "mistake".

When I suggested that they got somebody out to spread some grit or something, I was greeted with a huge silence.

Don't tell me that the Americans are better at it that we are.

To find out how to deal with snow and ice, go up to Scandinavia. They are the very best at it in the world!

[Moonraker One]

I have been snowed in at Gander NFL Canada.

I have been snowed in Luton Beds England.

CPH thats Denmark and CGN Germany too.

Come to think of it all over the world during wintry conditions.

Snow happens get used to it!

[clunckdriver]

Living in a nation which has three seasons, construction, winter, more winter I found the WTS snow removal system at Heathrow to be rather slow but 100% effective!

[purplehelmet]

moonraker one.
snow happens get used to it.

thats the problem we never get used to it, the first sign of snow and the country grinds to a halt...

roll on summer:ok:

[JW411]

"Roll on summer"

And just when are we ever going to be in a position to even recognise summer in UK?

[clunckdriver]

To answer the e mail, WTF is the WTS snow removal system at LHR? Its the "wait untill Spring" system.

[Paul2412]

I understand that snow everywhere proves problematic, the point was that the ENTIRE UK transport infrastructure (including airports) grinds to a halt when there is a light dusting of snow.

When a crew from Scandinavia, Russia, Canada or the USA can depart from an airport where there are several inches falling in a couple of hours do they think the UK is completely incompetent when we close airports because of less than a cm?

[ABO944]

And just when are we ever going to be in a position to even recognise summer in UK?

Global Warming ? :}

Yes, the Scandies are the best .... I regularly fly up in the north of Sweden where it's -35C, snowing, freezing fog - the whole works, but the show goes on.

Of course they are more prepared and used to it, but it is rather embarrassing when flying back here in the UK with just a sprinkling of the white stuff! :ugh:

[james solomon]

Any updates as to whats closed