Wet, Bumpy, and Cold

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 he what's the least flammable of
these?

- Andrew