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Winter Pre Flight Routine?

AL_O_Dine

Member
For those of you flying in winter in the North AND have your plane tied down outside all winter long, what is your routine once you get to the airport in order to get flying?

One assumption I am making is that there are no services available at your tiny little airport.

So you arrive one sunny Friday morning. Weekend trip planned. Plane has about 4 inches of snow still on it from last snowfall. Air temps are in the low single digits. Your last flight was maybe 10 days ago or so.

What do you guys do? Haul a portable generator and hair dryers to preheat? Spray on deicer? Battery charger?
 
Many years ago, I kept a Cherokee 180 on the ramp. I was also working on my IFR ticket at the time after work.

Fortunately, I had the services of the local FBO to preheat and jump start if necessary. They charged about $25 per preheat at that time.

I also went out after every snow and cleaned off the plane and shovel the ramp so that I could taxi out. This was a real PITA, but you had to keep the accumulated snow off the aircraft. If the snow starts to melt, then temps drop, you would be surprised all the places water can seep in and refreeze.

At the time, I had a Bruce cover with wing root and engine cowling extensions to minimize water getting through those joints. I was seriously considering getting a set off covers for the entire aircraft when I sold the Cherokee. Sometimes you getting a layer of ice under the snow and its a pain to get off. The more surfaces you can get under cover, the better off you will be to be able to make short notice flights.

You are going to need something much more robust than a hair dryer to preheat the engine unless you are located in the south. Most of the solutions that I'm aware of are electric based.

The Reiff heat bands are great, but they are going to take a few hours to warm up depending on the temps. Using a generator would be a real PITA. Any chane that there is an electrical outlet you could run an extension cord to?

There are threads here that show adapter a variety of space heaters, but again you probably have to get to the airport early to let them run enough to really get the cylinders and the sump warm.

Ideally you would want a propane solution that would be portable. The purpose built units aren't cheap. I haven't seen any mods for propane units.

Just be careful with any forced air solution. High heat will soften the epoxy. I've seen cowls that have melted and been burned due to improper use of external heaters.

I don't think there are any silver bullet solutions. You'll have to determine what's acceptable to you in your situation.
 
Great thread! I too will be ramp parked with Bruce covers and NO electricity...

Bob
 
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I also went out after every snow and cleaned off the plane and shovel the ramp so that I could taxi out. This was a real PITA, but you had to keep the accumulated snow off the aircraft. If the snow starts to melt, then temps drop, you would be surprised all the places water can seep in and refreeze.


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Ideally you would want a propane solution that would be portable. The purpose built units aren't cheap. I haven't seen any mods for propane units.

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I don't think there are any silver bullet solutions. You'll have to determine what's acceptable to you in your situation.


Absolutely agree with Bob here. I am outside with no access to power. I use a propane preheater fellow RVator lend me. Thanks Tom I put your unit to good use this year!:D



 
When I first got my C-152, the first winter I kept it tied down on the ramp. No electricity available. I had a small 30,000 btu propane torpedo heater that I fashioned up some duct work on the output end, then used a couple high temp dryer vent flexible tubing that I plugged into the engine air cooling inlets. Blanket over the cowling. I used a DC/AC converter to run the torpedo heater fan off my vehicle. Took about an hour or better to heat the engine up to a temp I felt comfortable with. During that time I cleared snow off the plane and parking area, then do my pre-flight. One winter of that was enough for me. The airport I was based had plenty of empty hangers so next winter I put it in a hanger.
 
Cheep pre-heater that I use. Grand total: $55 bucks with shipping. Low temp setting is 500 degrees so it's not going to melt cowlings. 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes depending on how cold it is. Very portable too. Bet you could run a few hundred feet of extension cord to a building if required.

ph-IMG_3544.jpg


ph2-IMG_3545.jpg



More info with part numbers:
http://avsport.org/publicat/nonfict/preheat.pdf
 
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I've found (thanks to a recommendation from Lycosaurus here!) the kerosene-powered alligator-style construction heater is just the ticket for pre-heating. Propane doesn't work well when it's REALLY cold, plus it seems to bring with it a lot of unwanted moisture.

I run aluminum dryer duct into the exit area of the cowl, thus allowing the "flame" portion of the heating system to be several feet away from anything else that's flammable.

Insulation over the cowling and blocking off of cowl vents is critical to getting the engine temperature up on those days when it's really crackling cold.

Works a charm - pre-heated in 15-20 minutes at temps down to -20C.

Ditto on all the comments about covers for your airplane. Keep in mind the FAA guidelines regarding frost contamination of flight surfaces... The allowable amount of frost on your wing is ZERO. Covers really help with this.
 
Cheep pre-heater that I use. Grand total: $55 bucks with shipping. Low temp setting is 500 degrees so it's not going to melt cowlings. 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes depending on how cold it is. Very portable too. Bet you could run a few hundred feet of extension cord to a building if required.

ph-IMG_3544.jpg


ph2-IMG_3545.jpg



More info with part numbers:
http://avsport.org/publicat/nonfict/preheat.pdf


It's a great setup Rich! I like the way designer thinks - elements of red everywhere - from your airplane paint scheme to the preheat gun and the step stool. See you tomorrow night :)
 
Correct. Outside tie down & winter = PITA

I don't think the airport manager would be too fond of anyone running a 100 foot extension cord to their plane tied down outside, for a number of reasons.

Does anyone know people who do the long extension cord/heat gun thing regularly each winter AND has an outside tie down?

Kerosene would be good. But again, fire hazards. And then what do you do with the hot kero heater? And how long would it take to really heat soak an engine with one?

Arizona is looking better all the time.

Brrrrr
 
just to clarify.........some hairdryers are honking BIG wattage. just looked at my wifes, it is 1875 watts . and air coming out is not hot enough to burn anything. and there is a lot of air.
getting a fresh snow off the plane before it starts to stick was always my biggest problem. once that happens it is a big, time consuming deal to remove it without damaging the paint. get the snow off and the first sunny day will clean off the rest.
i used a propane preheater [12 volts] and it worked great. come to think of it i don't use it anymore and would sell it.
 
Hair dryer pre heat

Yes, some hair dryers can really put out a good volume. But Made in China, and plugged in and running for hours on end, doesn't give me a good feeling on longevity there.

Then there is the issue of the circuit you are plugged into. Someone else shows up and is working in the hanger, pulls your plug and forgets to put it back in.

Or you trip the circuit with your setup and arrive to a cold airplane.

Sharing a hangar for just six months would be a better option. Then when the weather warms up, put it back outside with tie downs.

But then you are back to the hangar space issues and availability again.

So yes, winter flying seem to be a PITA all the way around as was mentioned.

I didn't get a response from those using or suggesting the construction kerosene heaters. What do you do with them one you have started the plane?

Hope that someone else is at the airport and can store it inside for you until you get back from your weekend trip?

Or let is cool off for 15 minutes while you idle the plane and then put it in the back of the truck/suv?

That photo of the plane with all the snow on it is what I envision being faced with when wanting to head out for a weekend trip somewhere.
 
Preheat

A salamander heater with some jury-rigged ductwork allows heat to be directed into the cowling. Lugging kerosene around is a pain and an extension cord is needed too for the one I use. If you want to be even more high speed you can splice a timer in the circuit so the heater will shut off after x minutes.
 
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