Can You Handle It?

Winter means tighter limits on weather, fuel, and time. But this doesn’t eliminate all the risks, even with a solid alternate—so be prepared, which often means proficient.

Elaine Kauh

Monday, January 22, 2024 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A pilot encountered challenging winter IFR conditions, including severe headwinds, gusting crosswinds, and extreme cold requiring temperature corrections, during a cross-country flight.
The combination of a 20-degree offset final approach, strong crosswinds, and unexpected turbulence made the initial approach unsafe, necessitating a go-around and a challenging hold in high winds.
Demonstrating effective contingency planning, the pilot prudently diverted to a pre-planned alternate airport where conditions, though still demanding, were more manageable.
The experience highlighted the critical importance of meticulous planning, recent flying experience, and adaptable decision-making for safely navigating multiple hazards during demanding winter IFR operations.

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Winter hazards in some areas don’t peak until around Valentine’s Day, and could last a couple more months before ceilings, winds, and cold start letting up. So, those accustomed to the season take more care planning their trips, accepting more risk of cancelling them. And when a flight does depart, that preparation surely gets put to the test.

Yeah, It’s Cold

Flying from southern Ohio to Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, in February wasn’t your first choice for a 300-mile cross country, but family obligations required an early-afternoon departure for the two-hour flight. That gets you to KSEG well before sunset, but the northeast headwinds added some extra time pressure. Plus, winds are gusting up to 35 knots at the surface.