Cold weather and flying

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

We had a discussion at the hangar about this and while we both had heard various no-go temperatures, neither of us knew exactly why. So I'll put it out there this way: What's the temperature, below which you will not fly?

[scard]

Ours are almost entirely pilot limitations. We've gotten to the airplane and looked at each other on a beautiful clear day and said "what were we thinking", and gone back home. I know it is funny, but this is supposed to be fun.

[sprucemoose]

-459.67 F.

0.0 K if that is easier to remember.

[tclaire]

0F to 5F once in the air with a good heater you don't know the difference, I have vetterman mufflers with heat muff, it amazing how much heat you get.
Tim

[rzbill]

Ice sucks

[Sparky]

Bob,

I agree with Scott that it is a personal limitation more than anything.

There is almost nothing better than flying in cold Minnesota on a clear day. Aircraft performance is amazing in the dense cold air and there is almost no turbulance. I really enjoy it.

However, when the temperature reaches about -10 to -15 degrees F, for me, the pain outweighs the gain.

So my personal limit for enjoyable flying is -15 degrees F.

[Ironflight]

Try a J-3 on skis in subzero temps (out of Anoka County) ... but I was a lot younger then!

I really don't have any firm temp limits in terms of flying - so long as the airplane comes out of a warmed hangar if the temps are below freezing. Preflighting and getting ready to go in the cockpit when everything is frozen is just plain work!

Paul

[Rupester]

For me, it's about +10F. I'm a wimp.

[Ralph Inkster]

As I get older my cold weather limit is rising. Currently -10F is plenty cool enough- and that's coming from a Canadian.
Realistically, with a properly prepped aircraft -25F is doable, if not comfortable. But if you are up for winter flying (fantastic by the way) be sure to personally prep with winter survival gear aboard too.

[mtnflyer]

Here in the mountains of Colorado it is common to fly at temps in the minus 5 to minus 10 if the sun is shining but then I installed two heat muffs, one on each bank. With the sun shining in the cockpit it stays quite nice, but heaven help you if you fly under a cloud. One interesting thing happens quite often is to have way below zero on the ground and temps as much as 30 drgrees warmer a couple of thousand feet in the air.....