# Flying During Winter



## oldman (Dec 14, 2019)

I believe it was 2004. I flew from Washington D.C. to Columbus. The plan was to fly to Columbus. From there, we were scheduled to fly back to Washington and have a 2-hour break before flying down to Miami.

This was on December 23, 2004. Columbus had been dumped on with several inches of snow. On the afternoon of the 23rd, it started sleeting. As we sat at the gate, I was informed of a runway change for takeoff. Pilots really dislike runway changes. Next, we were told that our assigned runway was being deiced. I always made it a point to keep my passengers informed of any delays. I could hear the groans.

So, we sit and wait; 15 minutes, then 20 minutes, finally, after a 25 minute delay, we get clearance to pushback and taxi to the runway. As we were accelerating down the runway, I could feel the nose wheel wanting to slide sideways. I aborted the t/o and returned to the back of the line. Another deicing of the runway and 40 minutes later, we were ready to go again.

Almost two hours late, but we were finally airborne. We arrived in Miami an hour and fifteen minutes late, but we were all safe. And, of course, the passengers gave us a round of applause, which was always appreciated.

So, when we fly in winter and the weather is iffy, be patient with the pilots. They are doing what they must to keep everyone safe. I would be worried if they tried to rush the t/o. Flying during icy or snowy conditions requires very mature and conscientious pilots, who show patience and do their due diligence. It can be very tricky with landing and taking off. Safety first.


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## Don M. (Dec 14, 2019)

Absolutely!  Flying in the Winter is always a bit "iffy", and weather conditions Must dictate how to do so safely.  Anyone traveling during a potential snow/ice storm needs to be flexible in their schedules.  It's far better to arrive a bit late, and safely, than to potentially become a statistic.


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## oldman (Dec 14, 2019)

You’re right, Don. I flew during some very bad weather. I still remember when I was flying the B-747 from O’Hare to Honolulu. O’Hare was under a blizzard warning and we were trying to board as quickly as possible to get into the air. The airport was threatening to close, so we wanted to get the door closed and pushback.

Once we were certain that the runway was clear, I taxied out and put the plane in the air to the applause of about 300 happy passengers. We took off towards the south before turning west. I told my F/O that the sky looks angry. Once in Honolulu, I read in USA Today about Chicago’s blizzard.


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## hollydolly (Dec 14, 2019)

*I fly often in winter, but the weirdest thing is flying olut in a deep blizzard and landing some hours later in hot sunshine... *


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## hollydolly (Dec 16, 2019)

olut ?...OUT !!!


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## oldman (Dec 16, 2019)

Here’s a short story that brought a few tears to my eyes. It was the morning of Christmas Eve 2000. I was flying from Seattle to New York. Onboard were six nuns dressed in their habits. The Mother Superior was among them. They were going to New York to attend the mass at   St. Patrick’s.

When we landed and deplaned the passengers, the nuns all waited until everyone else was off the plane. Then, they requested to speak with the Captain. I obliged their request and asked them, “What can I possibly do for you ladies on this blessed day?”

It was then that the Mother Superior introduced herself and the other nuns, as well. They wanted to personally thank me for giving them a safe trip and making their travel to New York pleasant. Of course, I thanked her and told her that all of the flight crew works together as a team, so that we can give every passenger a safe and pleasant trip.

She nodded and then handed me a beautiful Rosary that she said was given to her by the Monsignor of their Diocese. At first, I was hesitant to accept it, but at her urging, I did take it. I told her that I was not Catholic, but she said, not to worry, it will still protect me and my home. It was an overwhelming moment to say the least. I thanked her and told her that the Rosary was a gift that I never expected to receive.

I wasn’t sure what to do with the Rosary, so I asked the flight attendants if any of them were Catholic and one of them said she was, so I offered it to her, but she refused saying, “No, she wanted you to have it.” I took it home and showed it to my wife and we decided to store it in our safety deposit box, along with some other valuables that we keep in that particular box at the bank. It has rested there since 2000.

Just a side note: The Rosary is beautiful. Next time I get to the bank, I will take a picture of it. I’m not sure, but it appears to have crystals on it, or some type of very beautiful stones. I have always been puzzled why she gave it to me. That Rosary had to have some very important meaning to her since she received it from the Monsignor. I just don’t know much at all about the Catholic religion to speculate on her reasoning to give it up. I did ask one priest that I know and he was also questioning her reasoning.


