Hear Freak Snowfall Close Manchester Airport In Minutes!

[@RingwayManchester]

FlightStick 2025 Air Traffic Control Scanner Database. 2000 Freqs. Civil / Mil www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235875105871?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=GEQSq7eoRYy&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=GEQSq7eoRYy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY SignalStick 2024 Baofeng Database. 600 Frequencies. Fire Marine Air Rescue Chirp www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235767576842?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=GEQSq7eoRYy&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=GEQSq7eoRYy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[@nickwoo3034]

Your assumption of ( and I quote) keyboard warriors and people being completely uneducated on the subject is quite bold... what's your credentials and expertise??

[@GravyOverload]

I was out with the airfield operations team at manchester airport, this morning I had just gotten back from a nightshift so I wasn't on for this but what i can say is that we have also had attempts over the past few days to clear the links as you enter/exit the runway and they're just completely iced over. I was with the operations team the other night where we going around the airport trying to clear snow and ice off taxiways and stands (got to drift the ops car on a snow bank on stand 68 which was good fun), they are also trying to be somewhat conservative on the fluids they're putting down as they've used over 800 thousand litres of the fluid and we have to put the fluid down at the right point. the fluid is partially water based which means if you put it down at the wrong point its going to have very little effect. I've been on since sunday where I was on a day shift dealing with the snow closure there and they had Ops people running out trying to help clear stands and ground equipment, I was clearing some DHL steps on stand 10 and managed to get the ice off just in time to allow the aircraft to begin boarding but they still ended up delayed due to all the weather. Airfield ops have been going as hard as they can to work with what we've got and we weren't even expecting heavy snow accumulations in the forecast either when we got our shift brief last night they said they were only expecting light snow if any at all and weren't expecting it to stick at all. it was -7*c last night working out there trying to keep things clear and about half the night was spent in low visibility procedures as well which doesn't make things any easier. sources like the manchester evening news are never very accurate at reporting and love to dramatise the situation because they get more people to read the story and its going to just put people more on edge which isn't what anyone needs. I won't say the snow response was perfect because it wasn't but the guys on the ground did the best they could with what they had and the news stories don't portray that well.

[@galivantesproductions4048]

Thank you for all your hard work I'm on holiday now because of you you did fantastic.. thank you everyone at Manchester Airport and the MEN is a joke it doesn't do proper journalism it just regurtitates angry tweets. (Literally any one can send the MEN fake news and they will publish it)

[@vorlonb3]

Thanks for doing a cohesive and critical analysis of it ringway. and taking the time to put it all together.

[@harrisonhealey1679]

The ATC guy is the same person who was on the ATC where the Thomson 757 had a bird strike in Manchester way back in around 2007😊

[@Scotscan]

Decent job and pay, these lads and lasses tend to stick around lol

[@joshuasprucie8933]

Thought I recognised the voice, was he the second controller?

[@crazyunclebob6901]

Thank you Lewis. This was fascinating and very well edited.

[@antmassey6135]

Was listening and watching also. Great job and coordination by all involved.

[@gavin9038]

Very good point, if only other sectors could work so well together! All very professional.

[@Traumahawk007]

Lewis well explained most haven’t got a clue what is involved, the infrastructure operations of an airport. It’s not just RWY’s. Perhaps you should send to the comic that is the MEN

[@Boodieman72]

The Virgin aircraft is flying what is referred to as a published hold., there is a published entry and exit point(s) as well as leg lengths.

[@geimfarinn]

I live within visual range of AEY airport in north Iceland. It snows most days here in winter and watching them keep that clear is amazing. Obviously it's nothing like the size of MAN, but it just shows you the work needed to keep runways and taxiways snow and ice free

[@johnmcgaw2753]

I was scanning across the thumbnails and what scrolled by came across at first glance as "Freak SHOW Closes Manchester Airport" and my first thought was "I've been there a few times and it's always a freak show..." 🤣

[@chicofrostie]

Thanks for this, a really great insight. I was on FR2088 this evening. Delayed leaving Cork due to the ATC restrictions at Manchester. A nice hold over Wigan looking out at the pockets of freezing fog, followed by a thoroughly enjoyable autoland experience! Will be uploading a little video of the landing from onboard at some point tomorrow. The outbound this morning departed in quite the blizzard, we just got out before the runways closed!

