More thoughts on severe cold flying

[yvesg]

Tell me about it.  I was just kidding.  I won't go flying when its this cold.  Personal mins -10F on the ground but rarely do I want to below 0F.

 

Actually, smartest thing I did this year was to put my airplane into annual two weeks ago, two months early.  She is sailing through annual with no major issues this year, other than the expected schedule mag oh, and I am not missing her with this weather.  Hopefully she comes home end of next week.

 

Meanwhile, predicted back down to -25F tonight.

 

I was up in Gatineau XC skiing on Sat.  It was nice.

Erik, let me know if you come around gatineau again. Would be nice to meet in person. Next time I go around your way I will try to stop too. My aircraft is also going for annual on Feb 1st. If you are up to it, there is a flyin on feb 22 near Gatineau. There will be a 4000 feet ice runway. I landed there OK with the Mooney last year.

Here is the info:

http://www.copanational.org/images/On%20the%20Horizon/moe's_fly_in.jpg

Yves

[yvesg]

That link above did not seem to work Erik. Try this one and select the Feb 22 one.

Yves

http://www.copa45.com/events.htm

[yvesg]

More pictures about this fly-in a few years back.

www.flickr.com/photos/djipibi/sets/72157626022757395/

Yves

[jlunseth]

Tell me about it.  I was just kidding.  I won't go flying when its this cold.  Personal mins -10F on the ground but rarely do I want to below 0F.

 

Actually, smartest thing I did this year was to put my airplane into annual two weeks ago, two months early.  She is sailing through annual with no major issues this year, other than the expected schedule mag oh, and I am not missing her with this weather.  Hopefully she comes home end of next week.

 

Meanwhile, predicted back down to -25F tonight.

 

I was up in Gatineau XC skiing on Sat.  It was nice.

 

Yes, that is the smartest way to deal with the cold.  Do the annual in the winter.  Mine goes in February. 

[carusoam]

If you are doing owner assisted annual, you need to select the appropriate hangar for that!

Plenty of heat, coffee and a door that closes well

Best regards,

-a-

[FlyDave]

More pictures about this fly-in a few years back.

www.flickr.com/photos/djipibi/sets/72157626022757395/

Yves

 

Holy Cow!! That looks cold enough to freeze the balls off of a brass monkey!

[aerobat95]

Severe cold weather flying=sucks

[aviatoreb]

Holy Cow!! That looks cold enough to freeze the balls off of a brass monkey!

 

I never met such a monkey with brass balls.

[aviatoreb]

More pictures about this fly-in a few years back.

www.flickr.com/photos/djipibi/sets/72157626022757395/

Yves

 

Ummm - looks beautiful - but breaking action is Nil?

 

Would you fly there in a rocket?

 

Do they have canpass on that river?  :-)

 

Any more excuses I can think of?  

 

But next time in Gatineau....

[yvesg]

Ummm - looks beautiful - but breaking action is Nil?

 

Would you fly there in a rocket?

 

Do they have canpass on that river?  :-)

 

Any more excuses I can think of?  

 

But next time in Gatineau....

Don't you have reverse thrust on the Rocket? Jokes aside, if you come in at your slow limit, there is no problem. When returning from California, I landed in Brampton and the runway there was 100% ice. A strong wind (aligned with the runway) did help.

The trick is not to touch the brakes until you are slow enough. But you are the PIC and you are in charge of your airplane.

For the fly-in, They had a twin coming in one year. I landed there last year. Not for the flyin because the aircraft was waiting for some parts still in annual around that date... but a week before it went for annual. For Canpass, you can land in Ottawa Rockliffe, no landing fee and hop to the flyin after (10 minutes away).

Yves

[aviatoreb]

Don't you have reverse thrust on the Rocket? Jokes aside, if you come in at your slow limit, there is no problem. When returning from California, I landed in Brampton and the runway there was 100% ice. A strong wind (aligned with the runway) did help.

The trick is not to touch the brakes until you are slow enough. But you are the PIC and you are in charge of your airplane.

For the fly-in, They had a twin coming in one year. I landed there last year. Not for the flyin because the aircraft was waiting for some parts still in annual around that date... but a week before it went for annual. For Canpass, you can land in Ottawa Rockliffe, no landing fee and hop to the flyin after (10 minutes away).

Yves

 

Hi Yves,

 

That looks like they cleared a lot more than a runway. It looks like the cleared a football field wide surface.  Is that right, or is that particular year a year where the ice cleared itself due to cold-light snow and lots of wind?

