Airfield Snow Clearing

[Osgood]

Does anyone remember the snows of 1987, when Mundesley hospital ran out of heating oil? A fuel tanker was despatched from Norwich but didn't get far before getting stuck - the snowblower from RAF Coltishall was requested but it was....snowed in and they couldn't get it started!

[canberra]

I can remember when there was no QRA cover in the UK because they couldnt get the snow clearing kit for the QRA has's out because someone had lost the key!!!

[Parabuteo]

Whenever I was Blacktop Controller I always preferred to use the Sicard high speed brushes, which were far more effective at clearing snow of the runway than blades. I noticed on some of the TV news reports this evening that BAA are still using Sicards - hopefully a bit newer than the ones we had nearly 35 years ago!

I am sure there was an old one of them parked up at Leconfield when I was being trained as a Kamikaze driver at ASMT (Army School of Mental Truckies)

I was always suspicious of the logic of using something that had steel bristles (Did I imagine that?) that could easily torn to FOD.

Might have a photo of it somewhere...

[kebecker]

the joke here is how does the guy who drives the plough get to work!

[REF]

Snow Clearing Equipmnt at Southend, 15 Feb 2012

[canberra]

Kebecker IIRC he drives a VW Beetle!

And it amazed me how effecient the Canadians were at Goose Bay when it came to snow clearing, yes I know their used to it but it was still good to see.

[kebecker]

I think that hits the nail on the Head, The canadians and I suspect the Scandinavians are used to snow, they have the kit and they get to use it 5 to 6 months a year. It is also big business budgets for snow clearance are huge and even home onwers have snow "contracts" I have a drive way that is to long to shovel, buying a snow blower makes no sense so I pay a farmer to do it for me. I still get a kick seeing three of four ploughs clearing the Transcanadian.

[PETERTHEEATER]

A snow clearing machine at work on the main runway at Swinderby, Linclonshire, after the heavy snows of March 1944



courtesy of Imperial War Museum © IWM (CH 20521)

[canberra]

Swinderby, Yorkshire?Thats an airfield Ive never heard of!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PETERTHEEATER]

Me neither I posted the photo also in the Swinderby thread but failed to notice the incorrect location. The caption is direct from the IWM title.

I shall amend.