Page 37 - Volume 15 Number 2

weather. In-flight icing to a gusty, crosswind landing onto a runway covered with snow and ice is the norm from about mid-November to early April. The Great Lakes provide many extras to weather experienced over most of the country. The abundance of moisture equates to an abundance of cloud cover. Most of the winter is IFR, with ceilings of 800 to 1000 feet very common.
The long, open stretches of water allow the wind to sweep over the lakes and come ashore with great fury. The wind over the water and moist air aloft create a phenomenon called lake-effect snow. So, it is not uncommon to get two feet of snow overnight. And, we are not in the mountains; most of Michigan is only approximately 800 feet MSL. Combine this with the fact that this comes from nearly every wind direction in Michigan as we are almost completely surrounded by the lakes. This is not the part of the country where you would choose to “cut your teeth” on winter flying.
All this being said, winter flying can be done safely with the proper precautions, procedures and a healthy dose of respect. Let’s start with how to heat the hangar and the plane. Nobody likes climbing into a cold cabin to start the day. If the engines are of the reciprocating type, they will be difficult, if not impossible to start without some kind of supplemental heat if the ambient temperatures are below about 20 degrees F. Tanis heaters are as common as icicles around here. The gyros and other interior components also appreciate the warmth, not to mention water, sodas, galley and lavatory functions that will freeze and cause damage to your baby. Even when in a heated hangar, many people are still running extension cords to the Tanis on each engine and to a small catalytic heater for the cabin.
When we are flying on the following day, the hangar thermostat
is kept at around 50 degrees the night before the flight. If it is snowing in the morning, the skin will need to be cooled before pulling the plane outside. Otherwise, the falling snow will hit the warm surfaces, melt and then re-freeze. If your hangar uses radiant heat, try not to park the plane directly under the heat tube. This will heat the fuel in the wings and take longer to cool.
The heat can be turned off and the hangar door opened partially to cool the skins. This will happen pretty quickly, usually 10 to 15 minutes. The engines will still be warm due to their mass. Now the plane can come outside and the falling snow will just blow off.
Obviously, additional time will be required to bring engines up to temperature on the recips before takeoff. In the cold, you can actually watch the oil temperature gauge start to rise, then drop as the oil cooler valve opens, then climb again.
It is critical to wait until this second rise in oil temp before pouring the coals to her.
As you taxi, pay close attention to the depth of the snow on the taxiway. If the snow is deep enough to reach the bottom of the brake disk, avoid using the brakes. This is good advice anytime there is any snow on the taxiway or runway. Otherwise, the snow gets on the brake components, melts and refreezes when you retract the gear. As a result, you will land with “the brakes set” and need some new tires before your next departure.
The same rule applies when taxiing in. The brake components will freeze when you park and the parts cool. This will cause the plane to become frozen to the ground. Should this happen, do not try to move or jerk the plane with a tug; you may end up pulling the nose gear out from under the airplane. Ideally, take some isopropyl alcohol,
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