 

I ask because I might just try out a football field sized surface on pure ice, but I am not shy to say I would be more than a little nervous attempting pure ice on a proper runway shaped surface.  I do fly on normal - winter surfaces - plowed snow has a lot more texture than pure ice.

 

Have you ever seen Alton Bay in New Hampshire annually plows a strip - but only 2600ft. Sorta short for pure ice if you are not on a skis plane for my tastes.

 

I have never tried rockland air field, but ... maybe next year you can teach me the local procedures - I see their is a local pattern with the river and all.

 

Generally when I fly to Canada I clear in Cornwall.

 

Unfortunately this year I will not go to that fly - in I will be coming home from a work week in Washington DC - either by my plane if weather is permitting or car if it is not.  (VFR, IFR or CAR).

[yvesg]

Got all that Erik. I was not there when that picture was taken but I assume the wind did clear up the ice. Last year was my first year there and I drove since the aircraft was at annual. The risk on rivers even when the ice is very thick is cracks. Not that you will fall in there but they could sheer a tire easily...this is why I would never land on a frozen surface without prior visual inspection.

If the runway is long enough and aligned with the wind (or no wind) and is inspected I am usually game for landing. The worst place I have put the Mooney down was at Katima airpark (on Martha's Vineyard Isl.) many years ago. This was way more dangerous that putting the Mooney down on ice.

Have not been to Alton.

Rockland? You mean Rockcliffe? (Rockland is a city about 30 miles east with no airport) Rockcliffe has the same runway numbers and pattern as gatineau 09-27 with right hand traffic for 27. For Rockcliffe you need to make a 20 degrees turn to the North once airborne on take off. This is about it. Rockcliffe has been my field for many years until december 31st. I just moved my plane to Gatineau... the main reason: They doubled the club membership fees so far that it would cost me around $1300 a year... more than what I pay for my insurance. I will save $750 a year for better service at Gatineau (and actually a much better spot). The club executive has made recent bad decisions that make flying a very expensive hobby in Ottawa.

I was wondering how much people pay around the continent for outside parking spots? Perhaps I will ask on another thread. This way I will find out if my "feeling being taken hostage" is genuine or if I am full of crap!

Yves

[carusoam]

Katama ( on the spell check...)

$100 /month to be outdoors in NJ.

Best regards,

-a-

[aviatoreb]

Got all that Erik. I was not there when that picture was taken but I assume the wind did clear up the ice. Last year was my first year there and I drove since the aircraft was at annual. The risk on rivers even when the ice is very thick is cracks. Not that you will fall in there but they could sheer a tire easily...this is why I would never land on a frozen surface without prior visual inspection.

If the runway is long enough and aligned with the wind (or no wind) and is inspected I am usually game for landing. The worst place I have put the Mooney down was at Katima airpark (on Martha's Vineyard Isl.) many years ago. This was way more dangerous that putting the Mooney down on ice.

Have not been to Alton.

Rockland? You mean Rockcliffe? (Rockland is a city about 30 miles east with no airport) Rockcliffe has the same runway numbers and pattern as gatineau 09-27 with right hand traffic for 27. For Rockcliffe you need to make a 20 degrees turn to the North once airborne on take off. This is about it. Rockcliffe has been my field for many years until december 31st. I just moved my plane to Gatineau... the main reason: They doubled the club membership fees so far that it would cost me around $1300 a year... more than what I pay for my insurance. I will save $750 a year for better service at Gatineau (and actually a much better spot). The club executive has made recent bad decisions that make flying a very expensive hobby in Ottawa.

I was wondering how much people pay around the continent for outside parking spots? Perhaps I will ask on another thread. This way I will find out if my "feeling being taken hostage" is genuine or if I am full of crap!

Yves

 

Hi Yves,  There are some youtubes of people flying in to Alton Bay, NH and it is an official ice strip on airnav.

 

I never even thought of the ice cracks....I was just thinking of sliding into a snow bank at the end of a short ice runway.  My home airport is plowed but covered in white snow/ice mixture which gives a lot more traction than pure ice.

 

Yes, I meant Rockliffe.

 

I am sorry the nuisance.  That sounds expensive for a tie down.  Mind we are rural, not a city airport, but our tie downs at KPTD are $40 per month, my t-hangar with a 45' door is $200/month.  This is more worthy of a separate thread.

[yvesg]

Erik, I saw the fly in organizer yesterday and he tells me he will sand the ice runway this year... so there will be some breaking action.

Only few will come on skis. Most are on wheels.

Yves