Winter operations - Ski flying - most suitable aircraft

I have also only landed with wheels on a frozen lake (Ice FlyIn in Älmhult, for those who know). There was very little blown snow on the runway so pile-ups were no problem.
Braking was much akin to figure skating though, touch the brake pedals with one toe only. Especially interesting was when the speed become so low that the tail has no “grip” in the air left, but still so fast that the front wheel does not have any grip whatsoever on the ice yet. On the PA28 there is definitely a band of speed where you are at the mercy of the crosswind.

Ibra wrote:

On a side note, I have seen few helis take-off/land in snow, it does feel a bit illegal ils minima

Last year when I was skiing in the Alps there was a skier that needed to be flown out. I could see the helicopter do 2 approaches and almost land, basically white-out to blow out the loose snow, circle out to let the wind carry the snow away, and come back and finally land on the 3rd attempt. In the whiteout I could barely see the chopper. There was some cloud cover too, so the light was quite “flat” to begin with, must certainly have felt like low IMC. I learnt the rescue guides are part marshalls too.
The chair-lift I was sitting on at that time was stopped for some reason, so I could observe the whole procedure. The flat place where he could land is a tight triangular space between a chair-lift, an egg-lift and the mountain. Stopping the chair lift might actually have been to make it easier for him. Also the wind was uncooperative, the helicopter can only land in one direction, and that day he had the wind in the back. I guess it was good training for the pilots.

Arne wrote:

Last year when I was skiing in the Alps there was a skier that needed to be flown out

Yes, I have seen some impressive operations there as well, looks like once they are committed the landing/takeoff are done quickly?
They also get called for accidents when skiers fall due to low visibility

Fly310 wrote:

There is no official training for skis since it is not a Part-FCL requirement. I recommend that you do the initial part in Sweden if that is where you intend to fly. Then you can do extra training in the south.

I always had the impression, this falls under “difference training” but you are right I can’t fin anything related to this in part-FCL (except tail-wheels)
Also, better if your aircraft is non-EASA on a permit, when it snows you can just stick those, send a form/pay the fee and go for it

If on a UK LAA Permit, I think you might need LAA permission.
Probably NOT easy to get from LAA Engineering, but if you’ve told your insurer, and they’ve no objection, then why ask?

Those were for a CAA permit aircraft, my understanding those modification require CAA engineers oversight but as always knowing the right persons in LAA/CAA/insurance helps

This brilliant and inspiring video was posted here a year or so ago but I can’t find the URL; luckily I had the mp4. It is “on topic”… the sound track is a little late for today’s date

It’s nice hearing John Lennon. I don’t think I heard that song this Christmas.

A video vote for the D.140

Quite old, maybe pre-gopro, but it’s good and more importantly short (I have the attention span of an attention-deficit toddler)

Another one

Does anyone have contact details for Alex Combes? The aeroclub site goes to a Facebook page with a messenger option, but I don’t have (nor want!) a Facebook account…. cc @AeroPlus

Trying to sort out some Courchevel instruction.