[@123mikeyd321]

Thanks for doing this video, might help people understand what goes on. I did see a post on social media asking why they didn't have heated runways 🤦‍♂

[@paulnortham]

I love the fact that pilots are told to proceed 'with caution' after exiting the runway - Just in case they might feel tempted to perform a donut on the apron!

[@highlandoutsider]

We've all done doughnuts in a snowy carpark, pilots are only human after all 😅

[@paulnortham]

@highlandoutsider It's the pilots that try it mid-flight that you need to worry about!

[@trueriver1950]

Or perhaps a wheelie 😅

[@paulnortham]

@@trueriver1950 😂

[@G0RXA]

Nice one Lewis. I was listening too.

[@Vtarngpb]

All I could think of was that old skit about Yorkshire Airlines 😂😂

[@stanmarsh14]

I live close, and work next door to East Midlands Airport, and have noticed quite a few times us getting diverts from Manchester (Sister MAG airport), Birmingham, and London's before, and can remember one day, where everything pretty much south of EMA / BHX was closed, so quite interesting to see a number of Virgin's turn up here. For those that do know, whilst EMA is quite small compared to the other main UK airports, it is however almost the biggest Freight airport in the UK, with it's close links to the Motorway network, and a Free Trade Zone with Container forwarding by rail, so interesting what we get here, the Airbus Beluga and the Antonov freighters.

[@PaulStrickland]

I wouldn't call it small, passengers yes, MAG only bought it to stop it being competition for Manchester Airport, the runway is larger than more busier passengers

[@Stoyon]

Please permit me to brag a bit (: My local airport, ARN/ESSA - Stockholm-Arlanda has never closed due to weather. End of bragging.

Maybe that's because that part of the world gets WAY more snow than we do.

[@Stoyon]

Well, ofcourse it is (: I just wanted to brag a bit when we actually deserve it. I obviously realize that the resources we put in for snow clearing here would be wasted over in MAN. Also, it is kinda embarrasing when arriving at Arlanda and have to pass the manual passport control, it is a long walk, and you are greeted with two bored police officers checking you passport in a long queue, it is a terrible first impression when arriving in Sweden for foreign travelers.

[@dubliner1100]

Well done to them and to you for highlighting this, another brilliant informative and timely video. Thank you Lewis 👏

[@Hiram8866]

That's why air traffic controllers get paid so well.

[@rogerk6180]

People think clearing an airport happens instantly lol.

[@KimmoKetolainen]

Maybe this 1h45min closure will lead to purchase of a full set of specialist snow clearing/runway treatment vehicles. Like those at Stockholm and Helsinki airports (videos on KZbin).

[@rolsta2871]

Back in1982 our flight from Tokyo was changed before we took off as Anchorage was snowbound. It meant refueling at Moscow. What a trip a DC8.

[@markharpen7417]

As usual you just stated the facts with no spin. Very much appreciated!! Great content!

[@RingwayManchester]

I appreciate that! And I try 😀

[@highlandoutsider]

That was fascinating/ awesome to listen to! Thank you again for another great video, Im scared of getting into the radio world for the same reason I dont play WoW, cause I know it will eat my entire life, so im really greatful that you allow that nerd itch to be scratched without me having to bankrupt myself buying gear and losing myself in the airwaves 😅🙏

[@mickyp3357]

That was really interesting, thank you. 🙂

[@faderman36]

Considering I nearly went over on my a@&@ this morning on the pavement. I’m glad they closed the airport. Too many past incidents have happened, so well done to the ground staff. And a very interesting video. Thanks Lewis

[@cjmillsnun]

Very professionally dealt with by the airport, ATC and pilots.

[@frankchan4272]

I was stuck in Heathrow in 1990’s due to rare, but heavy snow storm & there wasn’t enough hotels so I had to sleep in Heathrow overnight for the for next flight out the next day. The airport was very crowded.

[@liamgrows]

I live about 3 miles up from the airport and the met office had no warning about this snow

[@2handsandwiches]

They don't expect snow with their global warming agenda..

