Winter Aircraft Handling

[niwre]

don't even get me started on sanding a runway Ive seen it done...

[Shiny Side Up]

Nothing p1sses me off more than say, a dentist, standing
in front of his pride and joy in a flight suit, posturing that
you have to be a hero to fly it. Nonsense. A nine year
old could probably fly it.

First I have to say it sounds like you're an anti-dentite. Second, most nine year olds might be too small for some of these beasts, you need to be at least 16 and look like you're 18 to fly one of these things into combat. If anything to have limbs the right size to fit.

[GGCC]

What I find interesting is it appears that only the 'older, higher time' guys are commenting Prehaps the subject scares the younguns?

I'm an old low time guy and i find the complete thread interesting....and no need for new pilots to fear, just to be proficient at/with ice

Ice is to be respected but not feared. I always found that in 'interesting' situations it is best to 'fly' the aircraft, even if on the ground.

That is my recollection of interesting ice/ski/wheel situations, fly even on the ground....

Regards;
Dave

[Colonel Sanders]

(on ice) slow it down a notch

Good advice. Creep along gently. Don't try to do anything
in a hurry on ice. The airplane will move quickly once you
get airborne.

Be very aware of the wind direction and speed when taxiing
on ice, and the aircraft's natural weathervaning tendency.
Use it to your advantage!

For example, backtracking on the active with a crosswind from
the LEFT, be sure and turn LEFT into the wind when you turn
around at the runway threshold to take off - let the wind help you,
and if it blows you downwind as you turn, use a little power to let
it pull you upwind again.

Now, the aircraft will want to stay pointed into the wind, so
build up a little (not a lot, just a bit) of momentum in yaw
to keep the aircraft turning away from the crosswind, to line
up with the runway for takeoff.

Again, a little bit of differential power in a twin works wonders
here - twist that right wrist counter-clockwise to decrease the
left RPM and increase the right RPM slightly. Most of this is high
school physics, which I am sure you can master.

And remember, sooner or later, taxiing on ice with wind, you're
going to end up pointed at a snowbank. Shut it down, get out
and turn it around by hand, with help if necessary. There is no
shame - the only damage is to your ego at this point, and it is
repaired very economically, over time. The same cannot be
said for the aircraft if you stuff it into a snowbank with the props
turning. Don't do that.

Again, if you know you're going off the runway, mags off to
stop the props as quickly as possible.

[ch135146]

(on ice) slow it down a notch

Again, a little bit of differential power in a twin works wonders
here - twist that right wrist counter-clockwise to decrease the
left RPM and increase the right RPM slightly.

If you have reverse, it's the same idea. I used to imagine it as: yawing my throttle-hand knuckles to make the plane point the right way.

And the "slow it down" advice is too true.

[shitdisturber]

"I'm going to slip and break a hip out there, to hell with this" since he's in his seventies I could not help but agree since I managed to wipe out while getting the tow bar.

Hell, I've seen you do that on a dry hangar floor!

[Shiny Side Up]

"I'm going to slip and break a hip out there, to hell with this" since he's in his seventies I could not help but agree since I managed to wipe out while getting the tow bar.

Hell, I've seen you do that on a dry hangar floor!

I probably did that on purpose to get out of flying with a maniac.

[.Ben]

You can call me not a "True Canadian" or anyhting else you can think of but after my 4th flight ever im already growing tired of the cold when getting an aircraft ready to go flying, so far it seems every flight involves pushing an aircraft uphill through a snowbank in -25 temps and standing in a cold hanger watching heaters warm up the plane

im just kidding im not complaing yet but im looking forward to summer when the training aircraft can be parked on the apron and all it needs is a pre-flight to go flying. no kerosene heaters or double pairs of socks nessasary

[light chop]

I've slipped and gone under my airplane so many times while tugging on the tow bar on the icy ramp I've got tread marks on my dingle berries. Nothin' like the ol' nose wheel comin' at ya while you're spread-eagle in front of it...

[Colonel Sanders]

im already growing tired of the cold

Heh. Misery builds character, but when you've developed
enough character, go down south and fly in Florida in the
winter.

Aviation in Canada moves slowly in the winter. First you
have to wait for the freezing rain/snow to stop, then you
have to move it, then you get to fly in -20C with a howling
wind out of the northwest until it starts to snow again ...

