With the holidays arriving and cold weather brewing, ice, rain, and wind will be all the norm soon. During the holidays, many like to travel to visit family or to get away. A common concern among uncommon flyers is: how do pilots fly in bad weather? Our aircraft dispatcher graduates share how their colleagues manage flying in bad weather.
Snow and Ice
These are two factors that can make any nervous flyer even more nervous! Is it safe to fly in snow and ice? How do pilots fly in this weather condition? Well for starters, every plane must meet FAA standards. Pilots know and understand how a plane is equipped, what it can manage, and the fact that they have to pass certain FAA safety thresholds.
Our FAA dispatchers will first tell you that when it’s freezing temperatures outside, a plane gets a de-freezing. During the de-freezing, a blend of hot water and glycol will melt the frost and help it from sticking to the plane. Each aircraft gets a de-freezing in winter conditions making the plane safe to fly. Once the aircraft is in flight, it will naturally de-freeze itself. In terms of snow, if there is a horrendous snow term, the FAA dispatcher will cancel the flight until it is safe to fly again. Airline dispatchers monitor the weather carefully, so they know what the right temperatures and safety protocols are when it comes to flying in bad weather.
Rain and Wind
Pilots and the FAA are cautious when it comes to rain and wind. Trust us here at Sheffield when we tell you that your pilot will never put you in danger when it comes to flying in bad weather. There is a whole bunch of standards a plane must go through in order for it to get up off the ground, especially in weather that’s a concern to us all. A pilot knows how to fly in bad weather, and each plane is certified to handle winds, rain, snow, ice and yes, even lightning.
Here at Sheffield Schools of Aeronautics, we instruct on all of these important factors in the aircraft dispatching programs we offer. Contact us to learn more about our other programs at our aeronautics school.