[@dougaltolan3017]

​@@2handsandwichesCongratulations, you just won dumbest comment award. 🎉

[@KeystoneInvestigations]

Nicely done RM! 👍 As a private pilot, I have been grounded lately by our strong winds! ☹

[@Teknofobe]

The reason for these closures & delays is because the UK has never had snow before. Canada has real snow. Tens of feet of the stuff. Yet their infrastructures only occasionally annoyed by it. Contingency plans come from central government down. Ours is unaware of this fact.

[@FrauditorExposure2]

Amazing work Lewis and I agree well done to the team, in the tower and on the ground, interesting note Egcc feed is on broadcastify, uk, Cheshire and Egcc, signal isn’t that great though!

[@alandavis6072]

I’m hoping they don’t have the same snow problems a delays tomorrow as I have pick up from Manchester Airport at 12:40pm from coming York. Do agree UK airports aren’t used to snow and ice.

[@rhysFall]

I have a Uv5r Baofeng does anyone have a list of all frequencies that I can tune into in the UK struggling to find some?

[@rhysFall]

@Ringway Manchester

[@RingwayManchester]

Check the 2 links in the description

[@rhysFall]

@@RingwayManchester I don’t have a computer

[@David0lyle]

😳 I can’t throw stones after I flew into the airport in Jackson’s Hole WY. It was quite a snowy evening and that’s really saying something as Jackson’s hole is well known for its skiing. There I witnessed as we turned back to line up with the runway a pair of snow plows racing down the runway. “Well that’s nice, we get a freshly plowed runway.“ the plane circled in and set down after exiting the plane I noted that the snow plows passed the terminal . I assumed that they would be headed back to a hanger or garage, nope, they turned off and went down the runway again with the blades down, they turned off at the end and yet another plane came in. While that flight was taxiing here came the plows back the other way , blades down plowing snow. I hadn’t really considered what kind of logistics would be perfectly normal in an airport close to a ski area. 💁 But it totally makes sense.

[@Croz89]

I was quite surprised how little snow it took to shut the runways, there couldn't have been more than a centimetre out there this morning, I've seen far worse and the roads were all clear. I wonder if the ice and freezing mist was more of an issue.

[@tyreburster]

The Tower controller used to work at Leeds Bradford Airport. I'd recognise that voice anywhere!

[@itechflagstaff]

Super video. No hype just great information. Thank you. I wish Thai I had more to give. Keep up the great work 😊

[@RingwayManchester]

You’ll never know how appreciative I am of you my friend

[@slendermanRblx]

Did you also listen to the final takeoff of Jet2's last 757?

[@RingwayManchester]

No I didn’t, sick of hearing about it 😂

[@johnnorth9355]

As a frequent flyer in the 80's and 90's I never complained about delays and re-routes. Safety and getting home safely were always the priority. I have had to stay over in some pretty dodgy places and hotels as a result .

[@Croz89]

Guess that was back in the pre E261 days when the passenger had to pay for them and that meant finding the cheapest place near the airport.

[@garyhardwick8489]

Very interesting. Certain passengers would do well to watch this video so they can gain an appreciation of how airports deal with such situations then they probably wouldn't get stroppy with airport staff.

[@MrGeekGamer]

I recently had my outbound flight cancelled because of the fog. I guess it's better safe than sorry, but all the easyJet flights (not my airline) were taking off as normal throughout. I could hear them flying over Hyde.

[@xlr8r171]

We have also have very strong snow right now here in the west of Germany. And: first.

[@raymondmartin6737]

I heard about the snow in the UK and Germany. It's very cold and windy hear in the NE US. 😊

[@Neo7-777]

In Berlin you have the snow and the BER which was build I think in the 1950s

[@xlr8r171]

@raymondmartin6737 and here in the Rhineland, snow is an absolute rarity

[@galivantesproductions4048]

I flew from Manchester airport on Monday my flight was only an hour late I would much prefer a late plane that is safe.. and was harder to get to airport because of snow than getting my flight

[@markiangooley]

MAN is the last British airport I’ve used, way back in 2018. Two parallel 10,000-foot runways, whereas most airports here in the United States have a mess of runways. (MAN is the third-busiest airport in the UK; even some very modest ones in the USA will have three or more runways.) Some airports here are very good with snow, such as ORD; I expect that ATL would be miserable at handling it.

