So You Want to Be a Snowplow Driver Quiz

Answer: Wet and dry

Dry snow is snow that has a snow to liquid ratio over 10:1. In other words, if more than 10 inches of snow results in 1 inch water, it is dry snow. Technically speaking, you would need a special gauge to determine the snow to liquid ratio. Practically speaking, if you can make a snowball, the snow can be classified as "wet." Wet snow is more fun to plow. I like the way it looks when it comes off the end of the plow.

It comes out in a solid mass the way dirt looks when you run a plow through your garden or field. Too much wet snow can be a problem though because it can bog down your plow and actually shift it sideways into the grass and you get stuck, or so I'm told.

Answer: V plow

The V plow is shaped like a v. It works best on narrow roads where only one pass is needed to clear the paved area.
Barney Plough was my junior high shop teacher. He would not have made a good snowplow driver. He only had one good eye and was missing most of his right hand from a nasty lathe accident.

Answer: Reversible plow

The reversible plow can be swung left or right to plow with the wind, rather than against it. Plowing against the wind results in snow being blown back over the area just plowed. It is also advisable to plow to the left (driver's side) when you are near the edge of the pavement so you can avoid accidentally digging the edge of the plow into the dirt. The airlines and your supervisor take a dim view of dirt and mud being dragged down the runway, or so I'm told.

Answer: Snowblower

Airport snowblowers work a lot like snowblowers for home use, only they are mounted on a large truck and are much, much bigger. An impellor driven by a second engine of up to 650 hp takes the snow in at the rate of 5000 tons/hour and shoots it out up to 200 feet. The idea is to get the snow up and over the runway lights so as not to bury them.
The snowblower driver has to be careful where the spout is aimed. Snow blown out can knock over lights, damage signs and break windows in the airport fire station, or so I'm told.

Answer: All of these

Urea is a nitrogen-releasing compound with many uses. For airports, it is used for its ice-melting ability and because it is not corrosive to aircraft aluminum.
Sand provides two benefits. Heated sand will melt through the ice. Once applied, the sand also provides abrasion. The sand needs to be free of rocks that could damage aircraft engines or propellors.
Calcium magnesium acetate is one type of compound that can be used. Other types are sodium acetate and sodium formate. These materials are also not corrosive to aluminum.

Answer: True

Runway deicing fluid is used by airports to melt packed snow or ice. The fluid is either ethylene glycol, propylene glycol or potassium acetate. Wetting the sand with deicing fluid helps keep it from being blown off the pavement as well as aiding in thawing.
Runway deicing fluid is dyed blue to prevent it being mistaken for aircraft deicing fluid which is orange or green.
Aircraft lavatory water is also dyed blue but no one would ever accidentally put lavatory water on a runway thinking it was deicing fluid, would they?

Answer: Decelerometer

The procedure to measure braking action with a decelerometer is to drive down the runway at 30 mph in a vehicle with the decelerometer in it. Full braking is applied and the instrument reads the braking action. Braking is generally tested at three points: touchdown area, runway midpoint, roll-out area.

The three numbers are given to pilots along with the type of decelerometer used. Each manufacturer uses a different scale. At the same time, a subjective braking action is given. It is reported as either good, fair to good, fair, fair to poor, poor or nil. Any time nil braking is reported in the US, whether by a pilot or the snow crew, the runway is required to be closed until measures can be taken to improve the braking action. A transmissometer measures visibility.

A barometer measures atmospheric pressure. A slidometer measures shocks to railway cars from sudden braking. Railway cars do not use runways so a slidometer would be useless at an airport.

Answer: Windrow

Windrows should not be left on the edge of pavement. They should be kicked (pushed) off with a plow or blown off. When it is necessary to leave a windrow, it should be low enough for aircraft wings, engines and propellors to clear and should not be high enough to hide edge lights or signs.

Answer: Pillow drifts

Another type of drift results from snow blowing from the edge of the runway and forming long, appendage-like drifts. These are called finger drifts. Finger drifts are easier to deal with because they can be plowed back off the edge of the pavement. Pillow drifts, which occur toward the middle of the runway, have to be plowed clear over to the edge.
Rorke's drift was a battle in the Zulu War.

Answer: Oshkosh

Oshkosh Truck, based in Oshkosh Wisconsin, manufactures snowplows, snowblowers, snowsweepers and airport fire trucks as well as trucks for other civilian and military uses.
Northrop is now part of Northrop Grumman. Northrop built the P-61 night fighter of World War II, the F-89 jet fighter and the YB-49 flying wing.
ADB Alnaco manufactures runway and taxiway lights and signs.
Lamborghini builds fast cars. If they did build a snowplow, driving a plow would be an even cooler job than it is now.