Bush flying in cold weather conditions.

[Wildpilot]

Hi, I am just a bit curious about how you deal with the engine management side of things (piston) in serious cold weather conditions such as experienced all over N America.

I have experience of extremely hot weather ops in Africa mainly in a 206 with the Continental 540. We used to have a great deal of trouble staying out of the red and as we operated from above 3000ft in field elevation and sometimes as hot as 46 degrees Centigrade I got used to a very underpowered aircraft. Having said that you could still take very big loads out and I wondered what it would be like in arctic temperatures at sea level, do you have to use partial power settings. I should think a continental 540 has tons of grunt in that situation.

Just curious.

[Wildpilot]

62 viewings, someone must know.

[dynamite dean]

I think maybe your post might find a better response in the Private Forum or African Forum. As for my modest experience with IO 540 engines I used to fly a C207 a death trap flying around Central/East Africa and am fully aware of Density Altitude especially as the ones I flew were normally aspirated. DA in mainland europe is a loosley banded term where most of the land mass isnt 4500amsl unlike the African continent. In the case of a C207 with seven passengers and one pilot we used more runway up that a jet. And when I came to operating a piston on cold european day (-8) watching you dont over do it with the inches. But I guess your looking at folk who fly in places like yellowknife in winter! get those hot engine jackets, take the batteries in doors and sea how your prop custs into that thick dense air!

[Wildpilot]

Yeah I am really so I don't think the private forum or the African forum would help.

[DUXNUTZ]

Well cold weather ops in the turbine i fly involves trying hard as heck to keep heat in the engine/oil pan. Seen similar stuff in canada/midwest on piston pounders.

- Electrically Heated blankets get wrapped round engines (plugged into AC wall outlet)

- Foam 'bungs' in engine air intake or any open gap at front of engine.

- In the Turboprop we also have electric heaters that go in the air intake and blow warm air through engine bay. (Also rig up a spare into the cockpit through door for pilot comfort!)
Many piston engined planes have a heated oilpan.... so heat oil to at least a somewhat normal level.

For extreme cold we had kerosene heaters that could be used in remote spot to heat engines.

[Der absolute Hammer]

Engineers and technicians?

[fernytickles]

Performance is fantastic, frozen fingers is miserable. We even have a tanis heater on our jet, which is a real luxury, and both planes go in a hangar everywhere we stop. The C421 is a nightmare in ground temps below about -15'C. Struggles to start, and the engines are so sensitive in descent its a real PIA. I try to avoid using it when it gets that cold. This winter hasn't been so cold, which is nice, and the C421 has been down for an engine change, which is even nicer.. ;)

Have you come across the post on "Icepilots" yet? A programme about Buffalo Airways who operate DC3s and other big round-engine birds out of Yellowknife and the North West Territories. Fascinating sceries, and would probably answer all your questions about cold weather operations.