[@1959tr3s]

I'm always full of praise for the airports ground crew but less so for airport management. Fortunately I've only ever been delayed by snow once and that was at London City. However, its worth pointing out that Innsbruck, which knows a thing or two about dealing with snow, has never had to close it's runways in 50 years of operation. Yes it's a smaller airport but they have the right level of equipment to deal with it. Unlike a lot of UK airports which take the view that snow is such a rare event and spending a large amount of money on specialist equipment to have it standing idle for what could be 50 or even 52 weeks in the year doesn't make financial sense. I can't say that I blame the bean counters for taking this approach but it would be nice if management told customers the real reason as to why they haven't been able to clear the runways and apron areas.

[@DeeMcQueen]

I always struggle to understand what they're saying as they talk so fast😂

[@bensmith5707]

Another great video.

[@zakelwe]

People always moan when snow blocks any sort of transport. People don't seem to realise that we have so little snow in at least England nowadays it does always boil down to extra cost to the people using that transport to pay for; something people will complain about also. In theory you could have underground heating for all the tarmac in England just for those 2 days a year it might be needed... there has to be a cost benefit ratio that suits. I've got all season tyres on my car, cost me more, and have used them 3 times in 7 years in snow... not that I'm bitter ... but you get the point.

[@AvocadoAfficionado]

Lol, no. Public transport is there to keep the country running, get people to work, let them get to the shops to keep the economy afloat, not turn a profit. If it doesn't meet that requirement then it requires additional funding. Less the bottom falls out the economy (imagine if you couldn't buy a Costa because the staff are stranded and don't live within the gentrified ridiculously expensive inner city location.) Yeah, it affects everyone even if you drive a BMW.

[@Epacman17]

I was delayed in Manchester on tuesday for 8 hours, for about 2 cm of snow. 😂

[@FurbleFawks]

?Stupid question, I thought it was illegal to re-broadcast Air Traffic Control in the UK?

[@RingwayManchester]

It’s illegal to listen to anything not intended for you too

[@DeeMcQueen]

Love the video but will you get in trouble for putting up air band recordings?

[@RingwayManchester]

Despite the clear law, I wouldn’t think so.

[@mpol701]

They don't care I don't think, stuff on KZbin Glasgow life and also another wiyh solent vts for marine movement and ofcom of users don't seem to care, yes if they object it will be acted on by ofcom but if they don't then it's nit an issue

[@DeeMcQueen]

@mpol701 thank you. And I'm glad they're not so harsh on people and their hobby

[@097534]

Would love a scanner but don't know where to start just hoping next Thur nt ok as I'm on evening Qatar to Bangkok for some hot sun.

[@trevormegson7583]

Spot on.

[@PaulStrickland]

I did wonder why a B787 Dreamliner belonging to TUI (flight from Cancun) had diverted this morning, I don't think I have seen a Dreamliner there before, plenty of B777 freight belonging to DHL but never a B787

[@BrianJones761-wc4hu]

Interesting but I would just say snow on a cold Manchester day in January cannot be described as freak.

[@RingwayManchester]

I’d say unforeseen snowfall that wasn’t forecast and caught the airport totally off guard is freak

[@ianhjan]

Very interesting video.

[@TheCherokee28]

At 0505 snow showers and freezing fog were forecast for MAN

[@798jamesb]

What is the model of the radio lewis you are listening to this on ? Would you recommend it or is there a better one for a complete novice

[@RingwayManchester]

Icom 5100 here but for a novice, uniden 125xlt is perfect

[@798jamesb]

@RingwayManchester brilliant appreciate the help

[@6axe1man5]

I was one of the pilots caught out by all of this on Tuesday and I honestly found their handling of it to be unacceptable. Snow was forecast and the airport were simply unprepared for it. Our aircraft was on the ground for the best part of 2 hours and in the end, we had to overnight somewhere else because of the delays.

[@RingwayManchester]

Are you an airline pilot?

[@6axe1man5]

@@RingwayManchesterAffirm.

[@RingwayManchester]

Interesting to hear your take! Many thanks.

