Operating in Heavy Snow/Ice conditions

[your_dreamguy]

I've always lived in a warm weather climate. Also, I've mainly flown in warm weather climates as well. So, I was wondering if you could give me some good advice on taxiing on taxi surfaces covered in snow and/or ice with signs and markings covered with snow. Advice on use of differential thrust or delayed tiller responses, etc.

Also, any advice on takeoffs and landings on runways that have some snow on them? etc.?

Hope to hear from you.

 

[GuppyWN]

Runways - land in the touchdown zone and use reverse, not brakes.

Taxiways - slow down! painfully slow as a matter of fact.

If you are in low vis check the back of your taxi page for restrictions with obscured runway/taxiway markings.

Type IV fluid is your friend.

Snow on your wings is not.

If you're not in a jet....... it sucks to be you! I remember having a deice boot literally blow up on me when I needed it most. Sure don't miss those days.

Gup

 

[LearLove]

turn your prop,windshield,pitot ect. heat on before your go into the clouds/icing.

 

[exeagle]

Reverse thrust is your friend...

 

[CaptainKiwi]

Runways - land in the touchdown zone and use reverse, not brakes.
Gup

So how do you land without brakes when the autobrakes are required???

...Just pokin fun....

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

At airports where only centerline lights exist and no edge taxi lights are present (JFK--only reflective sticks in many spots), the only safe manner in taxiing in whiteout conditions-- is to follow the tracks ahead of you, unless it leads to an aircraft that is not moving (in the grass)...

 

[Spud]

1. It's solid ice after the last high speed.

2. All taxiways are solid ice until proven otherwise.

3. Don't call braking action fair if it's not.

 

[NCherches]

Don't call it poor or nil either as some operators can't land depending on their OpSpecs

 

[tdwnds1]

Takeoff-watch your holdover times for anti/deicing fluid used. There may not be a holdover time available for heavy snow and especially not freezing rain.

- Dont forget pre-takeoff checks (nothing on the wings!)

- Use contaminated runway numbers (if available) in your airplanes GOM.

Landing- Watch the Mu values (anything below .25 is bad news)

Same as above- Reverse thrust, but make sure your contaminated landing numbers are known for your aircraft since they are NOT based on having TRs.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Call in sick until spring

 

[The Prussian]

Don't call it poor or nil either as some operators can't land depending on their OpSpecs

Disagree!!! You have an obligation to tell it as you see it!!! Maybe they shouldn't be landing...maybe nobody should be landing. With those kind of conditions, you may be the last good info before someone loses it...

...and...often this is the info that gets the airport snow equipment out to take care of the situation.

 

[SpauldingSmails]

I don't know what kind of plane you're going to be flying... however if it's a Beech Turboprop with little mains (like a BE99, king air 1,2,300 with standard wheels/tires) its fairly easy to drag a hot brake through some snow or slush and end up with a frozen brake caliper once the contaminant re-freezes. On ice you may not even know your wheel isn't spinning until you melt the tire.

If your plane has the luxury of "brake de-ice" that should do the trick to clear them once you're in flight, if that system is deactivated like all the ones I flew, be careful and you'll be fine. Check the tires carefully for "ice burn" after taxi-in to make sure you haven't compromised your tires.

When landing, plan to have the aircraft slow and ready to turn-off well before the end of the runway, especially at airports that may not have the greatest snow removal. The reason being, many aircraft will clear the runway before the end, and past that point the runway is usually much slicker as very little traffic exits or taxis toward the very end. Braking action reports can be useless in that case.

A perfect example of the above is at Chicago-Midway landing on RWY 31C, there's the angled taxiway "B" toward the end where most traffic exits, if you're not off at that point you best be quite slow, past "B" braking-action will be much less.

MDW Diagram.
http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0911/00081AD.PDF

 

[Ticker]

The worst ice I've ever seen was from "Light Freezing Drizzle". Never saw ice grow as fingers and claws before that.

That same winter the American Eagle crash in Roselawn happened. One of the big findings was SCLD Super Cooled Large Droplets...turns out Light Freezing Drizzle qualifies as SCLD. That same winter an old salt of the earth guy I flew with (he flew B26's in WWII) taught me to always consider any type of "FREEZING" precip as severe and not to be fooled by words like "light". He also told me that when it came to ice, he always considered discretion the better part of valor.

