When I was outside, I often got water inside the stabilator on my Piper.
In the summer it drains out when you push the yoke forward. In the winter
however, it can freeze inside, which will substantially alter your CG and
may cause flutter problems by unbalancing the tail surface. Don't fly if
there is ice inside the stabilator.


David Megginson wrote:

(Andrew Boyd) writes:

[Thanks for the info -- it's good stuff to think about.]

What scares me about airplanes parked outside in the
winter is the ice you can't see, inside.

I remove the wheel fairings for the winter, and it's easy to see
inside the tail section of my Warrior (and, of course, into the bottom
of the cowling, in the unlikely event ice could stay there once the
engine started). Where else might I look?

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401/884-7930 Fax 401/884-7950
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