Winter Flying
Here in Minnesota we fly all the time in winter but the RV is NOT a great airplane for that but it does okay. The wings are too low to the ground so they do not clear even medium size snow banks when taxiing, it is also built low to the ground so its bottom will get beat up from any ice that gets picked up, and its wheels are very small for that type of flying. My RV6 has been flying since 2004 and I have not tried to operate off of deep snow covered runways yet but I have flown off packed snow/ice.
I retired so I get out of here when winter gets going in earnest but I have operated a C170 off frozen lakes, off hard packed snow and in powder snow. That aircraft is a natural in that environment although the C180 would be ideal.
It is not recommended to point that nose at anything you can't stand to hit while the engine is running when on glare ice or hardpack snow. Take any distance you feel you can safely taxi on, double that, then operate on it and that even goes for engine start up. Position the airplane down the ramp manually, then start the engine. Use flight controls to taxi not the brakes until you experiment enough to know how much brake action you can expect. Each flight should start with this in mind as you just don't know what to expect until you try it.
Conditions will change from powder in the early part of the day, to slush if temps moderate towards noon, then lumpy, frozen snow as the slush freezes towards mid afternoon (here the temp drop is usually at about 3 pm). You can encounter all this in just one flight so you have to be aware of whats happening.
Landings should be full stall, soft field with the stick back. Takeoffs should be tail low with the goal to get the weight on the wings & off the gear ASAP. Cross winds will have to be handled with flight controls only as you don't know what affect brakes will have so don't get into a position where you are depending on them.
I have never heard of chains on wheels nor studded aircraft tires but I have on cars. Also, remove wheel fairings as they will accumulate snow & slush on the runway, freeze as you climb and can lock a wheel at the worst time or gain a lot of weight rapidly and damage your fairing at the least. It is one of those things you can get away them on most of the time but eventually the wheel fairing will cause a problem.
Generally, the public airports here are well plowed and are even ice free most of the time. Most all flying is done off clear runways although some times it is done on iced runways or hard pack snow at smaller airports. The biggest problem is finger drifts of new snow being blown across the runway with a buildup of snow in the lee of the upwind side of the runway. As you roll through them the up wind wheel will catch them but the downwind wheel will either be in shallower snow or no snow at all causing the airplane to suddenly yaw to the side drawing you into the snow farther...or snow banks if they use a plow rather than a snowblower. Big city airports usually have snow equipment based right on the field so the problem is removed as soon as its discovered but smaller towns with lesser air traffic don't have the equipment so these problems are more common.
At those smaller airports I usually fly an upwind and a downwind while I look the runway over to try and pick out drifts, ice, water, etc. then plan the landing accordingly. On the positive side, if the runways are clear, the aircraft & engine both operate very well with good response to the more dense cooler air. You will have very good climb characteristics, smooth air and, unless it is in the well below zero range, the engine will develop more power. You will get better cruise speeds and it is very satisfying flying.
Now, I have been there and done that, and after the holidays, we are getting in our bigger RV (motorhome type) and heading out to the sunny southwest. Good luck with your snow flying but be careful.
Dick DeCramer
RV6 N500DD
RV8 fuselage kit
Northfield, MN 3 seasons
winter...Tucson & Las Cruces, NM
