Airfields in wintertime

Volker_Nemsch · 1 February 2002, 12:50 PM

Perhaps a silly question:

How was it possible to use WW1 aircraft during winter in snow. I´ve seen skies on some Russian aircraft but never on an Albatros D.V or a Camel. How did they solve the "snow-problem". Are there photos existing?

Thanks in advance!
Volker Nemsch

1 February 2002, 01:51 PM

Unless weather conditions were too bad THEY FLEW.Half frozen, wrapped in furs or layer on layer of clothing normal operations were carried out.I guess that these early aircraft were light enough to take off on the frozen fields that were thier aerodromes.A tome I read recently talks of half frozen groundstaff starting the aircraft at hourly intervals to ensure that the oil was kept thin enough so that morning patrols could be flown,that sounds like winter to me!I also spotted a picture of a Bleriot 11 fitted with ski`s-interesting.

Brad · 1 February 2002, 04:29 PM

I have personally taken off and landed on a snow-covered runway. It's somewhat noisy, but not difficult in itself.

Brad

Rick · 1 February 2002, 04:43 PM

Volker,

Agreed, I have only seen photos of Russian aircraft equipped with skies. I doubt that the Germans used them on the Eastern Front. Certainly they were not used by either side on the Western front, both sides would have 'muddled through'. R.

Dan_San_Abbott · 2 February 2002, 08:40 AM

Volker:
Attendant to cold weather operations, was the number of take-off and landing accidents, particularly nose overs. After operations shut down. The mechanics had to drain the water from the engines and radiators, when the temperature fell below freezing. That only added to the misery that the ground crew experienced. The aircraft crews suffered from frost bite. Can you imagine standing up in the rear cockpit in a wind blast @ 100 mph at O degrees, terrible! What fortitude!
Blue Skies,
Dan-San

timjnf · 10 March 2003, 08:45 AM

Sorry for the delayed post, I haven't been regularly keeping up with the forum.
With modern aircraft, takeoff and landing in snow is generally possible without skis as long as the depth is less than 1/3 the wheel's depth; depending on the type of snow, type of aircraft, and pilot skill level.

gregoire · 10 March 2003, 09:04 AM

I have a couple of photo of french plane operating in winter they were taking of on snow those picture were taken during the winter 17 18 and the plane mainly AR1 but I can comfirm that plane were operating from the airfield even if it was under snow

Regulus · 10 March 2003, 10:35 AM

Hi,

Thanks to MikeW, I can tell you that on the British side, even at the end of the war, planes were kept on standby or were active, even in the snow. A large number of 213 Sqdn planes were photographed during the cold winter at Stalhille airfield in 1918-1919 in the snow and clearly were in use. No skies or other fancy stuff.

Best from Johan

10 March 2003, 03:12 PM

The question was, Snow; not Cold.
49RAf, with dH9's was 'grounded' with six inches of snow on the ground, 1918.
I do not know whether this was loose stuff, or frozen over. I imagine that loose snow would slow a machine like loose sand does.
I am not familiar with snow. Saw a bit in 1952, and made a snowman . Saw more in 1978. 8 flakes, in mountain country in October/summer.

Angiolillo · 11 March 2003, 12:22 PM

Not only airfields. At page 4 of "Hanriot HD.1/HD.2" by Gregory Alegi, Windsock Datafile 92, there is a photo (from the collection of Paolo Varriale) whose caption reads: "On 19 july 1918 'soldato' Giosué Lombardi of 74a Squadriglia landed his Hanriot reasonably intact on the Adamello glacier, at over 2000 meters' altitude." Wheels are definitely sunk in snow. I wonder if he took off after...