A Little Hangar Flying: Night VFR and Cold Starts

VFR to IFR: DANGER, particularly night VFR

I have lost over 30 friends and acquaintances in airplane crashes. I literally stopped counting. We here at Sequim Valley airport we just lost another pilot.

It is a dangerous situation. American research shows that 76 per cent of VFR into IMC accidents involve a fatality. The dangers of flying VFR into IMC have been recognized for a long time. Yet VFR pilots still fly into deteriorating weather and IMC.

In this issue we reproduce a January 2016 update from FlightSafety Australia entitled “178 seconds to live—VFR into IMC” that shows the issues are universal and relevant to every pilot.

Cold Weather Engine Damage

I have personally witnessed two engine failures on downwind in Alaska when the pilot got in and did not pre-heat enough, and their engines destroyed themselves shortly after takeoff. During this cold snap we have had, I have repeated watched several guys start up and go at below 30 degrees. Maybe not now but later… Going at noon doesn’t cut it either. The core of the engine is still cold.

The issue isn’t thick oil as you might have been taught, but rather the tolerances between aluminum and steel parts when they are cold. There is a good article on this subject written by Mike Busch, that originally appeared in the January 1999 issue of Cessna Pilots Association Magazine and now available online at: http://www.avweb.com/news/maint/182846-1.html Mike Radford