Flying in Hot/Cold weather

Tristar

Tristar

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Messages
1,837
Location
Lincoln, NE
Display Name
Display name:
Tristar
This thread is not intended to point out who are the weiney weather pilots, we already know who those people are. :D But I do believe that hot and cold weather can effect a pilot's body physically and cause a slower reaction time if not worse with even the most basic flying tasks. Usually, unless you're on a serious trip, you wont be in the airplane much longer than about 2 hours which in itself can take a toll on tolerances.

Heat
Most airplanes, unless hangered, are already a sauna when you step in the cockpit. The first thing that everyone seems to do is to make sure all the doors and windows are open until the last possible moment. Then, everyone is eager to get that "big fan in the front" going. Quite resonable and helpfull with airflow but when you've been sitting the cockpit for quite sometime, the heat becomes too much. If you're a student on an intense under the hood flight (causing motion sickness) or a busy CFI (possibly unconsiously paying more attention to heat than student), flying can become stressfull. The only thing I know to do is bring water and fly at a higher altitude but thats not always practical for the objective.

Cold
This is defined differently to different people. To me, cold is around 30 degrees (I grew up in florida, work with me here) but I do understand what it's like to deice a plane. The best thing most GA pilots can do is pile on the jackets but in a small cessna, its possible to be limited in movement and possibly even closterphobic. Thankfully most cessnas have cabin heat but during my twin training in the Duchess (they gave up on fixing the heater) I wasn't so lucky.

So all in all, my question is, what are some tips to prepair for mother nature's worst?
 
Tristar said:
{snip stuff}

Cold
This is defined differently to different people. To me, cold is around 30 degrees (I grew up in florida, work with me here)
Click to expand...

This can be cured. I prescribe two winters in Montana.:goofy:

After that, every day will seem like a heatwave and half of all your concerns will be vanquished.
 
For me in the heat it is about the same as you Tris. I try to "open" the plane up 15 or 20 minutes before I am ready to go, seems to help a little bit.
I normally fly Pipers and since I am so short, I can't reach the passenger side vent to open it while flying, so I always double check that to make sure it is wide open. That little bit of air coming out does make a BIG difference.

For the cold, I actually try to NOT wear to much additional clothing. As long as the cabin heat is working, I take most coats etc.. off before I ever get in the plane and shove them in the back. A few minutes of being "cold" beats two hours of SWEATING. Tried taking a coat off ONCE while flying and in turbulence, made driving a car and doing it look easy.

Mark B
 
Hot - I usually don't do too much more than the usual keep the doors windows open/use the checklist as an airscoop while taxiing in piper products thing. I have discovered that Low Alt enroutes make excellent sunshades though when parking outdoors.

Cold - My current club planes are hangared, but my prior 2 club's planes were tied down outdoors. Mark's advice on the heaters is spot on, but always bring enough clothes to preflight the plane properly (also helpful should you go down, god forbid). when you are shoveling a 172 out of a snow drift at 15F in a 20 kt wind you are glad to have brought the gloves, coat, and hat. One more piece of advice. avgas evaporating on your fingers on a cold and windy day really sucks.
 
I suspect there's plenty of human factors research on point, and that it will support the hypothesis that extreme temperatures have a negative affect on cognitive function, hand-eye coordination, and reaction time. At least, that's what I learned from Chapter 15 "Environment-Atmospheric Conditions" in Human Factors Engineering, 3rd edition by Ernest J. McCormick (McGraw-Hill, 1970).

And can you believe an engineering text once cost only $14.75 new?
 
Tristar said:
Heat
Most airplanes, unless hangered, are already a sauna when you step in the cockpit. The first thing that everyone seems to do is to make sure all the doors and windows are open until the last possible moment.
[snip...]
The only thing I know to do is bring water and fly at a higher altitude but thats not always practical for the objective.
Click to expand...

Don't forget we also open the windows & doors during preflight unless its windy (>5kts).

Cold
This is defined differently to different people. To me, cold is around 30 degrees (I grew up in florida, work with me here) but I do understand what it's like to deice a plane. The best thing most GA pilots can do is pile on the jackets but in a small cessna, its possible to be limited in movement and possibly even closterphobic. Thankfully most cessnas have cabin heat
Click to expand...

I'm from SoCal and 30 is absolutely insanely friged to most. In fact 55 is snow jacket, run hussle to the car/building weather. U should've seen my first XC. Temps aloft were supposed to be around 30-40*F and I had on my thick jacket expecting icicles to form on my chin (in clear air) like in the movies. I've since learned that the cessna heat is quite powerful against temps and has to be well managed during the So Cal winter.

So all in all, my question is, what are some tips to prepair for mother nature's worst?
Click to expand...
First of all, living in SoCal I think we have 2 seasons. Summer and not summer with a few weeks of frequent rain mixed in. As for heat all I can say is try to fly early mornings (weather permitting) or afternoons & nights. I'm not a big fan of drinking more then a bottle before flight as rudder control and bladder control take lots of concentration when combined.

