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[Kevin Wood]

Nah .. she needs one of these .. 

(for the purists ... 2 x Rolls Royce Derwent Engines (as fitted to the Meteor) strapped to a bowser ... had a marked tendency to actually melt the tarmac rather than just clear the ice and snow ...  known as MRD's (Mechanical Runway Deicer) and no-one .. but no-one wanted the job.... unfortunately I got lumbered for 2 winters ..   )

I'm glad you posted a picture of that. One of my Gliding mates (ex-RAE) was describing exactly such a device this morning. We're all bored and grounded at the moment because nobody can find a big enough snow plough to clear Lasham!

He said speed control of the tanker was the critical issue. Too slow and it burnt the tarmac. Too fast and the resulting water refroze and left a hard layer of ice.

Kevin

[Entwood]

The tanker controlled the forward speed and general direction, the "operator" could change the direction of the nozzles by about 15-20 degrees either side, the height of the nozzles, and the power output.

Too much power and you upset the tanker driver add that to too little height and what you thought was slabs of ice flying away was actually lumps of tarmac !!! (followed by giving OC Ops a very good "listening to") !!

It was EXTREMELY noisey and uncomfortable, when in use the "operator" sat down between the engines on a little seat .. not like those 2 guys in the picture at all. You had a headset to talk to the tanker driver .. but the noise was so bad you couldn't hear his answers. You had an emergency cut off ... a piece of cord that run down the side of the  tanker to a valve at the fuel outlet. On activation of the "emergency cut out" there was enough fuel in the pipe for about another 90 seconds !!!!

Very, very  ... NOT NICE job .. given to the junior air engineer on the section .. unfortunately as I arrived on the sqn there was a recruiting ban so I did 2 winters before a more junior guy got posted in .....

Those were the days ...... I think  !!!   

[PhilRich]

I suppose it is too much to expect local Councils to consider fitting them to the front of council vehicles (which we habe paid for of course) to help clear side roads etc. A council worker may slip of course so this could not be allowed.

Even in America the king of legal actions had this, every bus, every bin lorry, every public service vehicle had a snow plough fitted.

Roads were totally clear!

I have witnessed that as well - I think the reason being that Americans drive everywhere, I got some strange looks actually walking through the snow to the nearest bar in Cleveland 

Pitchfork, I take it you mean Cleveland USA?, as it is almost 'de riguer' to walk to the bar in Cleveland UK, usually with the minimum amount of decent clothing whatever the climate!