Each year in europe when the weather is bad I get a lot of enquiries about the safety aspects of flying in what people see as bad weather. The first thing to remember is that the chaos that we get on the roads is caused mailny by bad driving and secondly by the actual road conditions. Part of a pilots training and re-current training is to ensure that their knowledge and competences to operate in poor weather is maintained. This is done by information bulletins, reminders and simulator training.
The airports of course have to be maintained to minimum standards for planes to use them. So runways and taxiways are kept clear and in much better condition than the roads. Newtons Laws numbers one to three mean that there is less chance of a plane skidding than a motor car. Motor cars are always turning braking and accelerating….which is when wheels skid and control can be lost. It’s all been thought about … so if you have a fear of flying in winter conditions then it’s time to relax and leave it to the well trained crews who fly you.In fact if you want to know more about winter flying conditions you’ll find information all over this site. Captain Keith
