For the guys and gals that fly during the winter months, in the bush, what kind of winter clothing do you wear? I'm heading to manitoba to do some flying, and being from the east, where it dosent get to be -30, i'm not sure what to bring. Is the dry cold of -30 comparable to, say, -10 of damp, wet cold, found near the coast? I have a good snowmobiling suit and long-johns, is that enough? I dont think i need to spend tons of money on Canada goose stuff, cause you cant fly when its below -35, -40 anyways? or am i worng about that too??!!! I'l be flying a C206.
Thanks for any help!!
Winter Flying
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, North Shore, Rudder Bug
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Driving Rain
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Wear layers. Some guys can suggest modern high tech clothing that carries moisture away from your body to help keep you warm. I paid $150 years ago for boot duffels and stuffed them into my $30 sorels. They've kept my feet warm for years.
You should really take a winter survival coarse if you haven't carry a copy of Down But Not Out and make sure your emergency equipment is in top notch condition. Nothing worse than sitting on the frozen tundra with a useless or missing survival equipment.
Draw the line at going flying at surface temps below -35C. At temps below that your chances of survival are diminised quickly.
I never go flying without my Woods 3 Star sleeping bag. You can sleep in the buff in -40 in it and be comfortable.
You should really take a winter survival coarse if you haven't carry a copy of Down But Not Out and make sure your emergency equipment is in top notch condition. Nothing worse than sitting on the frozen tundra with a useless or missing survival equipment.
Draw the line at going flying at surface temps below -35C. At temps below that your chances of survival are diminised quickly.
I never go flying without my Woods 3 Star sleeping bag. You can sleep in the buff in -40 in it and be comfortable.
Keep in mind that anything can happen out there, be prepared to spend a night in the middle of nowhere.
I use standard bib coveralls from "Marks", and good warm boots. A good down parka to put over all the layers is well worth the investment. Keep it in the back for those unexpected holds. And at least you'll have something warm to wear on the way back from the bar!
Don't go anywhere without warm gloves, and a good hat. This may all sound like common sense, but don't let your guard down on a warm afternoon in Feb/March. It'll get cold at night and you'll wish you were better prepared.
I also don't go anywhere, year round, without a good lighter and a knife ON ME.
I use standard bib coveralls from "Marks", and good warm boots. A good down parka to put over all the layers is well worth the investment. Keep it in the back for those unexpected holds. And at least you'll have something warm to wear on the way back from the bar!
Don't go anywhere without warm gloves, and a good hat. This may all sound like common sense, but don't let your guard down on a warm afternoon in Feb/March. It'll get cold at night and you'll wish you were better prepared.
I also don't go anywhere, year round, without a good lighter and a knife ON ME.
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shimmydampner
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North of You
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Dress like you will spend a night, if not at least a good part of a day on the ice waiting for your parts and an engineer to be flown in.
Yes, I think you should buy a snow goose parka. I still have mine after 10 years. Best $ I ever spent. As for hat, look at the locals…don’t see too many rabbit furs up there. Once you are up there the price come down a bit for you as well. Those Tough Duck winter pants look like they would be the cats a^*. Gloves the biggest mitts you can find. The digits are the first things to go numb.
Flying skis up there will be one of the most memorable things will do for quite some time. Enjoy.
Yes, I think you should buy a snow goose parka. I still have mine after 10 years. Best $ I ever spent. As for hat, look at the locals…don’t see too many rabbit furs up there. Once you are up there the price come down a bit for you as well. Those Tough Duck winter pants look like they would be the cats a^*. Gloves the biggest mitts you can find. The digits are the first things to go numb.
Flying skis up there will be one of the most memorable things will do for quite some time. Enjoy.
The 206 is cold in the winter. It only has a heat muff on 1 side of the exhaust, it keeps the pilot warm enough if you dress decently. As for the pax, don't worry they will likely show in wearing an old jean jacket, ACDC T-shirt and running shoes.
There is a new heater for the 206 that adds a heat muff to the right side of the exhaust stack, its about 3800 CDN from Acorn Welding partnered with an outfit in Fort Nelson BC. - maybe the boss will go for it
There is a new heater for the 206 that adds a heat muff to the right side of the exhaust stack, its about 3800 CDN from Acorn Welding partnered with an outfit in Fort Nelson BC. - maybe the boss will go for it
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mikegtzg
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As a Manitoban that has spent many hours outside ice fishing and snowmobiling in the cold. No boots other than the big sorels or actons will keep you warm if you are not moving. Unfortunately very tough to fly with them on. Good socks in lighter footwear work well except in the real cold. I would recommend the 'Smart wool' socks if price is not a factor or 'kamik Thermals' at Cdn. Tire. Great for the price (2 pr. $10.00). The old method of polypropelene socks next to the skin has been surpassed now by these new products.
From a survival standpoint though. Large snowmobile gauntlets (mitts) that you can fit lite wool gloves inside work great together. You can find the gauntlets for under $18.00 and the wool gloves for about $8.00. Your snowmobile suit should be okay. Obviously long gitch top and bottoms, and a good sweater or fleece over the undershirt. Sweatpants or better fleece pants over the gitch. You can find these items at cheap prices in Winnipeg at places like the Bargain Shop or Red Apple. Another useful item is a good toque and a good bellaclava. Most snowmobile places have some very nice ones that have a flap to cover your nose and mouth and deflect your breath down. And they go down 6-8" down your chest and back. They have thinsulate on the parts that the toque doesn't cover. They are pricey but better than a scarf. ($40.00 range)
If you look in the Buy & Sell or Bargain Finder you can also find those old canister style Coleman catalytic tent heaters. They are 3000 BTU's and when full with white gas will run for about 14yrs. They require only 2sq." of ventilation.
