Landing on Snow covered runway

[Joey4420]

Okay for a low time Sport pilot, I never even thought about the runways not being plowed. Well Last Sunday I flew into KTSO and it was sort of plowed. I enjoyed landing and taking off, but this isn't in any of my training I took.

 

[idahoflier]

Never thought about it, but I bet slick runways could be a handful in an Ercoupe!

 

[frfly172]

Nice video,not bad for a low time pilot.

 

[James331]

Okay for a low time Sport pilot, I never even thought about the runways not being plowed. Well Last Sunday I flew into KTSO and it was sort of plowed. I enjoyed landing and taking off, but this isn't in any of my training I took.

Snows cool, just the what's under the snow that causes my trust issues with snow.

Thin powder over glare ice? Or nice hard pact? or powder over asphalt?

 

[Joey4420]

This felt like hard packed over ice sadly... at least when I got out of my plane to go in for lunch I parked on ice.

 

[James331]

This felt like hard packed over ice sadly... at least when I got out of my plane to go in for lunch I parked on ice.

It is that time of year!

Flying out of small northern airport is always interesting, don't be afraid to call the airport manager or FBO and ask about conditions and braking action, or if a plane is going in before you to ask for a PIREP, in a pinch I've even called the local cop shope up and asked them to send a guy to drive down the runway and give me a heads up, a little crosswind a little ice makes for a good pucker factor lol

There are some good reads on winter flying, between some FAA stuff, and also transport Canada and some stuff on the supercub and backcountrypilot forums.

Might be a bit of a treck, but this is cool to checkout, especially if you do it when they have the snowmobile races and all the other events going on, in the winter it's the only official ice runway, plowed in runway and taxi and ramp on the lake

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alton_Bay_Seaplane_Base

 

[Joey4420]

Alton Bay would be about 6.5 hours with fuel stops, 5ish hours straight through, but it was cold enough flying from KHAO to KTSO

 

[N659HB]

Sweet landing. You made that look easy! Is that your Ercoupe?

I'd like to try that with the Luscombe, but I'd have to live near CLT or ATL to see any regular snow.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

As long as there are no big drifts or more than about 4 inches of snow...

The down side is that when you bounce, there is a record of how far in the tracks.

 

[coloradobluesky]

First tracks!

 

[SkyDog58]

Sweet landing. You made that look easy! Is that your Ercoupe?

I'd like to try that with the Luscombe, but I'd have to live near CLT or ATL to see any regular snow.

Oh hell no. Don't mention CLT and regular snow in the same sentence. Are you mad?!

 

[N659HB]

Oh hell no. Don't mention CLT and regular snow in the same sentence. Are you mad?!

Mad? No. Jealous. HELL YES!

 

[azure]

There are some good reads on winter flying, between some FAA stuff, and also transport Canada and some stuff on the supercub and backcountrypilot forums.

Might be a bit of a treck, but this is cool to checkout, especially if you do it when they have the snowmobile races and all the other events going on, in the winter it's the only official ice runway, plowed in runway and taxi and ramp on the lake

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alton_Bay_Seaplane_Base

And in fact, tomorrow morning there is a FAA webinar on flying into that exact runway. Here's the link to register...

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

There is Fun Snow, and there is Hell Snow.

There is also 'Slick Snow with a Vicious X-wind'.

Oh. Finally, there is the "vicious xwind, with patches of ice alternating back and forth with the James Brake index varying from 0.0 to 0.8 within 100 feet of ice patch"!

 

[N659HB]

There is Fun Snow, and there is Hell Snow.

There is also 'Slick Snow with a Vicious X-wind'.

Oh. Finally, there is the "vicious xwind, with patches of ice alternating back and forth with the James Brake index varying from 0.0 to 0.8 within 100 feet of ice patch"!

I'll take an order of fun snow, please. And a day off work to play.

 

[midwestpa24]

The airports should have the current conditions issued via NOTAMs, but smaller airports often don’t bother.

 

[AKBill]

Very nice. Looks like a few hills in that area, what is the field elevation were you landed? What type of plane were you flying?

 

[SkyDog58]

Mad? No. Jealous. HELL YES!

Oh, if I lived somewhere else and had the toys to enjoy it, i.e. a ski equipped plane, I’d agree with you a bit. Instead I live near the city and have to share the road with a bunch of folks who can’t even begin to understand how to drive. Nope. No snow for me please.

 

[azure]

And in fact, tomorrow morning there is a FAA webinar on flying into that exact runway. Here's the link to register...

Unfortunately, the webinar is a bust. Going on right now, but audio is in and out and generally terrible. I gave up on it 5 minutes ago, waiting for the YouTube video.

From last year

 

[Joey4420]

Sweet landing. You made that look easy! Is that your Ercoupe?

I'd like to try that with the Luscombe, but I'd have to live near CLT or ATL to see any regular snow.

Yes my Ercoupe and I will say my flight instructor told me every flight, "fly like you have a sleeping baby on board, then land like you don't want them to wake up"

Very nice. Looks like a few hills in that area, what is the field elevation were you landed? What type of plane were you flying?

Field Elevation is 1163, it was KTSO, but I am not sure the elevation of the hills/trees right in front of the field, I just know they were higher than the field.