Winter is coming

One of the things I love about Canada is the weather. We actually have proper seasons, hot summers, cold winters and a proper (although short) transition between them in the shape of spring and fall.

We are in distinctly fall territory at the moment. High, gusty winds and cooler temperatures. Normally I love the strong winds. I love walking in them; it makes you feel so alive to be blown along at the mercy of the air. Of course this makes for lousy flying weather, which is annoying me at the moment.

Although I’m not a huge fan of the snow when I’m out walking, I’m looking forward to winter flying. Everywhere looks beautiful covered in a blanket of snow. You don’t have to fly very far away from Toronto to see spectacular countryside and I’m sure it’s going to look amazing from the air when it’s frozen.

Apparently though, winter flying brings its own challenges. As well as the risk of icing (both on the ground and in the air), you have to contend with wing covers, engine covers, engine baffle covers and so forth. On the plus side, the engine should be easier to start.

I'm already noticing a difference in the handling of the plane. This will become more pronounced as the weather cools. Apparently the plane climbs a lot more aggressively. That could be fun when flying SAR who already thinks that the AR stands for Apollo Rocket!