Cold is Good!

It was under 20F here in Atlanta yesterday morning, but there was zero wind
and the sun was shining bright.

AND, I had the timer set to activate the sump heater from 4 AM until 8 AM.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to the airport until 9:00, so the engine was
lukewarm, not "oil temperature in the yellow" warm when it was time to start
the engine. I had to crank and crank to get the engine started. Two whole
blades passed before it fired. ;-)

Bumpety, bumpety, bump down the taxiway. The tires were cold. And flat
spotted from sitting for a week. If I'd been smart, I would have rolled the
aircraft a few inches back or forward when I set-up the timer for the
preheater.

Anyway, after enough ground idle to get the oil temperature into the yellow,
plus a run-up for a couple of bonus degrees, off I went, and what a ride!
Off the ground, keep it low, 140+ knots at the other end of the runway, and
up, up, up in a climbing turn into the crosswind... It is amazing how much
more performance the airplane has in 20F, compared to 90F.

Not a bump in the sky. And clear. 75+ miles of visibility clear. We don't
get that very often here. Upside down, rightside up, loops, rolls, barrel
rolls, plus a few awkward combinations nobody has named. Only problem was
that on my first loop, the headsets ended up in the baggage area...

3.5 G loops get spooky slow on top, and I'm a bit rusty on inverted spins...
Note to self: use 4 G's on loops, and pull to 4 immediately. Don't try and
sneak up on it.

There is a mythical 2,800' grass strip (Brigadoon?) NW of my home field.
I've never been able to find it. Until today! Allegedly the smoothest grass
strip in North GA. I idled across it at 100 knots, over and around the
farmhouse at the end, and back on the power once I was away from the houses.
It is good to be nice to people with airstrips. And their neighbors.

Oh, and by the way, despite the incredible weather, there were no other
airplanes in the sky until I headed back to the field. Everyone else must
turn on their pre-heaters after they get to the airport. That just leaves
more sky for those of us with pre-heaters.

Anyway, after enough ground idle to get the oil temperature into the yellow,
plus a run-up for a couple of bonus degrees, off I went, and what a ride!
Off the ground, keep it low, 140+ knots at the other end of the runway, and
up, up, up in a climbing turn into the crosswind... It is amazing how much
more performance the airplane has in 20F, compared to 90F.

Ain't it great? I tell everyone I meet how great winter flying is, and
am often met with stares of incredulity. It seems a lot of guys park
'em in the fall, and break 'em out in the spring, and never touch 'em
in between. I think they're missing the best flying weather of the
year.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Amen. I took off to play a bit on Friday afternoon and pulled the Skyhawk
out of the hanger for some fun. I love her performance when the weather is
cool and clear and I'm flying by myself at half fuel. Certainly more fun
than a full gross takeoff in August!

Cheers,
Leonard
"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
Anyway, after enough ground idle to get the oil temperature into the
yellow,
plus a run-up for a couple of bonus degrees, off I went, and what a ride!
Off the ground, keep it low, 140+ knots at the other end of the runway,
and
up, up, up in a climbing turn into the crosswind... It is amazing how
much
more performance the airplane has in 20F, compared to 90F.

Ain't it great? I tell everyone I meet how great winter flying is, and
am often met with stares of incredulity. It seems a lot of guys park
'em in the fall, and break 'em out in the spring, and never touch 'em
in between. I think they're missing the best flying weather of the
year.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Took the Fly Baby up last weekend, temperature 40 degrees on the ground. It's
OK once your face goes numb, but it's tough to talk on the radio! :-)

Ron Wanttaja

And you don't have to climb to 10,000 just to get some cool
air out of the vent.


"Leonard Ellis" wrote in message
t...
| Amen. I took off to play a bit on Friday afternoon and
pulled the Skyhawk
| out of the hanger for some fun. I love her performance
when the weather is
| cool and clear and I'm flying by myself at half fuel.
Certainly more fun
| than a full gross takeoff in August!
|
| Cheers,
| Leonard
| "Jay Honeck" wrote in message
|
ups.com...
| Anyway, after enough ground idle to get the oil
temperature into the
| yellow,
| plus a run-up for a couple of bonus degrees, off I
went, and what a ride!
| Off the ground, keep it low, 140+ knots at the other
end of the runway,
| and
| up, up, up in a climbing turn into the crosswind... It
is amazing how
| much
| more performance the airplane has in 20F, compared to
90F.
|
| Ain't it great? I tell everyone I meet how great winter
flying is, and
| am often met with stares of incredulity. It seems a lot
of guys park
| 'em in the fall, and break 'em out in the spring, and
never touch 'em
| in between. I think they're missing the best flying
weather of the
| year.
| --
| Jay Honeck
| Iowa City, IA
| Pathfinder N56993
| www.AlexisParkInn.com
| "Your Aviation Destination"
|
|
|

You can get some nice full face protection from
www.cabelas.com or try a motorcycle shop/snowmobile.



"Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message
...
| Took the Fly Baby up last weekend, temperature 40 degrees
on the ground. It's
| OK once your face goes numb, but it's tough to talk on the
radio! :-)
|
| Ron Wanttaja

Ron Wanttaja wrote:

Took the Fly Baby up last weekend, temperature 40 degrees on the ground. It's
OK once your face goes numb, but it's tough to talk on the radio! :-)

Ron Wanttaja

You have a radio in a Fly Baby? That is sacrilege!

Matt

On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 12:54:36 -0600, "Jim Macklin"
wrote:




"Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message
.. .
Took the Fly Baby up last weekend, temperature 40 degrees
on the ground. It's OK once your face goes numb, but it's tough to talk on the
radio! :-)

You can get some nice full face protection from
www.cabelas.com or try a motorcycle shop/snowmobile.

Yeah, but they look ugly. I wear a ski mask when the temps drop below 35 or so.

Ron Wanttaja

In article . com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

Ain't it great? I tell everyone I meet how great winter flying is, and
am often met with stares of incredulity. It seems a lot of guys park
'em in the fall, and break 'em out in the spring, and never touch 'em
in between. I think they're missing the best flying weather of the
year.

It's a bit nicer when you have a hangar. (-{

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate

You paint it to look like you're handsome.



"Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message
...
| On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 12:54:36 -0600, "Jim Macklin"
| wrote:
|
|
|
|
| "Ron Wanttaja" wrote in
message
| .. .
| Took the Fly Baby up last weekend, temperature 40
degrees
| on the ground. It's OK once your face goes numb, but
it's tough to talk on the
| radio! :-)
|
| You can get some nice full face protection from
| www.cabelas.com or try a motorcycle shop/snowmobile.
|
| Yeah, but they look ugly. I wear a ski mask when the temps
drop below 35 or so.
|
| Ron Wanttaja