8 Votes (5.00 Average) and 5,897 Views  

Airbus A319 (N816AW) - The precipitation had only started falling about 20 minutes earlier, but it was coming down heavier each moment and the wind was picking up too (check out the sock) so the pilots of AAs Flt. 592 to PHX were really rather focused on getting airborne as quickly as possible.  The precip was a blend of freezing rain and snow which was turning the runways, taxiways, and roadways into skating rinks.  The tower was calling visibility at 1.5 miles (the tower is just barely visible over the AA A319) and the Ops folks had just closed runway 7-25 in order to concentrate all their efforts on running the sweepers and plows down 16R-34L and 16L-34R between planes in an attempt to get the newly-fallen precip off the runway surfaces before it could freeze into ice.  Meanwhile, the pilots wanted to get out so they did not have to return to the ramp to be deiced.  The first five morning departures (a United, a Horizon, a Southwest, this and one other AA) made it, but then, with visibility down to minimum, the wind steadily increasing from out of the north and the runways becoming more and more slick, the tower had no choice but to reverse the runway direction, and all the next morning departures began being delayed.
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Airbus A319 (N816AW)

Submitted

The precipitation had only started falling about 20 minutes earlier, but it was coming down heavier each moment and the wind was picking up too (check out the sock) so the pilots of AA's Flt. 592 to PHX were really rather focused on getting airborne as quickly as possible. The precip was a blend of freezing rain and snow which was turning the runways, taxiways, and roadways into skating rinks. The tower was calling visibility at 1.5 miles (the tower is just barely visible over the AA A319) and the Ops folks had just closed runway 7-25 in order to concentrate all their efforts on running the sweepers and plows down 16R-34L and 16L-34R between planes in an attempt to get the newly-fallen precip off the runway surfaces before it could freeze into ice. Meanwhile, the pilots wanted to get out so they did not have to return to the ramp to be deiced. The first five morning departures (a United, a Horizon, a Southwest, this and one other AA) made it, but then, with visibility down to minimum, the wind steadily increasing from out of the north and the runways becoming more and more slick, the tower had no choice but to reverse the runway direction, and all the next morning departures began being delayed.

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Gary SchenauerPhoto Uploader
Meanwhile, I had my own problems: I was having a devil of a time trying to keep my lens glass dry (lol)! And I was there specifically to get captures of UA's "Eco-Skies" special livery, so when they suddenly swapped the runway departure direction, I had to hustle to the other side of the airport because the precip was so thick I would never have caught it on the climb from this position. Fortunately for me, Eco-Skies ended up in the long queue waiting to depart on 34L so I was able to reposition and get clicks of it (thru thick snowfall) as it rotated and began its climb from 34L.
cliff731
Gary, my hat's off to you... I'm feeling the damp frigid chill just looking at your photo!

Congrats on your extreme dedication in the face of severely adverse and inclement weather conditions.

