Wet, Bumpy, and Cold

[Andrew Gideon]

Ha! I bet you thought that this was going to be some porn spam.
Well...perhaps not after the "Cold" bit <grin>.

I'd a very nice "getting feet wet" flight today. I was in the clouds for
roughly half the brief (two hour) (CDW-SWF-CDW) flight, I was in wet clouds
watching the thermostat drop, and some of those clouds hid *bumps*.

A good IFR practice run, and a lot of fun. I cannot remember the last time
I was solo with that much IMC. I even got a loggable hold (spinning around
IGN for a while) and approach out of it.

I wasn't even planning on IFRing. My original plans, based upon long range
weather, was to practice the commercial maneuvers I've recently learned.
I'd a club airplane scheduled for this purpose.

But I got bumped from the club airplane as maintenance (an avionics upgrade)
took longer than predicted (I'm guessing that this isn't an unusual
occurance {8^). As soon as I was notified of the bump, because I get antsy
if I don't get in enough airtime, I scheduled my "used to be usual"
airplane at the FBO.

This turned out to be a Good Thing, as I'd not take the club airplane into
IMC. I've flown it but once, and that before the not-yet-completed
upgrade. For single pilot IFR, I feel that one's fingers should know where
to find each knob w/o looking. In the club airplane, this is still far
from true.

So I'd likely have scrubbed the flight had I not been bumped.

BTW, this was the first time I'd ever asked for an altitude change due to
icing (the possibility; I never saw any). I wasn't too uncomfortable as I
knew that the tops were - at most - 2000 feet above me. But the controller
dropped me 1000 feet...still wet, but no longer that cold.

A few weeks ago, I landed with a tailwind. I was astonished at the runway
this used up. Today, I'd a stiff headwind on landing. I felt like a
helicopter.

- Andrew

[David Megginson]

Andrew Gideon > writes:

> BTW, this was the first time I'd ever asked for an altitude change
> due to icing (the possibility; I never saw any). I wasn't too
> uncomfortable as I knew that the tops were - at most - 2000 feet
> above me. But the controller dropped me 1000 feet...still wet, but
> no longer that cold.

How cold was the OAT? In Ottawa, we ended up with a ceiling at 2500
broken (layers to 8000), with the freezing level also at 2500 and
moderate icing forecast above it. There was no way I was taking my
Warrior up in that -- we ended up with an alternating sequence of rain
and ice pellets through the afternoon.

I'm hoping for another nice, cold, clear winter like last one -- once
it gets cold enough, the weather is mostly VMC, and the clouds are ice
crystals when they are present.


Thanks for the trip report,


David

[Scott Lowrey]

"Andrew Gideon" > wrote >
> A few weeks ago, I landed with a tailwind. I was astonished at the runway
> this used up. Today, I'd a stiff headwind on landing. I felt like a
> helicopter.

Hmm, this brings back a memory from Waukesha, WI back in August. I was a
bit harried since I'd just lifted off from Milwaukee and went WAY to high
for the short trip to UES. (I was new to the area and didn't want to pay
the high fuel prices at Signature so elected to hop a fuel miles to a
smaller airport.)

There was a lot of traffic and the UES controller wanted me to come straight
in - now, please. I wasn't aware of a tailwind but it must have been there.
The airspeed indicator showed less than 50 knots at touchdown but I thought
for sure there was a bee stuck in the pitot tube. The ground was going by
at an alarming rate and the tires let out a serious yelp when they met the
pavement.

Whaddya do? If I was a bit more aware of my ground speed, I suppose I could
have requested another runway....

Anyway, thanks for the story. Looking forward to my first encounters with
IMC!

-Scott

[Andrew Gideon]

David Megginson wrote:

> How cold was the OAT?

0c when I asked for an altitude change. For most of the flight (including
the same altitude later and elsewhere) it was ranging from 2c to 4c at
3-4000 feet.

[...]
> I'm hoping for another nice, cold, clear winter like last one -- once
> it gets cold enough, the weather is mostly VMC, and the clouds are ice
> crystals when they are present.

<Sigh> I hate preflighting in the cold.

- Andrew

[David Megginson]

Andrew Gideon > writes:

> <Sigh> I hate preflighting in the cold.

Dress for it -- if you wear proper clothing (light layers), it's no
big deal preflighting outside, except for the brief times you have to
take off your mits.

The only part I don't like is putting on the covers late at night
below -20 degCin an unlit part of the field, when no one else is
around. If there's no one left in the clubhouse, I've made a habit of
calling home before I start and saying that if I don't call again in
30 minutes, send airport security to look for me. If I slipped and
knocked myself unconscious, I'd be dead long before sunrise.


All the best,


David

[Andrew Gideon]

David Megginson wrote:

> Andrew Gideon > writes:
>
>> <Sigh> I hate preflighting in the cold.
>
> Dress for it -- if you wear proper clothing (light layers), it's no
> big deal preflighting outside, except for the brief times you have to
> take off your mits.

Yeah. I really need to purchase some high quality cold weather clothing. I
need to find something that doesn't require that I bundle enough to lose
mobility (except perhaps for having someone roll me down the ramp {8^).

