How's the weather in Smith Falls?

[Blakey]

Tried the Wx Cam at Smith Falls to check the conditions this morning. This is what it looks like.

http://www.metcam.navcanada.ca/hb/playe ... =92&lang=e

Check the South view, it defaults to the North.

[Changes in Latitudes]

So you're saying it snowed?

[photofly]

He's saying Colonel Sanders has to be the focus of attention even while clearing snow.

[PilotDAR]

Colonel Sanders ...... clearing snow

Darn good on you Colonel for clearing snow! That's how an airport community is built. I'm sure that all the airport users appreciate it! Perhaps they'll pitch in to support your effort....

To be honest, I have given up clearing my runway this winter. One of my planes is now up in Muskoka, the other "resting" until spring.... I'm thinking skis for next winter.....

[Pop n Fresh]

So you're saying it snowed?

It certainly did on the camera lens.

[bmc]

What's that white stuff on the ground?

[Big Pistons Forever]

Us West Coasters have our problems too. I had to wipe the dew off my windshield before I could go flying yesterday.

[PilotDAR]

wipe the dew off my windshield

Yeah, and then you start up, and you have to wipe it off again, and you taxi, and you have to wipe it off again, and you takeoff, now you can't wipe it off, but you wish you could, then at 200 feet you fly into it, and you'd like to wipe it off the whole lower mainland, but you can't, then you'd like to wipe it off the forecast for the next week , and you can't.....

[Shiny Side Up]

I'm sure that all the airport users appreciate it! Perhaps they'll pitch in to support your effort....

HAHAHAHAHAhahahahHAH!

Oh wait, you were serious?

[trey kule]

My first thought was to make a humorous remark about CS being a rampie waiting for a shot to put on three gold bars and fly a real plane, the fact is.....
Anyone who does things like snow clearing at a local small airport is someone who not only loves aviation, but understands what is needed to make work. They are a credit to general aviation.

So how about some of you stepping back from the computer keyboard and going to the local small airport and offering to help out. Really learn about general aviation in Canada, and help to keep it alive. Instead of bemoaning the fact that no one wants to hire you . Satisfaction and real experience.

At our local airport, years ago we had a night lighting system....bulbs on rebar poked into the ground ( 2 feet above ground to stay above the windrow of snow) and covered by Cheez Whiz jars to protect them from the elements....on one side of the runway.
About 30 people flying from the airport. Three of us maintaining it.therewere many winter days we would have welcomed help.

My rant for the day

[Shiny Side Up]

I dunno TK, usually the "help" is a pretty double edged. No one wants to do the hard jobs at the airport. Everyone wants to play with the machine. When I've had the few lapses in judgement, to hand someone the keys to a machine it: a) takes about five minutes for them to wreck something (usually the machine itself, or some of the airport infrastructure) or, b) use it solely to enable themselves. For example, if you let them use the blade, shortly you'll have a single lane plowed for their own airplane to get to the runway, and a sufficient ammount that they deem enough to take off with, which of course traps all the other residents in their spots, and leaves piles of snow otherwise in places where you don't want it at. In exchange for said "help" of course, they will want free tie down for life, cappucino on demand, free fuel, and the right to hold their "help" over any competitors for a better tie down spot, should it come open.

My personal favorites are the guys who show up in the middle of the blizzard and demand that you be clearing snow so that "when this lifts any minute now" they can be off to whatever important place they seem to only need to fly to that one random day out of the month.

I also really liked the fellow who, when I suggested it might be some time (you know, not that night as the snow was still falling) before the field was night capable due to the snow burying the lights, demanded to know why we weren't manning the shovels. "If you guys just got to it it would be done!" I invited him to help, handed him a shovel, and bless him he helped, until that small part of his brain realised how much work it was going to be. I don't think he even got one of them uncovered before he stormed off.

Also, we don't salt the runway. One would think it would be for obvious reasons.

[trey kule]

You know, I think you might be a bit turned around on this. No need to salt the runway, but you might give some thought to use the salt saved to supersalt a few people,s individual taxiways.

[PilotDAR]

When I bought my first plane, Maple was just closing, and the best choice for keeping my new treasure was the turf runway quite close to where I lived at the time. I was falling all over myself trying to earn the privilege of keeping my plane so conveniently, and with so much freedom to operate. When spring came, I went to great effort with the shovel to guide the runoff to runoff, and dry our runway as early as possible. For that, I was titled: "The director of ruts", a name which still seems to follow me, even though we have all long since left that aerodrome, and it is long abandoned.

I learned to work - until the work was done. Many of us did.....

[Colonel Sanders]

Holy crap, what did I do now?!

It's true, I spend many more hours at the airport:

- mowing grass
- moving snow
- wrenching on airplanes

than I actually do flying (between 200 - 300
flights per year, on average).

I don't suppose there's much glory to be had from
that, but we take a certain amount of pride on having
a pretty nice little airport (that you can do surface
acro at), given a total yearly operating budget of
$21,000.

Stop by anytime, and I'll give you a tour of the toys.

[davecessna]

I did a night xcountry there a few weeks ago. Very nice airport.

[bmc]

Is that black and red thing the snow removal device?

Is the guy standing second from the left Bruce L. ?

[Colonel Sanders]

1) You could use it for that, but it's more fun to
use it to blow windows out of buildings

2) Sure is!

Somewhere I have a photo of Mikey in a top hat
driving the Jessica Simpson Ferrari ....

[Pop n Fresh]

Do we need the OP to come back and explain, he wanted to look at the conditions but the camera was covered?

use it to blow windows out of buildings

Halp.

Airmanship police.

[bmc]

The weather looks nice today from that webcam.

Here's a webcam from my favorite local field, Bex, Switzerland. As you can see, we don't have much snow this year. The upside is I've been driving the Miata with the roof down just about every other day since New Year's.

http://www.gvmc.ch/index.php/webcams/aerodromedebex

Hidden n those hangars are:

2-3 Extra's

This rare Moraine Saulnier 406


This equally rare ugly thing:


Lots if other European made stuff. The field is uncontrolled, has lots of weekend glider activity, aerobatics, a PC6 jump plane. In the summer, every weekend is a virtual airshow.

The top image shows the restaurant picnic tables beside the runway. Think TC would have a dim view of that?