Howefamily

That's interesting. I haven't experienced any issues with Halifax flying in the winter to and fro from St Johns. St Johns though is/was a diff story. I think they have improved the runway now so that aircraft can land in fog. I have flown back and forth and all winter and no issues with YHZ

scilly

you are just blinkin' lucky!!

Didn't you know that Halifax airport is supposedly the foggiest place in Metro Halifax, and probably NS?


Back story, and possible urban myth ............. the old Halifax airport was always having trouble with fog, so a big search was conducted to find the least foggiest area close to Halifax.

Eventually an area was found, and the decision was made ca 1954 to build a new airport.

They cut down all the trees, built the airport and all ancillary services, and it duly opened for use in 1960.


Guess what ....... it is believed that the trees were the reason that it was a low fog area, so now the new airport was at least as foggy as the old one.

We flew regularly into Halifax between 1999 and 2006, sometimes twice a year ........... we were held up in Toronto or in leaving Halifax on more occasions that not, due to fog, snow (blizzard), or other weather conditions.

Our son-i-l tried to get back to Halifax on 2 occasions around Christmas time, and was held up both times because of blizzards.


Mind you, our last trip by plane was in January 2014 .... and we were held up in Halifax because Toronto couldn't handle about 3" of snow

BristolUK

From wiki

scilly

yep, I know ............ but then when you talk to people who were actually living in Halifax/Dartmouth (and the airport is closer to Dartmouth than it is to Halifax) at that time, they talk that talk

so who do you believe?

BristolUK

It's like that one about the motorist who picks up a hitch hiker who they think is a woman but then they notice a deep voice and some stubble.

The driver makes something up about their indicator light and asks the hitcher to get out and see if if it's working and then they drive off.

The hitcher has left a bloodied axe in th car and later the driver reads about a bloody murder.

Tell that to someone and it's "That happened to someone I know/friend of a friend/friend's mum" etc....

Or the spider one.

scilly

well, I do actually know my daughter's in-laws who both lived in Dartmouth at the time, and I know other members of their family, including a grandmother

I also know personally several people who moved there post-1960 but before 1980 ............

all tell the same tale.

We also flew into Halifax in 1972, mid-1980s and early 1990s ............ and were given the same warnings by travel agents at that time


so one takes what one can get, doesn't one?

This is not exactly I know someone who knew someone who has a cousin ................

Howefamily

well that's all interesting and yes it is often foggy at the airport and no-where else (you drive through the fog bank on the 102 right there at times) but its never held me up. Weather at Halifax airport has never been an issue for any of my flights and I fly at least once if not twice a month out of there and back. I guess I must be super lucky.

spud1963

We have lived in Hubbards for 4 years, love it. Our Son works at Nova Scotia Power, on the Waterfront, the drive takes 45 mins to an hour, he has been doing the journey nearly 2 years. Winter drive was a bit longer in the winter but the 103 is well plowed so no real issues. Our Daughter lives in Clayton Park and works at the Shopping Centre, her bus journey can take between 35 mins to an hour, so it all depends on your route. I am retired but if i was driving i would look at Head of St Margarets Bay down towards Hubbards, great views and about 20 mins shorter to downtown.

Joepottinger

You aren't going to get a more reliable source on this than myself. It isnt always that foggy out there. I travel EVERY 3 weeks all year round from that airport. In and out all year and have done so for nearly 3 years now and have not once been delayed or canceled due to fog. Only once in all that time have I been delayed or canceled due to snow.

Simon Legree

I have been flying in and out of HFX, both as a passenger and, mostly, as a pilot, since 1970. Yes, there have been odd occasions when the weather has been a problem, either fog or snow. However, it isn't anything like as chronic as you seem to think it is.

Joepottinger

I think you must have quoted the wrong person there. I said more or less exactly the same as yourself.

Simon Legree

Oops. Sorry. I've deleted the quote which I used solely for continuity.

scilly

I'm glad that you are all contradicting me

All I know is that approximately 1/3 of all trips made to Halifax by ourselves or family members from 1972 to 2014 have involved delays caused by fog or snow ... so I guess that my view of Halifax airport is rather differently coloured from yours

Howefamily

That is a shame as I am sure its frustrating as hell. But I do believe that what you have suffered there is the exception rather than the rule

scilly

I guess we should also consider climate change .................

We had blizzards around Christmas/New Year that brought traffic to a halt (including bus service) in Halifax and Dartmouth in 2004, 2006, and 2008 ........... not counting White Juan

Even the blizzard in January 2014 was not up to the standards of those earlier ones.


I'm of course not counting snow that led to snow days for the schools