Winter Flying

Since we are well into winter and snow and ice, how are you coping with
it? What are you doing to pick out XC checkpoints now that the ground
is covered with snow and everything looks different? How are you going
to handle taxiing on slick or ice covered taxiways and runways? Have
you ever considered the humps left by snowplows, that freeze and lurk
to get your prop tips or wrinkle nose gears? Blown snow that can snag
your wing tips as you taxi down the "tunnel" to the runway..... What
are you doing to pre-heat your engine and cabin (and instruments)?
Are you equipped and prepared for an emergency landing when it may take
hours/days for help to get to you even if they know where you are? Do
you know how to prepare for a winter XC in terms of facilities where
you land? Do they have shelter or cover for your aircraft or heat and
snow removal equipment?
Can you determine how deep the new snow is on a runway and can you make
a soft field landing without disappearing in several feet of snow....if
you are wrong?
How about flying in light snow showers that suddenly get heavy and you
end up IFR and then hurting for alternate air when the engine air
filter gets clogged by snow. Are you prepared for a slippery runway
with fresh snow? No matter what you do, the airplane just reacts to
gravity and laws of physics while you sit and haplessly flop the
controls around and slide/slip off the runway/taxiway.
Yahoooooo....it's winter time and snow is on the ground. Lets go play
in the snow!!!
Ol Shy & Bashful - Hero CFII ( with the big stirring stick and having
fun