For the "cold" I'd say to wear a long sleeve shirt, pants, and possibly a white T if your shirt feels "drafty". I find that is more then enough for our "winters", especially as we try attempt to prevent the heater from baking us during cruise.

As for what those northern folks call winter, I can't comment. I've yet to see ice form on anything outside a freezer as I live in an alternate reality called SoCal.
 
Heat

Drink water and be sure you're sweating. If you stop sweating, you're either cool enough or on the verge of heat Stroke. Know which is which.

Cold

What's cold?

My IFR CFI was a Russian. He would come to lessons bundled up with a parka, mittens, hat -- the works.

As soon as I would climb in the airplane, off came the jacket, the vent would open, and I would enjoy the "fresh air."

I usually file for higher in the summer so I can be in the cooler air. I'll try to schedule student pattern practice for early AM or later afternoon (winds are usually less then too).
 
I like flying high in the summer to try to get above the hot temps. Of course, here in PA "hot" is relative, we only ever get to about 90 or 95. But on those days, taking off and climbing up to 7500 or above sure is nice. Really, though, even 5500 is usually fine around here with the vents open. I'll get the big fan in front going and leave the door cracked (I mostly fly a Piper) until I'm doing my ruup, and then close and lock it. It does help that the plane is kept in a hangar that doesn't get all that hot, even on the hottest summer days, so it starts out from a good setting.

In the winter, my plane is kept in a heated hangar so preflight and all isn't a big deal. I haven't flown the Piper much in the cold yet, but the Cessna leaked enough that I had to wear a jacket anyway. The Piper has much better sealing and I suspect I will therefore end up flying it without any coats - it's heater also works well.

Always bring along something to drink, especially cool. I haven't had any problems otherwise, but then again my longest flight yet was about 5 hours one way, with a fuel/bathroom stop, and then stop for lunch and a few errands and fly another 3.5 hours home nonstop (winds are you friend). I normally throw some water and some Frappuccinos (the bottled kind) in my flight bag. That way I always have liquids and calories so if I get hungry/tired or thirsty I've got something.
 
Good question Tristan

Heat:
Here in PA it will get into the upper 90s with a good deal of humidity. Besides what you already have posted here, I will bring some bottles of Water stuck in the freezer over night. They will melt fast enough to give you nice ice water and enough ice in the bottle to put on your wrists or neck and cool you down. nothing better that water to keep you cool and hydrated.

Cold:
Dress warm and in layers and I always always wear smart wool socks.
 
Tristar said:
my question is, what are some tips to prepare for mother nature's worst?
Click to expand...

I learned to fly as a teenager in the Canadian winter and thought that was he**, now I fly in the Texas summertime and know what H. really is!

Tips. Hmm.
In the cdn winter, "there is no bad weather, only bad clothing" seemed to apply to flying as much as any activity so we dressed in multiple layers til our arms stuck out at our sides and we could not bend any joints. Hot tea helped a lot. I won't bore you with the extremes we went to bring the airplane out of hibernation (it involved a hatchet to chop ice around the tires and taking the oil and battery home at night).

In Texas summers, the greatest invention I have found for the Viking is the KoolScoop. Course if I had a Cub or Maule with doors I could leave open that would be even better!
 
Damn weenies.

No just kidding, really. Hangar helps with both hot and cold. In cold temps, I put the preheaters on the engine and go somewhere nice and warm for breakfast. Lots of layers when I preflight, still in the hanger to keep the wind off.

Summer, preflight in the hangar to keep the sun off. Same as everyone else said about everything else. Flying early helps as well, in the cool of the morning. That can be problematic for VFR pilots though, as we often get IFR conditions early.
 
Cold:

Preflighting outside below freezing is no fun. If you are dressed for outdorr winter activities you are overdressed for being in the aircraft. It should be obvious but a lined leather jacket, removed when entering the airplane over a sweater or heavy shirt is a good mix.

Once started the plane loves to fly in cold air and D/A of -1200.

Having a working heater and vents that can be closed and locked are not optional in MI. Those were the first things to get fixed on the plane from FL when I brought it home.

Major concerns: ICE!!!!

Heat:

Nothing to add about comfort since it is a relatively easy problem to deal with here.

Flying becomes more interesting D/A although usually less than 2500 here needs consideration. I find thermal activity over fields around airports to be my favorite PIA. Nice stabilized descent on final then over a dry field and sudden 500 fpm climb. Cut power start down and go over a tree'd area and you are dropping like a rock.

Concerns: Pop up storms, Haze, Fog
 
Heat: I leave the door open until I am ready to cross the hold short line.

30 degrees: I might wear jeans instead of shorts when flying.
 
All good discussion.

Since we're talking about the seasons, here's my list of pros/cons.

Feel free to add!

Spring

  • High winds, rapidly changing weather
  • Cool air, beautiful days, new-green fields
Summer
  • Heat, humidity, thunderstorms
  • T shirt and shorts flying, low and slow evenings, climbing through the fog layer in the morning
Fall

  • High winds, big swings in temperature and weather
  • Clear air, colors below, low humidity
Winter

  • COLD
  • Low ceilings, Ice
  • High winds
  • VERY clear air
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top