The southern half of Florida is always pretty warm, in
comparison. In fact, most of the winter it's shirt sleeves
and sometimes even shorts, and you can work on your tan.

Florida is a wonderful aviation playground. Airports are
everywhere, it's almost always warm, it's flatter than a
pancake (watch out for towers west of Miami) and the
weather is almost always VFR, or CB's (don't fly in them).

I've often wondered why a Canadian flight school doesn't
operate a satellite base in Florida in the winter for people
that want to do their Canadian licences/ratings in a hurry.

Maybe with the new IPL conversion process it's not
necessary any more?

[GGCC]

This is a great place to consider American Flyers in Pompano Beech Fla. I've been there checked it out, nice set up, nice sims, nice people
http://www.americanflyersftlauderdale.net/

Regards;
Dave

[Colonel Sanders]

Only problem with flight training in the USA is
the TSA silliness which came out of 9/11.

Keep in mind that under the IPL, TC and the
FAA have licence reciprocity for PPL/CPL/ATPL
as well as IFR, multi, etc.

So, if you want to get your FAA Private in Florida
in the winter, you can convert it to a self-standing
TC PPL with a medical and a short air law exam,
which should involve a lot less pain than winter
flying in Canada.

[fish4life]

The problem with ice isn't when everything is working right it is when something goes wrong, even 4000' of runway becomes awfully short if you lose an engine close to V1 in a twin turbine, and you can't just haul on reverse anymore because you won't have the traction to keep directional control. It's all about CYA if its too icy don't even bother going flying because if it is found out after you put it into the snow off the end or side of a runway due to ice everyone will be wondering why you went even though it was out of the performance numbers. Look at the CFS x-wind chart, 12kts of x-wind is probably pretty close if not exceeding the max x-wind on a surface with a CRFI of .2 or less. You will probably respond with use differential power? well try do that with one engine out and let me know how it works.

[Colonel Sanders]

Like anything else in aviation ....

If you're not comfortable with it, don't do it! You're
Pilot In Command, which means that you and only
you are responsible (and quite possibly dead) if
something goes wrong.

I half-roll inverted immediately after takeoff. I tumble
below 1000 feet, which results in either an inverted
spin or a tailslide. I fly single-engine piston/prop over
water, hours out of gliding distance from land.

I will never ask anyone else to assume that level of risk.

An icy runway, in comparison, is a fisher-price play set,
and can be easily mastered.

[Trematode]

[Colonel Sanders]

Easy as pie, toad.

Let me know when you've mastered straight and level

[Beefitarian]

SNAP INTO A SLIM JIM!!!

[Trematode]

Let me know when you've mastered straight and level

I like to think of myself as the real-life equivalent to M*A*S*H's Five O'Clock Charlie.

[Beefitarian]

See, that kind of disregard for "straight and level" is exactly why it annoys me not to be current. I'm pretty sure I could do that half inverted thing with the pitts. Landing? Maybe not as safely.

[robertsailor1]

Hey Beef..if your half inverted, your knife edge!

[Beefitarian]

I'm going to need lots of power and better get one of those three bladed carbon fibre props on there and let's rock!

[floatplanepilot]

You can guess what kind of kid I was. The advantage of
having a misspent and vaguely redneck youth is that it's
really no big deal being sideways on the ice at 50 mph, or
even 100 mph for that matter (after touchdown in the
C421, or any other larger twin).

Do it with your own airplane all you wish, but you'd get a nice pointy finger in your chest if you did it with mine.

You've obviously never blown or worn out a tire on ice by sliding sideways. Even ice has a friction index and can cause your tread to get hot and wear out. Hit a thin layer, and you'll melt right through to the asphalt, gravel, or pavement. Try avoiding the windrows with a blown tire.

Follow the CRFI crosswind charts people.

[Colonel Sanders]

Heh - you think I'm hard on aircraft? You should meet some more pilots ...

Mooney on the field here. Cracked all 4 jugs of his Lycoming, which is not easy. Specifically, he is harder on his engine than I am on mine, which is quite something.

[Shiny Side Up]

Mooney on the field here. Cracked all 4 jugs of his Lycoming, which is not easy.

Out of curiousity is he one of the "lean of peak" guys?

[Colonel Sanders]

Don't think so. "Chop it and drop it" is more likely.