How do Y'all Handle the Heat?

ARFlyer

ARFlyer

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ARFlyer
So after seeing that it's 108* at my airport, I wondered how others handle the heat? I will be flying tomorrow when its again 105+ with a heat index of 110+. I must be dedicated or stupid ! :rolleyes2:

I will go first. I normally try to fly at sunrise if my CFI is available and do low work first then high work as it heats up. However tomorrow we can't fly until noon because of his schedule.

The density altitude will be around 3500', but it will only make my takeoff 500' longer to 2500'. I normally try to be easier on the brakes and landings in general. The only problem I can foresee is with our Avdyine panel. It was already running to hot to touch when it was only 90ish.
 
ARFlyer said:
So after seeing that it's 108* at my airport, I wondered how others handle the heat? I will be flying tomorrow when its again 105+ with a heat index of 110+. I must be dedicated or stupid ! :rolleyes2:

I will go first. I normally try to fly at sunrise if my CFI is available and do low work first then high work as it heats up. However tomorrow we can't fly until noon because of his schedule.

The density altitude will be around 3500', but it will only make my takeoff 500' longer to 2500'. I normally try to be easier on the brakes and landings in general. The only problem I can foresee is with our Avdyine panel. It was already running to hot to touch when it was only 90ish.
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It's been 100+ up here too. Last few days I've flown between 7 and 9 AM only. Now if I was going somewhere, I'd climb high. But for just putting around here at 2000 MSL, shorts, a t-shirt, and keeping the Cardinal less than 105 knots allows the vent windows to be open. Almost tolerable. When the weather turns this hot, the plane is good for breakfast runs only.
 
LOL! When I read the title, I thought you were talking about the comfort aspect of the heat and I was going to refer you to Wayne from this forum.

I was off about 6:00 AM Saturday morning headed to a grass strip Fly In. Not long after I got there, Wayne showed up in his GORGEOUS 180 and he had it rigged for the heat. He has a cooler of some sort in the back seat area in which he adds ice. It then cools the front portion of the cabin.

My way to beat the heat is to fly at Sunrise. On weekdays, my alarm goes off at 3:50AM, so getting off the ground at Sunrise on weekends is no problem for me.
 
Don't fly in it? The aircraft I fly now has a 104 degree limitation. That limitation has forced us into flying at night. Try crossing from California to Texas, at the lowest possible elevations, at night. Opens your eyes to flying, for sure.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
Don't fly in it? The aircraft I fly now has a 104 degree limitation. That limitation has forced us into flying at night. Try crossing from California to Texas, at the lowest possible elevations, at night. Opens your eyes to flying, for sure.
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Which aircraft is that and is the limitation in you POH?
 
DouglasBader said:
You can never be too warm. Enjoy it.
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I like the other end of the tempature range. I find it easier to get warm then to cool off. I have never liked summer especially when I was a boy scout at summer camp.
 
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1) Fly early.
2) Climb w/higher airspeed.
3) Climb with higher fuel flow.
4) Fly higher, where it is cooler.
5) Balance the risk of crashing with inappropriate clothing vs. crashing due to heat. In other worlds is heat stroke or some other heat-related body distraction that could have been mitigated with shorts and a T-shirt safer than that Nomex flight suit you normally wear?
6) In my limited experience, it's not runway length that gets you on DA. It's that the hill that you weren't really paying attention to when you took off has now suddenly become an unavoidable obstacle. You need an exit plan for a lack of climbing ability due to DA or Temps.
 
Wayne's DIY version of the ArticAire system is a nice one.

Some folks have also made a "ghetto" version of a cabin cooler by taking a window air unit, a custom made plenum, and flexiblue ducting shoved in the storm window. 20 minutes later and the cabin is cool enough to survive to altitude where the air is cooler.

Here is an example: http://www.walkermetals.com/walkermetals/Cooler.asp
 
AggieMike88 said:
Wayne's DIY version of the ArticAire system is a nice one.

Some folks have also made a "ghetto" version of a cabin cooler by taking a window air unit, a custom made plenum, and flexiblue ducting shoved in the storm window. 20 minutes later and the cabin is cool enough to survive to altitude where the air is cooler.

Here is an example: http://www.walkermetals.com/walkermetals/Cooler.asp
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I will pitch that to our dept head after July 1st when our new budget begins.
 
How do I hand the heat? poorly...sweat and drink lots of fluids

I do tend to fly high (turbos are nice that way) but that doesn't help with long taxiways or even just pushing it back into the hangar. Flying at night or early in the day helps.
 
Clark1961 said:
How do I hand the heat? poorly...sweat and drink lots of fluids

I do tend to fly high (turbos are nice that way) but that doesn't help with long taxiways or even just pushing it back into the hangar. Flying at night or early in the day helps.
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Its nice when someone rides with us on my training flights. Because they can use their foot to hold the door open during our ground time. Typically that's the only way to get the Arrow to cool off or at least get some air movement. The vents from the air blower no longer stay open so we have no air movement on the ground without the door open.
 
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Enjoying the 68 degree weather for a change from Rain and 55.

it'll be 49f over night
 
AggieMike88 said:
Wayne's DIY version of the ArticAire system is a nice one.

Some folks have also made a "ghetto" version of a cabin cooler by taking a window air unit, a custom made plenum, and flexiblue ducting shoved in the storm window. 20 minutes later and the cabin is cool enough to survive to altitude where the air is cooler.

Here is an example: http://www.walkermetals.com/walkermetals/Cooler.asp
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The "ghetto" solution works pretty good. Pre-cool with the window unit. Have the swamp cooler loaded and ready. Fire up and climb above 10K as quick as you can.

It's all good in the hood.

I got my "ice chest cooler" off of Amazon for $300.
 
