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Managing the Doldrums of Winter

There are things pilots can do to keep themselves and their aircraft prepared during extended periods of gray.

Every aircraft owner in a cold and snowy climate must anticipate the multitude of nonflyable days this time of year. [Courtesy: Jason McDowell]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Extended periods of non-flyable winter weather in Wisconsin create significant challenges for aircraft owners, especially new ones, regarding engine maintenance and pilot proficiency.
  • To maintain engine health during long periods of inactivity, the author emphasizes thorough preheating, ensuring the engine reaches operating temperature when possible, and using warm oil for top-offs.
  • Pilot proficiency, particularly for new tailwheel pilots, requires a balancing act between respecting personal limits and strategically pushing them slightly on marginal days or flying with an instructor to prevent skill degradation.
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There comes a time in every Wisconsin winter when an extended period of gray renders you not only unable to remember where you put your sunglasses but also to recall when you last needed them at all. Warm, golden sunlight becomes a distant memory and a magical aspiration, viewable only through the window of one’s cellphone while browsing social media feeds. It’s a dismal, dreary time. But on a positive note, the mosquitoes aren’t so bad.

This winter, we received about a foot of snow in one shot, followed by a week of subzero temperatures and high winds. That was about a week and a half of nonflyable weather for those of us still building our tailwheel skills. When the winds finally subsided they were replaced with temperatures in the upper 30s…which resulted in 200-foot ceilings and thick fog. We’re going on week two of these conditions, and it’s now been a full month since I’ve been able to fly at all.

Jason McDowell

Jason McDowell is a private pilot and Cessna 170 owner based in Madison, Wisconsin. He enjoys researching obscure aviation history and serves as a judge for the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. He can be found on Instagram as @cessnateur.

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