** A number of additional considerations go into
planning for winter flying.**
Key Takeaways:
Prioritize comprehensive weather monitoring, including fronts, forecasts, icing, and winds for both departure and return legs, and always know your alternate airports.
Ensure meticulous aircraft preparation for cold weather, involving engine preheating, storing the aircraft indoors if possible, and thoroughly removing all snow and ice before flight.
Increase fuel reserves to compensate for potential headwinds and gusty conditions, and dress very warmly with appropriate gear for winter operations.
When it comes to winter flying, don’t let the weather catch you off guard. Check the following preflight items off your list to ensure a safe and trouble-free flight.
• Before your launch date, watch the weather, focusing on fronts, forecasts, icing and winds aloft.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
A commercial pilot, Isabel Goyer has been flying for more than 40 years, with hundreds of different aircraft in her logbook and thousands of hours. An award-winning aviation writer, photographer and editor, Ms. Goyer led teams at Sport Pilot, Air Progress and Flying before coming to Plane & Pilot in 2015.