"5" stars and more if there were a way!
Tom Vance
Frick...! your new nickname is " Diehard with a Vision",,,awesome calendar shot Gman! nice write up too! I'd never waited for a shot like this...
ACTIVITY LOG
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Date Aircraft Origin Destination Departure Arrival Duration
02-May-2024 A319LaGuardia ()Charlotte/Douglas Intl () 18:40 EDT 20:28 EDT Scheduled
02-May-2024 A319Raleigh-Durham Intl ()LaGuardia () 14:57 EDT 16:11 EDT Scheduled
02-May-2024 A319LaGuardia ()Raleigh-Durham Intl () 12:25 EDT 13:54 EDT Scheduled
02-May-2024 A319Reagan National ()LaGuardia () 10:23 EDT 11:20 EDT Scheduled
02-May-2024 A319St Louis Lambert Intl ()Reagan National () 06:30 CDT 09:11 EDT Scheduled
01-May-2024 A319Los Angeles Intl ()St Louis Lambert Intl () 17:38 PDT 22:46 CDT Scheduled
01-May-2024 A319San Francisco Int'l ()Los Angeles Intl () 15:24 PDT 16:17 PDT Scheduled
01-May-2024 A319Los Angeles Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 13:02 PDT 14:11 PDT Scheduled
01-May-2024 A319San Francisco Int'l ()Los Angeles Intl () 11:05 PDT 11:51 PDT Scheduled
01-May-2024 A319Los Angeles Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 08:31 PDT 09:45 PDT Scheduled
01-May-2024 A319San Francisco Int'l ()Los Angeles Intl () 06:10 PDT 07:21 PDT Scheduled
30-Apr-2024 A319Los Angeles Intl ()San Francisco Int'l () 20:30 PDT 21:31 PDT 1:01
30-Apr-2024 A319Lic. Benito Juarez Int'l ()Los Angeles Intl () 14:34 CST 17:11 PDT 3:36
30-Apr-2024 A319Los Angeles Intl ()Lic. Benito Juarez Int'l () 08:39 PDT 12:42 CST 3:03
29-Apr-2024 A319St Louis Lambert Intl ()Los Angeles Intl () 19:36 CDT 21:12 PDT 3:36
29-Apr-2024 A319LaGuardia ()St Louis Lambert Intl () 17:21 EDT 18:24 CDT 2:02
29-Apr-2024 A319Chicago O'Hare Intl ()LaGuardia () 13:35 CDT 16:20 EDT 1:45
29-Apr-2024 A319LaGuardia ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 11:29 EDT 12:17 CDT 1:48
29-Apr-2024 A319Chicago O'Hare Intl ()LaGuardia () 06:10 CDT 08:48 EDT 1:38
28-Apr-2024 A319LaGuardia ()Chicago O'Hare Intl () 19:08 EDT 20:00 CDT 1:51
28-Apr-2024 A319Charlotte/Douglas Intl ()LaGuardia () 16:46 EDT 18:07 EDT 1:21
28-Apr-2024 A319Key West Intl ()Charlotte/Douglas Intl () 13:36 EDT 15:26 EDT 1:50
28-Apr-2024 A319Dallas-Fort Worth Intl ()Key West Intl () 08:41 CDT 12:39 EDT 2:58
23-Apr-2024 A319Columbia Metro ()Dallas-Fort Worth Intl () 07:34 EDT 09:06 CDT 2:31
22-Apr-2024 A319Dallas-Fort Worth Intl ()Columbia Metro () 20:32 CDT 23:25 EDT 1:53
22-Apr-2024 A319Columbia Metro ()Dallas-Fort Worth Intl () 17:22 EDT 18:41 CDT 2:19
22-Apr-2024 A319Dallas-Fort Worth Intl ()Columbia Metro () 13:14 CDT 16:11 EDT 1:56
22-Apr-2024 A319San Antonio Intl ()Dallas-Fort Worth Intl () 11:07 CDT 11:52 CDT 0:45
22-Apr-2024 A319Dallas-Fort Worth Intl ()San Antonio Intl () 09:23 CDT 10:10 CDT 0:46
22-Apr-2024 A319Des Moines Intl ()Dallas-Fort Worth Intl () 05:14 CDT 06:40 CDT 1:25
21-Apr-2024 A319Dallas-Fort Worth Intl ()Des Moines Intl () 21:35 CDT 23:02 CDT 1:26
21-Apr-2024 A319Kansas City Intl ()Dallas-Fort Worth Intl () 18:21 CDT 19:35 CDT 1:13
21-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Kansas City Intl () 12:51 MST 16:58 CDT 2:07
21-Apr-2024 A319Bob Hope ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 09:56 PDT 11:03 MST 1:07
21-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Bob Hope () 07:51 MST 08:58 PDT 1:06
21-Apr-2024 A319El Paso Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 06:18 MDT 06:14 MST 0:55
20-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()El Paso Intl () 22:11 MST 00:02 MDT (+1) 0:50
20-Apr-2024 A319Palm Springs Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 20:03 PDT 20:49 MST 0:45
20-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Palm Springs Intl () 18:42 MST 19:23 PDT 0:41
20-Apr-2024 A319Albuquerque Intl Sunport ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 15:55 MDT 15:49 MST 0:54
20-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Albuquerque Intl Sunport () 12:37 MST 14:23 MDT 0:45
20-Apr-2024 A319Bob Hope ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 09:57 PDT 11:03 MST 1:06
20-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Bob Hope () 07:30 MST 08:36 PDT 1:06
19-Apr-2024 A319Sacramento Intl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 19:22 PDT 20:49 MST 1:27
19-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Sacramento Intl () 16:49 MST 18:21 PDT 1:32
19-Apr-2024 A319Houston Bush Int'ctl ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 14:48 CDT 15:06 MST 2:17
19-Apr-2024 A319Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl ()Houston Bush Int'ctl () 09:28 MST 13:32 CDT 2:03
19-Apr-2024 A319San Jose Int'l ()Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl () 06:33 PDT 07:59 MST 1:26
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