Would you decide not to fly?

[onelilspark]

I'd fly. I think half of it is taking flights in and out of Rochester. If they didn't fly during snow storms, 90% of flights between November and March would be canceled. The pilots that fly into and out of this airport know how to handle these conditions.

Besides, you're so much safer in a plane than other forms of transportation (ok, maybe a train?) If they don't think it's safe, chances are good that flight isn't going to leave the ground. I'm not the type to get bent out of shape if my flight is delayed. If I do get upset it's usually because my plans are thrown out of whack, but I know there's always a good reason and I'm much happier I'm safe on the ground than in the air.

Personally, I'd rather fly in a snow storm than in a thunderstorm.

 

[RadioNate]

It would depend on the type of plane for me. A 737 has a different de-icing system than a commuter turbo prop.

I try to avoid turbo props when ever possible anyway and don't necessarily like regional jets either but having a family of pilots I know what they will and won't fly in. If they aren't flying, I won't either.

 

[JessicaR]

Honestly, I would go and trust the airline officials to make the right decision. Their judgement is certainly better than mine.

This is how I feel too.

 

[OK!]

Years back when a plane hit the bridge in DC and ended up in the Potomac, and other times...thinking of one in NY years ago...was when I decided I wasn't flying in winter. Then again, the last time I set foot on a plane was 15 years ago. I HAD to go that time due to a funeral.

They just featured that flight (the one that ended up in the Potomac) on Seconds from Disaster recently...my mom was terrified when it happened that my dad was actually on that flight. He was due to fly out of DC that afternoon to head home from a business trip and once news of the crash broke, my mom naturally expected a call from him saying, "No, it wasn't my flight, everything's fine, etc." When that call didn't come for hours, she was in a full-on panic. Turns out he was reading a book or something in the airport and never even knew about the crash. He found out when he walked in the door and my mom started screaming at him.

Personally, I'd fly. I've been fortunate never to have ended up flying into severe weather (though I did get stuck sitting on the runway for 2 hours for de-icing some years back while trying to leave for WDW), though the whole potential-for-problems thing with de-icing does scare me a bit. Apparently, the problem that caused the crash into the Potomac was something as simple as the mix on the de-icing solution being incorrect, like the ratio was wrong due to an incorrect ground temperature reading. They were de-icing our plane the morning we left for WDW this past December and I was really starting to get concerned when I could still see ice on our window even after they'd been spraying things down for a while. Obviously, nothing happened, but it does make you worry a bit.

 

[friendofgusgus]

I'd fly.

I used to live in upstate NY and fly out of Syracuse and even Ithaca pretty regularly. I was always much safer in the plane in the snowstorm than I would have been in my car on the NYS Thruway for the six hours it took for me to get home.

I have had a few harrowing flights through storms but I also had an aborted landing in Orlando once in perfectly clear 70 degree weather when the plane coming in before us stalled on the runway.

I'm very fatalistic about such things, anyway, though.

 

[Danauk]

I'd fly, last time we were coming back from WDW we flew through a tropical storm. The plane hit a depression and we suddenly lost altitude which was scary. Then when we landed it took ages to get the bags off the plane as the hold door had frozen shut and they couldn't re open it. I flew back to America in the summer and we had no problems. So if we want to continue having holidays in America the only way we are getting there is by flying.
If the airlines think it is dangerous they will cancel, if they don't then it must be OK.

 

[dis-happy]

I was always stuck by that 9-11 story of the woman out of Boston who took the other flight not with her friend/coworker so that she could have a first class upgrade. Both planes ended up being hi-jacked. But I couldn't help but think of on her plane saying to herself "why the heck didn't I just stick with the flight I was booked on?"

I guess you never really know if "the other flight" you don't take is the one that ends up being safer.

One good thing about these crashes: at least the industry is more diligent about these things for awhile. Many more planes than usual are being brought back due to birds lately, or least they are making the news.

And to the OP, my fellow white-knuckled friend: I'll never fly out of Reno again. Much rather drive from Sacramento through the Donner pass in a snowstorm than ever again deal with the heavy turbulence that comes from those mountain winds. Put it on your list of airports to avoid.

 

[Feralpeg]

To me, it isn't about whether or not to fly at all. I would simply delay my departure until the weather cleared. It might cost me the purchase of an additional ticket, but it would be worth it to me. I realize that flying is safer than driving. It is the conditions that bother me. And, as I stated before, I was on a flight that the airlines assured me would not be a problem and, it turned out they were wrong. I feel we were very lucky to have landed safely on that trip.

Thank you all for your replies. It is an interesting topic.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I'm not around snow much. It seems crazy to me that people drive in that stuff. The flying part wouldn't worry me at all. It would be getting from the airport to my final destination that would give me the most concerned.

 

[Frankiesmom]

I would still fly; and I live in Rochester-we are only 45 min from Buffalo. It's safer up there than driving a car. And I guess we all have to go sometime; I would hope it's when I'm old and gray-but you never know when God is going to say times up...

 

[Imzadi]

Peg, there were close to 5000 planes flying in or approaching the U.S. at the same time on Sept 11th, that all had to be grounded at once. That shows how many planes are flying at one small portion of any given day here. We never hear about 99% of those planes that land safely.

I do worry about flying in smaller planes, and in general avoid them, simply because the times we do hear about crashes, it usually involves smaller planes. Whether, because the planes are less sturdy, (the Sullenberg flight with only two engines, both knocked out,) or because less experienced pilots were at the helm who made mistakes, (possibly the Buffalo, NY flight.) For me, it's less about the weather.

Although, I did postpone going to a seminar coming up because it is in Portland, OR and the chances of flying through Chicago & the med-region and NOT having stormy weather like they had at Xmas, is doubtful. My concern wasn't about crashing. It was about being grounded & losing the $1200 on missing the seminar.

 

[Feralpeg]

Peg, there were close to 5000 planes flying in or approaching the U.S. at the same time on Sept 11th, that all had to be grounded at once. That shows how many planes are flying at one small portion of any given day here. We never hear about 99% of those planes that land safely.

I do worry about flying in smaller planes, and in general avoid them, simply because the times we do hear about crashes, it usually involves smaller planes. Whether, because the planes are less sturdy, (the Sullenberg flight with only two engines, both knocked out,) or because less experienced pilots were at the helm who made mistakes, (possibly the Buffalo, NY flight.) For me, it's less about the weather.

Although, I did postpone going to a seminar coming up because it is in Portland, OR and the chances of flying through Chicago & the med-region and NOT having stormy weather like they had at Xmas, is doubtful. My concern wasn't about crashing. It was about being grounded & losing the $1200 on missing the seminar.

You are absolutely right. I totally agree that flying is much safer than driving. Hearing about this past crash brought back so pretty sad memories for me. A lady I worked with was in the commuter plane that crashed in Minnesota several years ago. It was a similar situation. The weather was bad. I believe in that case, the ultimate decision was a pilot error.

I have flown many times in the past and I'm sure I will fly many times in the future. It is just something that has been weighing on my mind.

 

[dismom2]

I think I'd still fly, but I would do a lot of praying. As I get older I seem to have more panic attacks, so I do get more nervous about things like that.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I live in Michigan, if I didn't fly in bad weather, I'd never fly.

 

[Poohbear123]

I only fly Southwest, and not to any COLD place, except Orlando. They have a base here in Ft. Lauderdale which is good, so if I get an early flight the plane will already be there at the airport.