Airfield Snow Clearing

[mpb0277]

I'm still in this line of work, and Blacktop as it is still known is a nightmare!

As has been said before, the season runs from about mid oct-apr, the rest of the year the kit is serviced and stored.

Current equipment consists of sicard brushes, Rolbas, blades attatched to S26 and MAN refuellers and Knights and team sprayers. There are also a few new truck mounted sprayers dotted around, and i think danline brushes fitted to some tractors.

Domestic roads on stations are serviced by Landrover mounted blades and gritters, and of course the good old snow shovel!!

Black top is pretty much limited to operationally essential stations these days and the main one is probably MPA in the Falklands!

Got pictures somewhere of most of the kit, will have to post them.

[WJT]

I thought this thread might have stirred itself into action this week!

Anyway, if you check out post # 45 on this pprune thread:

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...earance-3.html

you will find three excellent pics of an AEC 3,000 gallon bowser and MRD doing what it did best, hurling ice and general debris up the hangar doors.

[David Thompson]

There was an MRD at Leeming in the late 70's to mid 80's . It stood next to Hangar 4 but I never saw it in use and I have not seen it there for years , probably scrapped ? What does MRD stand for ? It appeared to be a transportable frame mounted Goblin jet engine , I have some photos
somewhere .

[ted angus]

The boys at Leuchars have been going almost non stop since a week before Xmas as the station is still northern QRA. I can hear the Sicards in my lounge when they are at the west end of the runway. Absolute music.

There is one of the new truck mounted sprayer here a 3 axle job in yellow with all sorts of RAF coporate markings. I don't know its make as I have only seen it from a rear threequarter angle. But I am hoping some shots will come my way. My usual photog cannot move freely on the station due to some very sensible movement restrictions being imposed on private vehicles.

TED

[bvs]

What does MRD stand for ? It appeared to be a transportable frame mounted Goblin jet engine , I have some photos
somewhere .

MRD = Mobile Runway Deicer
ISTR they used to be Derwents installed.
The one we had at Dunsfold had an Avon engine...they had to be really careful with the throttle on that one
It was self propelled with a 'donkey' engine.

[Deskpilot]

photographed this at kemble a few years ago
is it a snow blower for want of a better word

In my time, ALL personel with a RAF license had to learn to drive these contraptions. Part one was to drive the Bowser with a standard snow plough. That was hard, especially for the lighter ones, like me. Crash gearbox and no power steering in those days. Part 2 was to operate the de-icer. How I hated that machine. Even the yearly retraining put the fear of God into me. Luckily, I was never called upon to actually do it for real.
Ah the memories come back.

[bvs]

Here is a pic of Dunsfolds unique Avon engined snowblower,not a good angle (photo taken at Brooklands)but if you can imagine an avon mounted fore and aft behind the cab.
The driver (one of our fitters) was a big lad,he had to be ... no power steering LOL,self propelled with a 'donkey engine'
photo courtesy of Big Lorry Blog



link to big lorry blog and more airfield vehicles

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&sou...hiayQRa5K4gNCg

[bvs]

Aha ...found a much better pic of the Dunsfold Monster,the ccmv site says it is based on a 1940 Austin K4 !!






pics courtesy of ccmv

link to their page,if you click on the pics at the bottom of the page...you will get bigger pics

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&sou...AirJvhMkeZvRBQ

[WJT]

Snowclearing action at Brize yesterday:

http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=19277

[REF]

a good selection of images of Durham Tees Valley on this BBC site here;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/tees/hi/...00/8446011.stm