[@RingwayManchester]

I’m also very jealous. What type do you fly

[@6axe1man5]

@@RingwayManchester fly the 737…Got called off of standby to ferry an aircraft, then fly to MAN, then back to the first destination, then was meant to ferry back home, but had to overnight at the first destination. Think we got into MAN at roughly 17:00 and departed again at about 19:00 and 23L was still completely covered. Problem with MAN is they just don’t have anywhere near enough equipment for the size of the airport, so it gets overwhelmed too quickly. Loved your video on SoX lamps the other day…very nostalgic haha

[@MyJam1981]

Manchester seems to be bad for delayed at the best of times 😂

[@AlOh-2]

The snow was predicted days before 🤷‍♂️

[@RingwayManchester]

Not for this morning it wasn’t. Source: Manchester airport, and a controller I know personally….

[@cortanajpn]

What scanner do you use?

[@RingwayManchester]

Icom 5100 on this occasion

[@cortanajpn]

@ a lot newer than mine then! I have a Realistic Pro-32 that I can’t for the life of me work out how to work properly.

[@franklin.s.werren]

Since Manchester has very little snow and they get hit with a bit of snow that surprised them, I expect the issues because of that. Just think of getting 2.5 to 8 centimeters an hour that hit me at the end of November here in Western NY with 198 cm in one week!!!! The end of November is one thing, that snow fall is something that can happen in January!!! DE N2JYG

[@MarkKinson]

East Midlands Airport can have A350s and A330 passengers.

[@mr.pavone9719]

I thought at first Freak Snowfall was some radio pirate or something.

[@binky_bun]

Misread the thumbnail as "Freak Show" and thought customs had had enough of all the wierdos.

[@pablofb75]

I was OPS-3 in the late 90s

[@1benfake]

Am I the only one who read the thumbnail as "freakshow closed Manchester airport"?

[@ArcticVXR1]

I read it like this also ha! Took me a little while to work it out!

[@nicholasstokes8330]

Snow showers were forecast.

[@johnwebster2263]

At least the farmers helped out with loaning a couple of tractors to join the snow clearance

[@Delete_DeLolz]

But the snow WAS Forecast.

[@TheCherokee28]

But otherwise an excellent summary!

[@justinepaula-robilliard]

It has never snowed in Manchester before? Seems like they have never had this problem before and 1 snowflake and chaos.. You would have thought in 2025 they would have had at least 1 year of snow experience... Really.. Have they never had snow before??

[@pullahuru9168]

Laughs in Finavia, the finnish airport operator that keeps its aiports open in blizzards

[@Scotscan]

Big up the Finns. We are a Finnish family living in the UK. They take snow in their stride over there

Easier for people escaping from Finland. No wonder airports are a priority.

[@christopherlawley1842]

Finland gets rather more snow than we do in Britain. They'll have the right equipment to deal with it, too.

[@DarkShroom]

it would be funny if you got the pilot or a crew member to comment lol

[@petersoakell6950]

good

[@Trevor_Austin]

The British problem is the CAA, not the snow, airport or ATC. They have a back-to-black policy. They want taxiways and aprons clear of snow. In the more enlightened parts of the world they just clear the runways and initial part of the stand for the tug to do a pushback. With ATC in mind, in over 30 years of flying I’ve only ever had a problem with three controllers (but I’m sure more controllers have had a problem with me). With regard to RVR’s, the maximum is typically 1,500 m, hence the “greater than 1,500 m”.

I hope you're not referring to the USA as 'enlightened'.

[@Skalekul]

Great videos but please beware that as far as I know, it is not entirely legal to listen to ATC communications in the UK. Although this is rarely enforced to my understanding. See Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006.

[@Peter_S_]

Lewis did a video on this topic a little over 3 years ago called, "Air Band Radio Scanners Are Illegal!? - The Law Explained".

[@RingwayManchester]

Absolutely true. The law is clear and has never changed.

[@Scotscan]

Oh no, let's not go down this slippery slope again

[@gavin9038]

It's technically not lawful but listening in is a vibrant hobby in the UK.

