Performing Missions For America
U.S. AIR FORCE
AUXILIARY
Winter Air
Crew
Operations
Briefing
Courtesy MN Wing/DO
Updated by ND Wing/DO
ND Wing Cold Weather Operations
60-1 ND Wing Supplement
Winter Operations:
November 15 Thru April 15
All Wing Pilots operating
aircraft below 0 degrees F.
are required to attend an
annual cold weather flying
course.
Safety Procedures
Aircraft Operational
Requirements in extreme
cold weather conditions
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Potential Winter Hazards
Aircraft Icing
Ice build-up at the top of the hangar
Ice build-up outside the hangar on the hangar ramp
Ice on taxi-way or runway
Snow piles obscuring view or contacting wing tip
Frost bite pre-flighting or re-fueling
Flooding engine
Engine fire
Slipping and falling
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Aircraft Temperatures & Wind-Chill
Limitations
•
Temperature:
Wind-Chill:
Limitation:
•
Above 0°F.
0°F. to-20°F.
Above -30°F.
-30°F. to -50°F.
Below -20° F.
Below -50° F.
None
2 Occupant minimum
NO TRAINING,
NO T&G
Actual Missions ONLY
DO Approval ONLY
•
•
•
•
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Aircraft Temperatures & Wind-Chill
Limitations
•
Temperature:
Requirement:
•
Below 0° F.
•
Below 0° F.
•
Below 0° F.
Flight Release Officer has
to be a pilot
Pilot attended annual cold
weather flying course
Incident Commanders
discretion if air support is
required
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Winter Kit ( Bug Eyes)
Located in the
rear baggage
shelf area
Reduces the
opening of the
cowling and
the amount of
airflow over
the engine
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Winter kit ( Bug Eyes)
Pilot is responsible
to install the
winter kit to the
cowling prior to
flight when O.A.T is
below 20 degrees
F. or removal if the
temperature is
above 20 degrees F.
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Engine oil cooler
Located under the
engine cover and is
visible thru the oil
fill access cover
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Engine oil cooler restrictor plate
C-172 Only
Orange color
Reduces air flow
thru cooler
Installed and
removed by
Maintenance
N/A 182-T
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Engine Heater & Blanket
Aircraft are Required
To have the following 24/7 when
not in use:
Tannis heater plugged in
Install engine blanket
This is required regardless of the
date, any time the forecast
ambient temperature is to be
less than 30 degrees F. for
more than a 24 hr. period
If plug-in is not available, engine
MUST be preheated either by
Tannis heater or an external
heater before attempting a
start.
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Pre-Flight
Following snow conditions, be extra careful on pre-flight to check:
Inside pitot tube
Static opening
Fuel vents
Heater intake
Carburetor air intake
Trim tabs and controls
Tires & Brakes
Engine oil Level
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Engine Oil Level