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## oldman (Dec 16, 2019)

hollydolly said:


> *I fly often in winter, but the weirdest thing is flying olut in a deep blizzard and landing some hours later in hot sunshine... *


This happens a lot here in the U.S. People will fly from snowy areas like Buffalo, Minnesota or even the Northwest down to Miami or even into Mexico to get away from the weather. Now that I am retired, my wife and I or sometimes just myself will fly down to Florida for the weekend. Having free travel is a great gift the airline gives to some retirees.

I like it when I am in Florida and reading about Buffalo or Syracuse getting a foot or more of snow and I’m getting ready to go to the pool.


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## hollydolly (Dec 16, 2019)

oldman said:


> This happens a lot here in the U.S. People will fly from snowy areas like Buffalo, Minnesota or even the Northwest down to Miami or even into Mexico to get away from the weather. Now that I am retired, my wife and I or sometimes just myself will fly down to Florida for the weekend. Having free travel is a great gift the airline gives to some retirees.


  I wish I could get free travel.. can I name drop you somewhere in Heathrow and get a free ticket .. ?  ( I know you worked for United , only kidding)


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## oldman (Dec 16, 2019)

hollydolly said:


> I wish I could get free travel.. can I name drop you somewhere in Heathrow and get a free ticket .. ?  ( I know you worked for United , only kidding)


Hmmm......Let me think about that. You will need a picture ID and I don’t have blonde hair.


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## oldman (Dec 20, 2019)

The password thread reminded me of a free service that is offered by United. If you ever fly on United and have a set of earbuds or phones, plug them into the jack on the armrest and tune the radio to channel 9. It will allow you to listen to your pilot communicating with the tower. 

I hope that they still offer this service. Some people find it interesting to listen into the communications.


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## Capt Lightning (Dec 21, 2019)

Flying back from N Finland one day,  there was a large gentleman with a bushy white  beard sitting a few seats away.  A young boy kept staring at him and then went up to him and asked "Are you Santa Claus?".  The man just smiled and said "no son, I'm his brother".


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## AnnieA (Dec 21, 2019)

oldman said:


> The password thread reminded me of a free service that is offered by United. If you ever fly on United and have a set of earbuds or phones, plug them into the jack on the armrest and tune the radio to channel 9. It will allow you to listen to your pilot communicating with the tower.
> 
> I hope that they still offer this service. Some people find it interesting to listen into the communications.



I would've loved to hear that on a flight to NYC on my 40th birthday.  We were flying in on my actual birthday and knew there was a storm front moving through NY so expected bad weather on landing.  We were in what we thought was a holding pattern for appx 45 minutes when the pilot made an announcement that the hydraulic system that controlled the landing gear had gone out.   Instead of landing in thunderstorms at LaGuardia, we diverted to Pittsburgh and its longer, dry runway. Which is good because I didn't really want to skid off into NY Harbor.  It was a jarring landing and we had to be towed from the runway to the airport.

The crew all looked very intense which was pretty unnerving.  Passengers were all worried looking but calm and quiet.  Stewardesses were handing out little alcohol bottles like they were M&Ms.

The whole time in the air after the announcement, I was thinking of the Jewish tradition that says it's a blessing to die on one's birthday.   I wasn't feeling that vibe at all!


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## oldman (Dec 21, 2019)

AnnieA said:


> I would've loved to hear that on a flight to NYC on my 40th birthday.  We were flying in on my actual birthday and knew there was a storm front moving through NY so expected bad weather on landing.  We were in what we thought was a holding pattern for appx 45 minutes when the pilot made an announcement that the hydraulic system that controlled the landing gear had gone out.   Instead of landing in thunderstorms at LaGuardia, we diverted to Pittsburgh and its longer, dry runway. Which is good because I didn't really want to skid off into NY Harbor.  It was a jarring landing and we had to be towed from the runway to the airport.
> 
> The crew all looked very intense which was pretty unnerving.  Passengers were all worried looking but calm and quiet.  Stewardesses were handing out little alcohol bottles like they were M&Ms.
> 
> The whole time in the air after the announcement, I was thinking of the Jewish tradition that says it's a blessing to die on one's birthday.   I wasn't feeling that vibe at all!


Oh, Annie, there are different ways of lowering the landing gears. Depending on the aircraft, some provide additional hydraulic systems to lower the gear and some aircraft have hand-cranks that the pilots can use to crank down the gear. Hand-cranking takes a lot longer to accomplish and wears the heck out of whoever is doing the cranking. 

What’s more worrisome is when the gears do not extend completely and the pilots cannot get the gears to extend to the maximum locking position. Then, we have to completely retract the gears and do a belly landing, which can be dangerous. We practice doing these landings in the simulator.


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## RadishRose (Dec 21, 2019)

Oh, my, AnnieA!

@oldman, thank you for your knowledgeable information. Guys like you make us feel safer!


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