[@mpol701]

It's an extremely busy hobby we sold scanners at airshows and freq guides, we put the coms on speakers on our stand, it's common to see people at airshows walking round with scanners blasting out, and at military bases

[@tomt8692]

I used to be RFFS at BFS. Wasn't just fires. We were responsible for bird control and during foggy weather sometimes had to do the manual rvr readings for the tower. We had a to go up to a certain height, 22 feet I think it was for runway 25. We'd count how many edge lights we could see from the designated height and that told the tower the RVR. WE also did the friction tests on the runway surfaces. The old mu meter was ancient when I started and only got replaced by the Grip Tester around 98. Damaged my spine during a practical training exercise in August 99 and couldn't pass the cap 168 medical anymore. Got pensioned off at 31 in 99. Except I had to wait coz Robert Maxwell had plundered the Mirror pension fund and all the laws got changed. Even though I qualified for it my pension was not paid until 2013.

[@IndaloMan]

I disagree, MAN and most other UK airports are totally unprepared to deal with snowfall. I mean how unexpected for it to snow in January.....

[@gingermanc]

I have posted on Facebook- that there was snow forecast way in advance and that I predicted Manchester Airport would not have got the memo. Sure enough they were caught out massively ( this was a year or more ago ). But as mentioned in the video, they can’t just salt or grit the runway. Today the snow was fluffy and dry enough to blow off, but that’s a rarity in these parts.

[@MartinE63]

Back in the 1990’s I used to fly regularly three or sometimes more times a month from the UK (Manchester or Heathrow) to Switzerland (Zurich) and to Västerås in Sweden (100km west of Stockholm), usually via Amsterdam or Copenhagen. In winter there were many times the Västerås flight had to divert to Stockholm because of ice, snow or bad visibility. I was stranded in the airport at Copenhagen once for many, many hours with frozen rain stopping all flights, the aircraft eventually needed deicing twice before takeoff. Flights were usually on KLM & SAS 737’s and MD80’s Occasionally on SAAB 340’s and Fokker 100’s I was rarely delayed much at either the UK or Swiss end because of weather Also the snow today in Manchester wasn’t in the forecast, it was quite visible on weather radar from an hour or so ahead but nothing was forecast on the BBC website.

The issue is we don't generally get much snowfall any more and certainly nothing which is usually sustained or which will stick around. Imagine the cost of constantly being prepared for something which historically now rarely occurs.

[@tonywoodford9164]

I disagree. We have wet snow In this country. It's far harder to deal with than country's with colder temperatures and regular snow. Take it from someone that been to the arctic many many times including landing on sea ice

[@dubliner1100]

Armchair experts 🤣

[@linewton24]

Blizzard

[@MachinesOfInterest]

Imagine the pollution from this one craft circling around.

[@Peter_S_]

It's nothing in comparison to the result of not operating in safety. Planes create exhaust whenever they operate, all the time, not just when in circling patterns. The same applies to cars and trucks, and thermal power plants for that matter.

[@MachinesOfInterest]

@@Peter_S_ But these things actually block out the sun, one trail then another and another and before you know it the sky is white I watch it all the time.

[@MrBubba59]

It's not fantastic at all, it's under resourced and amateurish. Farm tractors to clear snow? In fairness it hardly ever snows but the airport is In many ways still a parochial little airfield which often struggles to handle demands placed on it, even in good weather.

[@DirtySanchez943]

Toke it up bro. Winter has come...

[@oscarbrownmedia2111]

First

[@RingwayManchester]

You were second I’m afraid

[@edgarcornette6387]

People for some reason have lost the common curtesy of patience these days. everyone thinks there time is more important than anyone else's time I guess. I think they did a awesome job. I dont fly anymore because i cant trust these airlines to hire mechanics based on there skill instead of DEI crap. so nope wont fly anymore period. but still respect the work they do.

[@dubliner1100]

@@edgarcornette6387 and an ignorance of the importance of safety for all concerned. Well said 👏

[@gingermanc]

Hi, excellently and rapidly produced video yet again ! If you want to see how fast the snow came down ( i’m in Altrincham - not far away ) I did a Timelapse which captures that window in time on my cheapo Goodman’s action cam. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qp6soqFqiaxqjrMsi=7JuiIVwvzMtviu_v I just got this, I was hoping it was going to be better than my old GoPro, but at least it shows the time stamp and an acceptable image. It should be able to shoot in greater than 4K but the firmware only allows a lower bitrate at 1080. Thanks again. I’ve only got 70 odd subscribers, so I’m not making money. This is just for your interest. It’s 1659 now and foggy as hell !