My ski trip

[larrynimmo]

Flew from easton md to mount poconos yesterday for a great day of skiing.

took off ifr to 7,000’ and was fortunate to poke through a few thin clouds along the way noticing zero ice. (Also no pirep of ice)…after overflying about 75 miles of broken sky, and cancelling ifr at 10miles visual…my destination airport was lightly scattered but I saw snow on the runway….as I dip down to 150’ agl I notice a large plow on the far side of the runway…after go around, plow left the runway and I proceeded to make my first unplowed snow runway landing…quite uneventful…it was like an inch of snow maybe a little more…it shortened my landing distance.   There were no notams …plow driver had no radio, but was told to expect my arrival…

 

[Marauder]

12 hours ago, larrynimmo said:

Flew from easton md to mount poconos yesterday for a great day of skiing.

took off ifr to 7,000’ and was fortunate to poke through a few thin clouds along the way noticing zero ice. (Also no pirep of ice)…after overflying about 75 miles of broken sky, and cancelling ifr at 10miles visual…my destination airport was lightly scattered but I saw snow on the runway….as I dip down to 150’ agl I notice a large plow on the far side of the runway…after go around, plow left the runway and I proceeded to make my first unplowed snow runway landing…quite uneventful…it was like an inch of snow maybe a little more…it shortened my landing distance.   There were no notams …plow driver had no radio, but was told to expect my arrival…

 

I was based in the Buffalo New York area for a few years and had my fair share of snowed runways, snow that melted and froze as ice runways and runways with zero margin of error from the 10 foot snow banks on the runway edges. I loved winter flying just for the performance aspect of it. 

I see you are based in Maryland. When this COVID nightmare ends, you should fly up and join us for some of our get togethers. Been down your way a few times for breakfast at KCGE and lunch over at KGED.

[aviatoreb]

2 hours ago, Marauder said:

I was based in the Buffalo New York area for a few years and had my fair share of snowed runways, snow that melted and froze as ice runways and runways with zero margin of error from the 10 foot snow banks on the runway edges. I loved winter flying just for the performance aspect of it. 

I see you are based in Maryland. When this COVID nightmare ends, you should fly up and join us for some of our get togethers. Been down your way a few times for breakfast at KCGE and lunch over at KGED.

I remember once about a year ago I landed at Hartford Brained on a day when tower said - zero breaking action - and they were not kidding!  4000ft runway wind straight down the runway I figured ok...good short landing and just let it roll out without any brakes at all.  The most dangerous part of the day that day was the walk from the airplane to the fbo - which was treacherous slippery!

We are in the heart of a cold snap like old time winters up here now.  It will be -20 tonight but we have seen several colder nights in the last two weeks.  When it is this cold - snow isn't even slippery and you can walk on it as casually as the texture of walking on sand, the crystals are that sharp.

Edited January 26, 2022 by aviatoreb

[carusoam]

Larry,

Great half of a pirep!  

Don’t leave us hanging…

Which airport?

How did you get to the mountain?

 

I went flying to go skiing once… ground transportation a decade ago, was really hit or miss…. Taxi took an hour to show up.  Bummed a ride on the way back…

Went to Hunter Mountain, used a local glider port…. Short paved runway…. Not attended.

 

I’d be looking to go again… with 310hp and Uber!  
 

Trying to go skiing often from NJ…. The drive is so long…. Coming back in the dark can be a dangerous drive…

Best regards,

-a-

[larrynimmo]

Kmpo poconos municipal airport….during the week they let me drive the crew car…in the past and on weekend I used to Uber/Lyft which ran about $25 each way to Camelback.

as for the snow, I knew it was a dry snow from the night and that runway had been cleared prior to that…and breeze was right down runway