If you did have to spend the nite at -30C when its windy. It's just really #%&*ing cold. Dry, wet whatever. As long as you are out of the wind, all this stuff should keep you warm.
From a survival standpoint though. Large snowmobile gauntlets (mitts) that you can fit lite wool gloves inside work great together. You can find the gauntlets for under $18.00 and the wool gloves for about $8.00. Your snowmobile suit should be okay. Obviously long gitch top and bottoms, and a good sweater or fleece over the undershirt. Sweatpants or better fleece pants over the gitch. You can find these items at cheap prices in Winnipeg at places like the Bargain Shop or Red Apple. Another useful item is a good toque and a good bellaclava. Most snowmobile places have some very nice ones that have a flap to cover your nose and mouth and deflect your breath down. And they go down 6-8" down your chest and back. They have thinsulate on the parts that the toque doesn't cover. They are pricey but better than a scarf. ($40.00 range)
If you look in the Buy & Sell or Bargain Finder you can also find those old canister style Coleman catalytic tent heaters. They are 3000 BTU's and when full with white gas will run for about 14yrs. They require only 2sq." of ventilation.
If you did have to spend the nite at -30C when its windy. It's just really #%&*ing cold. Dry, wet whatever. As long as you are out of the wind, all this stuff should keep you warm.
Coldest part will be taking off/putting on wing covers, engine tent, fuelling, pushing around and holding. Biggest thing is wind, something that covers face like balaclava and good gauntlets like mike says. I wear long undies and jeans and I am toasty but my jacket covers my ass and the "goods". Have fun anyway.
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sky's the limit
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Five years in Yukon, NWT and Alaska, some pretty good cold there too.
1)Don't bother taking any clothing you are not wearing at t/o. A nice set of ski pants or ski-doo suit is entirely useless sitting in the back when you've got two broken legs and a head injury. That goes for parka's, long underwear, boots, the works. The mits and such mentioned by other posters should be within EASY reach.
2)If you are doing game survey type work or anything that doesn't take a pile of gear, pack the sleeping bag, tent, stove, extra food, you've got the room in a 206. Spend one night on the ice in the middle of nowhere due bad wx, and a Honda generator and two heaters will save you slinging the machine out with a helicopter when the wx clears. Beats starting and running the machine every two hours and buttoning her up again in the middle of the night in a blizzard. Been there.
3)Do not under ANY circumstances allow passengers onto your a/c if not dressed in the appropriate manner. That, is a rule to live by. If it deleys or cancels the flight, so be it. Most boilogists etc with experience will come prepared anyway - but stick to your guns. Remeber, "pilot in command" is just fancy for "liable."
4)Be very aware of the wx conditions and plan very very conservatively. In Yukon, you can get REALLY far away from help, as I'm sure you can in Manitoba, so play it very safe with wx limits and darkness. SAR can't help if the wx's what put you on the ground.
5)Make sure your machine is in good shape. In the summer if the shit hits the fan, you get under your mosy net post landing and wait, in winter, it will kill you if you're not very well prepared.
6)Ask someone about extreme cold operation of your machine ie. reducing the size of the cowl inlets with duct tape etc, those engines can run very cold at -35.
7)As someone else mentioned, think very hard about going flying in much less than -25. You can of course, but IF something goes wrong, your margins of error shrink exponentially, and the chances of something going wrong is exponentially increased as the temp drops below -30.
Use common sense.
Good luck and have fun, after all, that's what it's all about in the end.
Edited for horrendous spelling - twice...
1)Don't bother taking any clothing you are not wearing at t/o. A nice set of ski pants or ski-doo suit is entirely useless sitting in the back when you've got two broken legs and a head injury. That goes for parka's, long underwear, boots, the works. The mits and such mentioned by other posters should be within EASY reach.
2)If you are doing game survey type work or anything that doesn't take a pile of gear, pack the sleeping bag, tent, stove, extra food, you've got the room in a 206. Spend one night on the ice in the middle of nowhere due bad wx, and a Honda generator and two heaters will save you slinging the machine out with a helicopter when the wx clears. Beats starting and running the machine every two hours and buttoning her up again in the middle of the night in a blizzard. Been there.
3)Do not under ANY circumstances allow passengers onto your a/c if not dressed in the appropriate manner. That, is a rule to live by. If it deleys or cancels the flight, so be it. Most boilogists etc with experience will come prepared anyway - but stick to your guns. Remeber, "pilot in command" is just fancy for "liable."
4)Be very aware of the wx conditions and plan very very conservatively. In Yukon, you can get REALLY far away from help, as I'm sure you can in Manitoba, so play it very safe with wx limits and darkness. SAR can't help if the wx's what put you on the ground.
5)Make sure your machine is in good shape. In the summer if the shit hits the fan, you get under your mosy net post landing and wait, in winter, it will kill you if you're not very well prepared.
6)Ask someone about extreme cold operation of your machine ie. reducing the size of the cowl inlets with duct tape etc, those engines can run very cold at -35.
7)As someone else mentioned, think very hard about going flying in much less than -25. You can of course, but IF something goes wrong, your margins of error shrink exponentially, and the chances of something going wrong is exponentially increased as the temp drops below -30.
Use common sense. Good luck and have fun, after all, that's what it's all about in the end.
Edited for horrendous spelling - twice...
