Flight Training - January/February 2021 - 37

Cold Comfort

Favorite cold-weather gear

COURTESY VENTUREHEAT.COM

COURTESY COCKPITUSA.COM

We asked pilots to name some of their favorite cold-weather gear. Practicality-Nomex brand gloves, thermal underwear, wool socks-is a theme, but it
turns out you don't have to sacrifice style for substance.

COURTESY US.KARBON.COM

SCRUTINIZE THAT ROUTE
While some would argue that
flight planning in the winter is no
different than flight planning in
warm temperatures-check the
weather, check the route, check
the destination airport-there are
some cold-weather considerations.
For example, instrument flying in
the winter is a nonstarter if there's
icing in the clouds. Weather patterns must be carefully monitored,
particularly in areas where snow
squalls can pop up as readily as
thunderstorms in the summer.
Check current conditions on
AOPA Weather delivered by Sirius
XM (aopa.org/weather).
With much of the United
States now populated, prolonged
flights over desolate areas are
not as prevalent as they once
were. Still, flight paths should be
scrutinized for unnecessary risks.
Do you really need to fly directly
across Lake Michigan? Perhaps a
more circuitous route-one that
affords off-landing possibilities
that don't involve freezing water-
is in order.
For all your prep, sometimes
flying just isn't in the cards on a
brutally cold day. Rakic remembers going to the airport one
sub-zero morning, spending time
deicing the airplane and cleaning
the control surfaces. " It was all
for naught; when I tried to start
the engine it wouldn't start, " he
said. " The air was too cold to
allow for fuel vaporization to
happen properly. " Now that's cold.
And if it's that cold, you risk
overpriming-or increasing the
possibility of an engine fire if it
does start. On such mornings, perhaps the best course of action is to
go back to bed and wait until things
warm up a bit. FT

Leather bomber jacket
Rod Rakic's absolute favorite
is a Royal Air Force leather
bomber jacket with sheepskin
collar, made by Cockpit USA. It's
the replica of a jacket worn by
Tom Hardy in the film Dunkirk.
The U.S. Air Force version is
shown here.
cockpitusa.com

Venture Heat heated vest
Virginia pilot Doug Garrou
swears by this garment, which
he and his co-pilot wear in
their RV-9A. Garrou also wears
insulated coveralls inherited
from his uncle, who wore them
while duck hunting in the 1970s.
" The latter are not a fashion
statement, but nobody can see
me up there, " he said.
ventureheat.com/collections/
men/products/8706-menscanyon-vest-sandstone

Karbon Sports jacket
Another Chicago pilot, Nic
Braden, likes his Karbon Sports
jacket, and since the company
produces ski gear, we can see
why. Have you ever seen a skier
look dowdy? No, you have not.
Braden's favorite Aviator II jacket
was designed for Southwest
Airlines pilots, but you can
choose from insulated jackets
and more in designs that are
sold to everyone.
us.karbon.com/collections/
mens-insulated-jackets

jill.tallman@aopa.org
AOPA.ORG/FT

http://www.COCKPITUSA.COM http://www.cockpitusa.com http://www.aopa.org/weather http://www.VENTUREHEAT.COM http://www.ventureheat.com/collections/men/products/8706-menscayon-vest-sandstone http://www.ventureheat.com/collections/men/products/8706-menscayon-vest-sandstone http://www.ventureheat.com/collections/men/products/8706-menscayon-vest-sandstone http://US.KARBON.COM http://us.karbon.com/collections/mens-insulated-jackets http://us.karbon.com/collections/mens-insulated-jackets http://www.AOPA.ORG/FT

Flight Training - January/February 2021

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