Driving from Des Moines to Sioux City tomorrow afternoon. This should be a fun trip.
Winter Storm: Thanksgiving Week Edition
- Thread starter Trice
- Start date
Yeah, those stories are why I don't want to fly again. I've flown 3 different places in my life, nothing traumatic happened, but I just am not the biggest fan. I'm pretty comfortable staying within 5-6 hours of home, places where I can drive to...
The roughest landing of my life...
It was coming from the north into DCA on the infamous "river visual." I think it was in a 737, but it might have been like an A320 (something in that genre).
It was in the middle of an absolutely terrible storm. It was cold, windy as all heck, some sort of precipitation between rain, snow, and ice coming down.
We tried once... the thing was bouncing and shaking like an ancient roller coaster that had seen better days, and the pilot pulled it off and circled back to try again. On the second try, we had the exact same result trying to fight our way in.
Before the third try, the pilot came on and said he would give it one more shot, but after that, he was going to have to divert to Dulles, BWI, or Philly -- they were low enough on fuel where it was becoming critical and they needed longer runways.
We do it again. It is even worse the third time. I swear they had it rolled about 60 degrees to the side once or twice on the way down but... he stuck it. We landed at DCA, and we were only 20 minutes late from our scheduled arrival.
As we were taxiing in, the pilot came back on... and I remember this all too well...
"Folks, we're sorry about that, but we are glad we could get you home close to on time in those conditions. I flew F-4s over Vietnam for Uncle Sam for four years, and that was the roughest landing of my life. Have a good evening."
It was coming from the north into DCA on the infamous "river visual." I think it was in a 737, but it might have been like an A320 (something in that genre).
It was in the middle of an absolutely terrible storm. It was cold, windy as all heck, some sort of precipitation between rain, snow, and ice coming down.
We tried once... the thing was bouncing and shaking like an ancient roller coaster that had seen better days, and the pilot pulled it off and circled back to try again. On the second try, we had the exact same result trying to fight our way in.
Before the third try, the pilot came on and said he would give it one more shot, but after that, he was going to have to divert to Dulles, BWI, or Philly -- they were low enough on fuel where it was becoming critical and they needed longer runways.
We do it again. It is even worse the third time. I swear they had it rolled about 60 degrees to the side once or twice on the way down but... he stuck it. We landed at DCA, and we were only 20 minutes late from our scheduled arrival.
As we were taxiing in, the pilot came back on... and I remember this all too well...
"Folks, we're sorry about that, but we are glad we could get you home close to on time in those conditions. I flew F-4s over Vietnam for Uncle Sam for four years, and that was the roughest landing of my life. Have a good evening."
KidSilverhair
Well-Known Member
I worked in the tower at CID for 27 years before I retired last December. I’d say the regional jets are getting more and more comfortable using 13/31. If we got steady winds of 20 knots or more out of the north or south, we’d advertise 13 or 31 as the active and almost everybody would use it.
(That’s not even including the times the airport would close 9/27 for construction and the airlines had no choice. Allegiant didn’t like it much, but we didn’t get many complaints from the rest.)
My dad hated flying due to when he was in the military flying over the Pacific Ocean when the plane started having problems, and they had to turn around and make an emergency landing. Every time we flew growing up, he would just get loaded. Seemed to do the trick
move to change the thread title to add something about flight experiences? 
but mine was leaving from Houari Boumediene in Algiers with a storm rolling in off the Mediterranean. ALG is in a small valley/depression next to the mountains so was some what shielded from the wind coming off the sea at first but after about 300 feet got the full burst of it and the effect of the start of the rise over the mountains, that A330 was rocking and rolling on the climb out. probably the most fun I've had on a plane before.
also would really like to get a foot of snow from this storm but also would like to be able to bring both vehicles back this week for Thanksgiving, the GF isn't wanting to drive at all if there's even a hint of bad weather on 20.
but mine was leaving from Houari Boumediene in Algiers with a storm rolling in off the Mediterranean. ALG is in a small valley/depression next to the mountains so was some what shielded from the wind coming off the sea at first but after about 300 feet got the full burst of it and the effect of the start of the rise over the mountains, that A330 was rocking and rolling on the climb out. probably the most fun I've had on a plane before.
also would really like to get a foot of snow from this storm but also would like to be able to bring both vehicles back this week for Thanksgiving, the GF isn't wanting to drive at all if there's even a hint of bad weather on 20.
When I was like 9 we went to Disney World and on the way back our connection was through MSP. Crazy snow storm. Somehow we end up walking out to a tiny ass propellor plane on the runway to get us back to DSM. My grandma stops before we walk up the steps and says “I’m smoking a cigarette before we get on this plane there’s a 50/50 chance we end up like Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper”. That was 1987 or 1988.
Honestly it likely won't be bad, most of 80 will have had little to no snow and should be fine. Even 29 is liable to not be that bad due to the precip stopping, some sun, and temps near freezing.
Whar your storm updates?
Not much to write home about 3 miles west of Target Field near Mpls. Maybe 5 or 6 inches or so. Official stations are mostly 6-8 for metro, so on the low end of the range forecast.
When do we hype Part II? Looks like the big Gophers/Badger Axe Battle will be in the rain and not snow Saturday.
Not much to write home about 3 miles west of Target Field near Mpls. Maybe 5 or 6 inches or so. Official stations are mostly 6-8 for metro, so on the low end of the range forecast.
When do we hype Part II? Looks like the big Gophers/Badger Axe Battle will be in the rain and not snow Saturday.