Wingsofglass said:
6) In my limited experience, it's not runway length that gets you on DA. It's that the hill that you weren't really paying attention to when you took off has now suddenly become an unavoidable obstacle. You need an exit plan for a lack of climbing ability due to DA or Temps.
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This.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Tom-D said:
Enjoying the 68 degree weather for a change from Rain and 55.

it'll be 49f over night
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I highly dislike you now! :D I wish it was 55 here and raining because we need it bad! It is so dry here that the ground is starting to crack open. You can smell the dryness and it's causing forest fires all over the state. We have teenagers starting fires with gas can explosions and fireworks just for kicks. :mad: :no:
The worse one so far has burned 80 acres from some kids throwing fireworks into a field.
 
I turn on the AC. Is this a trick question?
 
Fearless Tower said:
This.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
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setting autopilot climb rate on a flight simulator at 250 FPM or so gives you an idea if you're a low land flier. We have KDIL close by, Density Alt gets around 9,000' on a regular basis, it's a quiet airport with a 6500' long runway. I go over there and do various loading/fuel scenario's when the DA gets up and note my points where I depart earth and get stopped. Comes in handy when going into similar airports with half as much runway. I know what my book says, but I like to know what my airplane says.

BTW I just bought a Bo, how well does the swamp cooler work? I'm imagining it will be "OK" here in MT. I didn't try it out because frankly, I forgot it was in there.
 
ARFlyer said:
Its nice when someone rides with us on my training flights. Because they can use their foot to hold the door open during our ground time. Typically that's the only way to get the Arrow to cool off or at least get some air movement. The vents from the air blower no longer stay open so we have no air movement on the ground without the door open.
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I've got a little flip-out doohickie for the storm window that helps a little. The overhead vents and fan still work but that's minor.
 
ARFlyer said:
Its nice when someone rides with us on my training flights. Because they can use their foot to hold the door open during our ground time. Typically that's the only way to get the Arrow to cool off or at least get some air movement. The vents from the air blower no longer stay open so we have no air movement on the ground without the door open.
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Rolled up towell wedged in the door works well to keep it open just enough to permit some airflow during ground ops.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Rolled up towell wedged in the door works well to keep it open just enough to permit some airflow during ground ops.
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Thanks I might try that tomorrow. One of the good things about the Maule vs the Arrow are the opening windows that are about half the door.
 
A/C...After last summer I decided to buy a plane with it...the 182 at 105 degrees was just was not cutting it taking off at gross out of Texas...with Density Altititude near 5000' I told myself (you would not buy a car without air conditioning...why a plane?) :idea:
 
I open the windows. Also stay hydrated. The heat doesn't bother me that much most of the time.
 
I spend the day in the air conditioned office or in my basement. When you start at 5500 MSL, and the temps are 100F+ (and this is why I moved out of Phoenix), I find the large screen movie theatres to be a great option.

I did go out last Saturday to check on some avionics and it was 85F at 7500 MSL and it was only 8 am. Landed, parked the cherokee in the hangar, and spent the day in my basement office.
 
The ice-chest cooler I bought on the internet for roughly half a tank of gas is surprisingly effective. It sits in the back seat and blows a prodigious stream of cold air on my neck. Combined with the home-made heat shields for the windows, the cabin stays at ambient temp until the a/c is turned on.
 
DA on the ground today at KAPA in Denver at the hottest part of the day, corrected for our 29.96 pressure today...

Was higher than Leadville on a standard day.

4b94241c-3b55-17fa.jpg


One of the photo folks at KBJC said one of the air tankers was accidentally overloaded for the DA and had to dump out a huge amount of retardant on the ramp.

They flooded the ramp with water to try to keep it from sticking too badly, and then he left before the hoses and brooms came back out.
 
denverpilot said:
DA on the ground today at KAPA in Denver at the hottest part of the day, corrected for our 29.96 pressure today...

Was higher than Leadville on a standard day.
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Good thing they got the long runway back open.
 
Yeah. Wonder if the new concrete cured correctly or if it'll be coming apart in chunks this winter and hangar lease ground rates will go up significantly again next year. ;)
 
I guess the desire to fly is greater than the discomfort, but there is always the carrot of have an ice cold beer after the flight, while sitting in front of your hangar, watching the planes land and talking about how you greased that last one in ;)
 
wabower said:
The ice-chest cooler I bought on the internet for roughly half a tank of gas is surprisingly effective. It sits in the back seat and blows a prodigious stream of cold air on my neck. Combined with the home-made heat shields for the windows, the cabin stays at ambient temp until the a/c is turned on.
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I was looking at the ice chest coolers when I came across the following personal cooling devices. Seems like a great idea. Anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.veskimo.com/personal-cooling-vest-systems.html
http://pilotcooling.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=30&osCsid=ccf212b18329aa3a2a630566a030bd2b
 
After baking our brains here on the island for three years, Mary and I just built a "Cool Room" in our hangar.

Using "guerrilla engineering", and less than $60 in materials, I built a framework of 1" x 2"s that is hinged to one wall (over my workbench area), and wrapped in plastic.

We then lowered it down so that it was suspended horizontally over the hangar floor. We then tied/hung the other end from the rafters with three stout ropes. (Thus, the whole contraption can be pulled up and out of the way, if desired.)

We then add plastic sides, and two air conditioners. (When you own a hotel, you always have lots of working-but-noisy air conditioners laying around.) The cool room will be 78 degrees (and dehumidified) when the rest of the hangar is 110 and 99% humidity.

It is HEAVEN to come back to, post flight. The fridge is, of course, fully stocked with Shiner Bock beer.

Here's an external view:
168829_401375866564980_784062437_n.jpg


And an internal view:
550385_401434026559164_1620560082_n.jpg
 
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