Here's a couple of good articles:

http://airs-icing.org/publications/Cober%20-%20An%20Example%20of%20Supercooled%20Drizzle%20Drops%20Formed%20through%20a%20Collision-Coalescence%20Process.pdf

http://www.aviationtoday.com/regions/usa/Roselawn-Crash-Still-Relevant-Icing-Continues-to-Kill_3230.html

 

[Green Banana]

Seriously, If you have to ask on a forum like this, DO NOT FLY as a PIC until you get some real instruction in your aircraft or SIC time with an experienced pilot.

 

[Squirrel29]

A truck is not a plane use the MU readings as a last resort.

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

Don't call it poor or nil either as some operators can't land depending on their OpSpecs

If someone goes off the runway after you said braking is fine, I hope the survivors track you down and string you up.

 

[Ticker]

Amen. These reports are what brings the snow equipment out to the runway. The most Airport's Certification Manual and the Winter Operation Advisory Circular (150 series) also requires them to take action on the runway with a poor or nil braking action report. The airport operator can only go out on the runway so often to take mu reports. This helps them keep up to date on the runway condition.

 

[contrail67]

Don't call it poor or nil either as some operators can't land depending on their OpSpecs

Why not?!

So if it is poor or nil the guy behind you gets to run off the runway because you did not want to disrupt his operations? Trust me, when the guy is in the ditch, he will wish you would have called it that way.

 

[Spud]

Don't call it poor or nil either as some operators can't land depending on their OpSpecs

Idiot.

 

[lansen]

when you get a breaking report take note of the AC that gave it, Fair for a c172, a 1900, and a 767 can all mean different things. Do your best not to fully stop esp in deep snow it will be a PITA to get moving again.

 

[OurMoney1]

On snow covered runways arrest your momentum and bring the aircraft to a complete stop on the runway. If you have autobrakes let them do it for you. Taxi free under your control not mother natures.

Be sure to advise ATC so they can give you adequate spacing with the guy behind you.

 

[737tanker]

So how do you land without brakes when the autobrakes are required???

Don't be in a hurry to come on the brakes manually. With the autobrakes if the deceleration for the autobrake setting is being met by the reversers the brakes won't be applied.

 

[dragontamer]

Wear a jacket on the walkaround.

 

[RedBelly]

If you think the landing is going to require perfect execution to land safely, then you cannot land safely. About 20 years ago, an old retired NWA pilot gave me one nugget of advice. He said, "Slow down to the point where you have to add power to exit the runway, and you will be just fine." Just like OurMoney1 said above.

As for the brakes, I have to disagree completely with GuppyWN. If you are flying something with reverse, you most likely are going to have anti-skid. Apply full brakes, and let the anti-skid do it's thing. If you have auto brakes, follow tankers advice.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

There are two types of winter landings, the one where you slip and slide but stay within the confinements of the runway and the ones where you don't.

 

[FBN0223]

Icy ramp? Wait until your pushback is complete/brakes set before starting engines or your aircraft could give the tug a battle that it can't win.

 

[pilotguy143]

Icy ramp? Wait until your pushback is complete/brakes set before starting engines or your aircraft could give the tug a battle that it can't win.

Great advice. Also, if you're Flight Standards Manual says to put the flaps down after De-icing, quadruple check that they are down and set properly

 

[Dan Roman]

Palm 90
(I'm sure some of you will get it.)

 

[Alcatraz]

-Don't do ANY single engine taxiis unless braking is GOOD or better.

-Taxi SLOW, and be sure you're really on pavement.

-If you're using antiskid on landing, try not to change your brake pedal pressures much. Every time you change your brake pedal pressure some antiskid systems (such as on the 737) have to recalculate stuff and may result in poorer braking performance than if you applied even pressure. IOW, WITH antiskid, don't pump the brakes.

-Keep in mind the pavement markings may be completely obscured, affecting your ability to see the location of the touchdown zone on landing and also raising your takeoff mins.

-If you're flying a turboprop, landing shouldn't be a big deal unless you jam the brakes too hard or your props go to beta asymmetrically.

 

[JustaNumber]

-Don't do ANY single engine taxiis unless braking is GOOD or better.

...unless you're in a jet with fuselage-mounted engines (less asymmetrical thrust), and you're lightly loaded. In that case, wait as long as possible to start up the second one to keep from sliding when you frequently have to apply the brakes during taxi.