FALL/WINTER FLYING

 

Well it's time to prepare for winter again.  Those of us who fly in REAL WORLD WEATHER (you are not required to fly RWW but to get a more realistic flight and to make your flight more challenging try real world weather) have new things to watch out for.  Icing is the big factor.  On cold days the plane will lift off the runway easier.

 

I would like all pilots to turn on there Pitot Heat after they pushback, start there engines and begin taxi.  The Pitot tube on the plane is part of the Pitot/Static system.  This system controls:  Indicated Air Speed, Rate of climb gauge and the altimeter.  If the Pitot tube ices over your speed indicator and your climb and descent guage will not work and altimeter will not work.

 

On small single and some twin engine planes you will have to watch for Carburetor Icing.  You have a carburetor Heat switch as well as a Pitot Heat Switch.  You must use your Carb Heat when descending from Altitude and on Approach.  Sign of Carb Ice is loss of power and engine running rough.  Immediately Apply Carb Heat and fully enrich the fuel mixture.  As the ice begins to melt in the Carb you may experience a further drop in RPM while the water is pushed through the system and burnt off, but you will regain full power after the ice is melted and water is burnt out of the system.  Also in most small planes you have a lever for Alternate Static Source in case the Outside Static Source becomes Iced Over.

 

Weather aloft during the winter months gets very cold.  The rate the temperature drops is 2 degrees Celsius for every 1000 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL).  If you take off from KSGF the field elevation is 1264 feet with a temperature of -2 degrees Celsius by the time you climb to 3000 feet your temperature will have dropped 4 more degrees to -6 degrees Celsius.  With this calculation you can imagine what the temperature would be up at FL340 (34000 Feet).

 

We need to take precautions for Icing as we will be flying from good weather to bad or bad weather to good.  Runways may be Icy or wet upon takeoff or landing.  While accelerating to takeoff speed if the runway is wet or slick the tires of the plane will have less grab on the pavement and the plane may fishtail or try to slide off the runway.  On landing the plane can experience a Hydroplane.  When landing to counter a Hydroplane you really need to stick your landings and watch applying the brakes to hard.  Use your Reverse thrusters to there max and you Speed Brakes.