C-172


6 Quarts
C-182

8 Quarts
Overfilling just blows
out
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Engine Crankcase Breather Tube
Located under the
belly at the rear by
firewall
Check for any Ice
or other blockage
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Pitot Tube
Check for any
restriction
Check Pitot Heat
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Tire Inflation
Use a Tire Gauge
to Check Prior to
Each Flight
Pressure listed
on gear strut and
cover of Aircraft
Information File
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Nose Strut
Check Clearance
3 fingers
Check for cracks
Check linkage
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Stall Horn
Check Operation
Suction Operated
Check for
Restriction
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Brakes
Check pads
Check fluid leaks
Rotor thickness
Check for Ice
Keep out of slush
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Plan for the Unexpected
Survival Kit (kit shown is
not our kit)
3 Lbs of additional weight
Supplemental Equipment
Cell Phone
Gloves
Hat
Boots
Jacket
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Carbon Monoxide Detector
Carbon Monoxide
Detector color
Date
Check exhaust
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Power Off Maneuvers
•
Temperature:
Limitations:
•
0° F. to +10° F.
1500 RPM or 15” of Manifold
Pressure
•
Avoid Shock Cooling
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Cold Weather Engine Starting
General rule for engine starters:
after three, 10-second periods of operation, with a
pause between each, a five minute cooling period is
required
Failure to observe this can lead to starter overheating
and damage/failure
DO NOT Continue cranking until the battery is dead.
This can cause a battery to freeze over a short period
of time depending on the temperature.
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Engine Priming
PRIMING IS NOT NECESSARY if the A/C is plugged in & or in a heated
hangar. Standard Procedure is NO PRIMING on C172!
If the A/C has been out on the ramp and has cooled down, A slight
amount of priming may be necessary. One pump! No More than
Two!
However, DO NOT OVERPRIME! This can lead to engine fire!
flooding, washing down the cylinders and oil contamination.
Throttle position should be slightly closer to idle position, on startup, because of colder, more dense air
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Engine Start up
After start, DO NOT IDLE BELOW 1000 RPM - Cold
temperatures increase probability of lead fouling of
plugs.
SLOWLY INCREASE THROTTLE. Too rapid of a throttle
increase will cause the engine to stall in cold weather.
Exercise constant speed props to prevent congealing of
oil in prop dome
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Engine Operation
Allow extra time for oil to warm up after startup. 10-15
minutes at idle (1000 RPM) may be required to bring oil
to minimum operating temperature
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Engine Operations
Plan descents earlier
Reduce power gradually
Maintain power throughout descent
Keep fuel/air mixture leaned during descent
Use Carburetor heat as required
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Fuel Considerations
Exercise special caution regarding any possible water
contamination of fuel - water can freeze in fuel line;
drain tanks and sump
Check fuel selector valve for freedom of movement;
statistics document cases of frozen selector
Keep tanks full (or to the level indicated in the NDWg
Supplement to CAPR 60-1) to prevent moisture or frost
inside tank
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Frost-Snow-Ice
FAR 91.527 Operating in icing conditions.
(a) No pilot may takeoff an airplane that has(1)Frost, snow, or ice adhering to any propeller,
windshield, or power plant installation or to an airspeed,
altimeter, rate of climb, or flight attitude instrument
system;
(3)Any frost adhering to the wings or stabilizer or control
surfaces, unless that frost, has been polished to make it
smooth.
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Frost-Snow-Ice
Assuming that a thin
coating of frost or ice is of
no consequence, or that
snow will blow off during
takeoff is asking for
trouble!
Frost/snow/ice on wing
and tail surfaces during
takeoff has been a
contributing factor in
several aircraft accidents.
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Frost-Snow-Ice
All frost/snow/ice should be removed before
attempting flight
For frost or ice, place aircraft in heated hangar, if
possible (be sure water doesn’t run into control
surfaces & re-freeze when aircraft is brought
outside again)
If no hangar is available, face aircraft control
surfaces towards the sun to utilize/maximize
radiation heating
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Frost-Snow-Ice
For snow, brush off (don’t count on snow blowing
off during takeoff roll!)
Note: Sometimes frost adheres to surfaces below
snow covering
Alcohol, glycol or other ice-removal chemicals can
be used
Exercise extra care when warm aircraft has been
pulled from hangar and left out in snow conditions
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Frost-Snow-Ice
“Unseen Frost”
Same conditions which cause frost formation
on external surfaces can cause internal
problems
Moisture in fuel tanks can freeze (good reason
for topping tanks after flight) and can cause
blockage of fuel flow to engine
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Frost-Snow-Ice
Typically, even small buildup of ice can cause 30%
reduction in maximum coefficient of lift, decreasing the
stall angle-of-attack
Drag builds up, and if it exceeds max. thrust (full
throttle), leads to descent, whether desired or not!
Thrust also lost due to ice accumulation on propeller
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Frost-Snow-Ice
First place ice accumulates is small-radius or sharpedged surfaces (fuel vent, temp. probe, etc)
Small leading edge on tail surfaces make them more
efficient collectors of ice (almost twice as fast as wing
ice accumulation); tail may reach stall angle-of-attack
before wing becomes problem
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Frost-Snow-Ice
Since horizontal tail produces “down” lift, stall results
in tail going up, and aircraft nose pitching down
Flap deflection increases downwash on tail, leading to
higher (more negative) angle-of-attack, and earlier
stall, if tail is iced
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Frost-Snow-Ice
Allow extra time for pre-flight planning, aircraft
preparation and engine warm-up
Understand the effects that frost, snow and ice have on
an aircraft
When flying in cold weather, keep in mind the impact
that the temperature has on the aircraft and plan
maneuvers accordingly
Avoid flight in/through visible moisture
Fly Safe!!
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Check Overhead Hazards
Check for overhead
Ice or Snow Build-up
prior to opening up
the hangar door
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Hangar Access
Remove snow as soon as
possible to prevent frozen
snow ridges and create a
safety hazard
Aircraft should be able to get in
and out of hangar & ready for a
mission
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Cold Weather Operation
Questions?
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