Winter Flying Tips Anyone?

I am not a pilot...yet.

What is your winter flying start up procedure for those that have no choice but the tie down their airplane outside all winter long?

So assuming one has a nice newly built, ohhh...say Sonex. No hangar space available within reasonable distance. So the plane gets tied down and sits outside all winter long.

Imagine a nice sunny weekend predicted. Temps in the single digits. Want to take a weekend trip 5 hours south.

Arrive at airport and park next to the plane, brush off the snow, remove any covers, curse the wind chill, then what?

Fire up the portable generator and plug in a couple of hair dryers blowing under cowling? (Assuming the airport has no service)

Spray down all the surfaces with deicing fluid?

Jumper cables to juice up the battery?

How do you do it efficiently if you fly every week or two in winter, yet are stuck with an outside tie down?

You can make or have made covers for the wings, tail, fuselage which will keep the snow and ice off. Wax on the plane helps the ice and snow or the covers not to stick on the plane. A portable propane heater with 12 volt fan and ducting works wonders just don't get the cowling or engine too hot so as to damage electrical parts or paint. You can make your own propane heater, use a heater fan from a wrecking yard and make up some sheet metal ducting - use a flexible clothes dryer duct to get the heat to the engine. Leave the engine controls in the position necessary for start up just in case the controls freeze. Keep the snow cleared off the plane as much as possible as a heavy snow load can damage the plane. Don't leave auto fuel in the carb or fuel tanks for long periods of time as it will gum up the works. Better to use Av Gas. Hope this helps.

You might also think about taking the battery home with you to be sure that it is warm and charged.

Can't you remove the wings from a Sonex and keep it home in your garage?

If your airfield has a maintenance shop with a little room that's open on weekends, ask nice to park your bird in there overnight on Friday, or early on Saturday morning. Wait a few hours for it to reach something above freezing and pre-flight.

Get to know the other aircraft owners on the field as well....there might be enough room to squeeze a small plane in overnight.

Be sure to wipe as much of the white stuff off before doing so, though, and wipe down all the water you see!

Pay attention to linkages and the gear. Having wet brakes at takeoff may mean having frozen in place wheels on landing!

If you have a tricycle gear in that Sonex, put an old tire under the tail.

You meant conventional gear, didn't you? Trikes have a wheel on the wrong end - by the propeller.

One thing not mentioned here yet. If you have wheel fairings on your landing gear, remove them in the winter. Snow can be thrown up into the "skirt" ,melt on the brake mechanism while in flight, and when you land....frozen wheels do not turn!!!! exciting landings!!! (don't ask how I know!!) With the skirts off, the airflow over the gear will blow the snow off before ice forms. also any opening in aircraft for control movement should be covered to prevent snow from blowing in and adding unwanted weight gain to the plane, often in the wrong places. Winter is a great time to fly. Great performance and often unlimited viability. Just dress as if you were outside, even if you have a good heater. Never know when you may need to walk out for survival.

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Originally Posted by BCAIRPORT

One thing not mentioned here yet. If you have wheel fairings on your landing gear, remove them in the winter. Snow can be thrown up into the "skirt" ,melt on the brake mechanism while in flight, and when you land....frozen wheels do not turn!!!! exciting landings!!! (don't ask how I know!!) With the skirts off, the airflow over the gear will blow the snow off before ice forms.

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Excellent advice. As part of our annual in November, the pants were removed once again for the winter and stored at our mechanic's shop. Cosmetically, the plane never looks as good but the benefits far outweigh any aesthetic or vanity concerns. In addition to "frozen wheels", the pants can also crack from constant melting and freezing and that's a very expensive replacement.

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Originally Posted by Frank Giger

You meant conventional gear, didn't you? Trikes have a wheel on the wrong end - by the propeller.

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Frank, I think what he was talking about was after a cycle of snow-thaw-rain-freeze, one may find his tricycle gear plane with a load of wet snow on the tail feathers and the tail semi submerged in a puddle. I grew up in Maine and fortunately owned a conventional gear.