> The only part I don't like is putting on the covers late at night
> below -20 degCin an unlit part of the field, when no one else is
> around. If there's no one left in the clubhouse, I've made a habit of
> calling home before I start and saying that if I don't call again in
> 30 minutes, send airport security to look for me. If I slipped and
> knocked myself unconscious, I'd be dead long before sunrise.

Hmm...I've never thought of that. Excellent suggestion.

- Andrew

[David Megginson]

Andrew Gideon > writes:

> Yeah. I really need to purchase some high quality cold weather clothing. I
> need to find something that doesn't require that I bundle enough to lose
> mobility (except perhaps for having someone roll me down the ramp
> {8^).

Here's what I wear -- it doesn't slow me down.

1. Normal underwear and socks.

2. Thermal underwear (I use waffle, but serious types prefer silk, I
think) and heavy work socks.

3. Regular pants and shirt, and sometimes a cotton sweater.

4. Boots, jacket, hat, mitts, scarf.

As soon as I'm sitting in the plane out of the wind, I take off the
jacket, hat, mitts, and scarf, but I keep them close to hand. The
extra thermal layer hardly bothers me at all, but it makes all the
difference.


All the best,


David

[[email protected]]

Andrew Gideon > wrote:
: I'd a very nice "getting feet wet" flight today. I was in the clouds for
: roughly half the brief (two hour) (CDW-SWF-CDW) flight, I was in wet clouds
: watching the thermostat drop, and some of those clouds hid *bumps*.

I had a similar experience yesterday with my freshly-minted IFR
ticket. Coming home from Columbus, OH to SW Virginia both departure and
destination had great VFR. A bit out of Dodge I hit IMC, got a clearance,
and flew into precip at 7000, +2 C. Got 9000 and picked up some light ice
at -2 C. Tried to go over at 10 but it got worse. Went down to 8000 and
it melted off.

Never really too nervous since the MEA in that area was 5000' and
I knew where I was going was good. Kind of nifty to get over an hour
of solo actual, though.

-Cory

--
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[Ross Richardson]

In the snow ski community you do not get cotton thermal underware. Silk
is supposed to be the best but I use a good quality polypropylene
combination, but no cotton.

David Megginson wrote:
>
> Andrew Gideon > writes:
>
> > Yeah. I really need to purchase some high quality cold weather clothing. I
> > need to find something that doesn't require that I bundle enough to lose
> > mobility (except perhaps for having someone roll me down the ramp
> > {8^).
>
> Here's what I wear -- it doesn't slow me down.
>
> 1. Normal underwear and socks.
>
> 2. Thermal underwear (I use waffle, but serious types prefer silk, I
> think) and heavy work socks.
>
> 3. Regular pants and shirt, and sometimes a cotton sweater.
>
> 4. Boots, jacket, hat, mitts, scarf.
>
> As soon as I'm sitting in the plane out of the wind, I take off the
> jacket, hat, mitts, and scarf, but I keep them close to hand. The
> extra thermal layer hardly bothers me at all, but it makes all the
> difference.
>
> All the best,
>
> David

[Andrew Gideon]

Ross Richardson wrote:

> In the snow ski community you do not get cotton thermal underware. Silk
> is supposed to be the best but I use a good quality polypropylene
> combination, but no cotton.

I'm going to ask a very un-PC question here: what's the least flammable of
these?

- Andrew

[Brian Burger]

On Tue, 7 Oct 2003, Andrew Gideon wrote:

> Ross Richardson wrote:
>
> > In the snow ski community you do not get cotton thermal underware. Silk
> > is supposed to be the best but I use a good quality polypropylene
> > combination, but no cotton.
>
> I'm going to ask a very un-PC question here: what's the least flammable of
> these?

Probably the silk is least flammable, followed by the cotton.

Somebody might make Nomex thermals, though. I've lost the URLs, but
there're several industrial/aviation clothing suppliers that do all sorts
of ordinary looking clothing in Nomex.

I don't think there's anything "un-PC" about the question, either. It's a
legitimate concern for pilots.

Brian.

[Les Gawlik]

Cotton is slightly more flammable than Nomex. Silk is also very good. For
the past two years, Sportman's Guide had irregular Nomex long underwear on
sale in the spring, Will probably be on sale again next year. I ordered two
pair. They look like the regular cotton waffle long johns.

There are some more expensive sets sold for auto racing. They are much
thicker than the waffle variety.

"Brian Burger" > wrote in message
a.tc.ca...
> On Tue, 7 Oct 2003, Andrew Gideon wrote:
>
> > Ross Richardson wrote:
> >
> > > In the snow ski community you do not get cotton thermal underware.
Silk
> > > is supposed to be the best but I use a good quality polypropylene
> > > combination, but no cotton.
> >
> > I'm going to ask a very un-PC question here: what's the least flammable
of
> > these?
>
> Probably the silk is least flammable, followed by the cotton.
>
> Somebody might make Nomex thermals, though. I've lost the URLs, but
> there're several industrial/aviation clothing suppliers that do all sorts
> of ordinary looking clothing in Nomex.
>
> I don't think there's anything "un-PC" about the question, either. It's a
> legitimate concern for pilots.
>
> Brian.