FAA blues

[Jeff California]

Is this something that happens often?

www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/1...index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/11/27/sierra.storm.ap/index.html)

Reno is very close to Truckee california. I grew up there (high school) and it gets nasty!! Beautiful area of the country, but it can really snow.. The Donner Party would agree. One winter, I remember it being around 50 below (with wind factor).. We would wait at the bus stop and I remember my hair freezing as it was still wet from showering. Used to get rich shoveling roofs in trailer parks.. lol

[CaptainStark]

Jeff,

If the antenna gets shrouded in heavy wet snow, that can shut down the transmitter. There is evidently a problem with their system because this is the first time I have ever heard of snow shutting down an ILS transmitter.

The reason no on could get out is because no planes could get in to pick them up. Reno sits down in a valley with mountains surrounding it. In heavy snow or clouds, you must have an operating approach system to safely descend below mountain peaks to land. Without it, you have no idea where you are (with any high degree of precision).

Eventually, GPS navigation will replace the old ILS systems which have been really good until this episode.

Ray:ray

[Passenger Mark]

Well... the good side of it is that it shows regardless of how it may inconvenient people, no matter how mad it may make someone, or how big a pain in the butt it may become, they will SHUT DOWN rather than risk an incident!

I would rather be safe and stranded, than un-safe and flying!