It was snowing hard in Elko, Nevada, and getting dark, too. The temperature was about freezing, of course. The FBO put the airplane into a hangar, where the snow melted quickly, and some time with squeegees and towels and a large movable stair got the moisture off the airplane. Our policy is that a clean airplane is the best method of ground deicing, followed by “get into the air right away.” (If there is any doubt, we get deicing.)
Elko is surrounded by mountains. One of the airport’s features is a funky LDA/DME approach to Runway 24 that means flying between two peaks. There’s an RNAV approach but it has higher minimums, so the LDA gets used. We had no trouble getting in, spotting the plowed runway among the snowy hills a few miles out. But now…. Dark? Wet? Mountains? How can we depart safely?
