I am curious what sort of outside temperature you guys consider as absolute minimum acceptable for flying ...If any ?
I don’t mean issues related to engine startups , just in general what is the lowest outside temp you are willing to fly in ?
Minimum outside temperature for flying
Moderator: drseti
Minimum outside temperature for flying
Flying Sting S4 ( N184WA ) out of Illinois
Re: Minimum outside temperature for flying
20ish and sunny with a compelling reason. Without a compelling reason 50's. Not a total weather wimp I just stop having fun below a certain point and I only fly for fun. Ski flying is really fun, but for regular motoring around I'm not putting up with the cold.
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- Posts: 167
- Joined: Fri May 31, 2019 4:10 pm
Re: Minimum outside temperature for flying
I am a cold sissy. I won't fly unless it is at least 40F at the time I am doing pre-flight.
Sport Pilot ASEL
Tecnam P92 Eaglet
Tecnam P92 Eaglet
- JimParker256
- Posts: 164
- Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2020 4:47 pm
- Location: Farmersville, TX
Re: Minimum outside temperature for flying
Well, I flew (once) when it was -20ºF on the ground, but that was picking up an airplane I had just purchased and bringing it home. We did the pre-flight in a heated hangar, and I wore two pairs of pants (sweatpants under jeans), a heavy shirt + sweatshirt + heavy jacket, a warm hat, and mittens over gloves. It was miserable outside the cockpit (refueling halfway home), but we were sufficiently warm in the cockpit to remove the mittens and unzip the heavy coats. Of course, that airplane was turbo-normalized, and the exhaust-heater muff was VERY effective.
Since that flight, my "new rule" is >40ºF to even consider flying in my RANS S-6 Coyote!
Since that flight, my "new rule" is >40ºF to even consider flying in my RANS S-6 Coyote!
Jim Parker
2007 RANS S-6ES (Rotax 912ULS)
Light Sport Repairman - Airplane - Inspection
Farmersville, TX
2007 RANS S-6ES (Rotax 912ULS)
Light Sport Repairman - Airplane - Inspection
Farmersville, TX
Re: Minimum outside temperature for flying
I would fly in Maine for the lsat six years -10 below. Heated hanger for preflight, dress warm, shutter on my oil cooler allowing temps to be in the 210 -220 range for the Rotax. Keep in mind I would fly VFR great weather
Re: Minimum outside temperature for flying
I wonder if flying in cold weather ( <10F ) is detrimental to composite planes vs metal planes ( like Dave’s Rv12 ) or does it even make any difference what the plane is made of ?
Flying Sting S4 ( N184WA ) out of Illinois