The Art of the Airplane Warmup

Do it wrong, and you could be looking at an expensive repair bill or excessive wear and tear on the engine.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, October 31, 2024 at 11:45 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Kimberly Johnson

Cold temperatures cause aircraft oil to congeal and sap battery strength, which can lead to overworking and potential damage of the starter and engine.[Credit: Jason McDowell]

Key Takeaways:

Winter aircraft engine starts risk significant damage from congealed oil and contracting metal parts, requiring specialized techniques to prevent excessive wear and component failure.
Key preventive measures include using temperature-appropriate oil and preheating the engine, which is often mandatory below specific cold thresholds (e.g., +10°F or -12°C).
Pilots must strictly adhere to their aircraft's Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) or Flight Manual (AFM) for cold weather operations, ensuring proper preheat duration, avoiding over-cranking, and allowing sufficient warm-up time post-start.

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One of the biggest challenges of winter flying is starting the engine. Do it wrong, and you could be looking at an expensive repair bill, or at the very least, excessive wear and tear on the engine.

Cold temperatures cause oil to congeal and sap battery strength, which can lead to overworking and potential damage of the starter and engine. For this reason, many aircraft manuals, pilot’s operating handbooks (POHs), and engine manufacturers advocate specialized cold weather starting techniques, which include preheating the engine and making sure the aircraft is using temperature appropriate oil.