BigPhilNYC From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 4073 posts, RR: 56 Posted (10 years 7 months 1 week 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1043 times:
Ok, in the Northern Hemisphere, the temperature is dropping. Winter is approaching.
How does this affect spotting and aviation?
I must be honest, I never really did much spotting in the winter. What can I look forward to?
Are the planes quiter or louder?
Do the planes take longer to take off?
Are there certain kinds of approaches that they will not use in the cold?
What other aspects are there to winter spotting that I should know?
Apuneger From Belgium, joined Sep 2000, 3026 posts, RR: 13 Reply 1, posted (10 years 7 months 1 week 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1030 times:
I don't think the aircraft sound increases/decreases. Maybe if you go out and measure it with a scientific machine it could notice a slight increase, due to the increased density of the air when it's cold.
Another thing: if I'm correct aircraft should take less runway lentgh to take off, since the lower temperature means higher air density, which means they can reach the necessary amount of lift earlier (maybe only a few feet or so, I don't know).
About the approaches: this depends on the prevailing wind and other meteorologic conditions, but frankly, I've never seen aircraft doing other approaches over here at BRU when it gets colder.
Maybe somewhere in Norway or Siberia or so, where normal approach is over water, they might change the approach because the water is frozen or so, or is just too cold, I don't know...
CactusA319 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 2918 posts, RR: 29 Reply 2, posted (10 years 7 months 1 week 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1019 times:
Aircraft noise doesn't increase significantly in the winter, at least not from a decibel standpoint. It may appear to be a little louder but that may be due to cold air as well as less ambient noise during the winter months (not as many people outside, etc. )
Aircraft performance improves in cold weather due to increased air density. Aircraft use less runway for take-off and their climb rate is higher than during the summer months.
Some aircraft use different approaches during the winter time but its due to the prevailing winds, not temperature. For example here at ORD, aircraft tend to use the westbound runways more during the winter because the prevailing winds tend to be more westerly, whereas in the summer the opposite is true.
707cmf From France, joined Mar 2002, 4885 posts, RR: 32 Reply 3, posted (10 years 7 months 1 week 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 1004 times:
Well, as a spoter, I can only welcome the Winter. In summer, CMF heaviest traffic is the by-daily ERJ135 to Paris.
In winter, however, due to the proximity of the ski resorts, we have much more traffics : 737, A320 (too many) Avros, even some 757...
This should begin in a few weeks (let it snow, let it snow let it snow).
By the way, to prepare the traffic increase, an ATR has come this morning from Paris and spent the entire day recalibrating the ILS of rw18... funny to see a plane flying counter QFU!
Mirrodie From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 7421 posts, RR: 65 Reply 4, posted (10 years 7 months 1 week 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 998 times:
As far as sound goes, I usually perceive that sounds is amplified on cold rainy days or humid days. I do not know if scientific validity is there to attest to that.
But I realize that on rainy nights when I am walking my dog, the trains at a x-ing 5 miles away sounds louder. So to do the planes overhead.
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Bigphilnyc From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 4073 posts, RR: 56 Reply 5, posted (10 years 7 months 1 week 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 991 times:
Mirrodie,
Yeah, I have noticed over the past few rainy days that it is much louder. The sound just bounces off the clouds and comes right back to you.
It's really something. Even ERJs sound like 727s! lol
Mirrodie From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 7421 posts, RR: 65 Reply 6, posted (10 years 7 months 1 week 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 975 times:
I don't if its just my perception. I could make the arguement that sound travels better through a solid versus an air medium.
Then perhaps I can extrapolate some cocamany(sp?) theory that rain acts as a "solid" medium thereby allowing sound to go farther....
it's been a while since taking physics...
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