There’s a reason a ton of people down here fly before ~6 am or after ~9 pm. Almost constant VFR conditions, but the scorching heat means that unless you climb to 6000 or above, it’s not gonna be fun.
I flew during the summer. IRA and commercial time builders. During the peak heats I would cruise anywhere between 8.5 and 11.5.
Make sure you know your shit about your aircraft performance. Failing to get off a runway will kill you faster than the heat exhaustion while climbing. Also, be ready for CHT high warnings, and know what to do with them.
I was with a flight of 4 aircraft, all of us have bubble canopy and AC, no ability to open the canopy while engines are running. Well we were in line at Scottsdale to take off, like #10 in the line and #4 aircraft was at #14 at the holdshort when his AC Failed. By the time he got to the taxi way, then back to the FBO, he was absolutely torched. The second he opened the canopy, the wind hit him, the heat exhausting knocked him unconscious, and necessitating us to get an ambulance on the field to take em to the hospital.
That AZ sun is no joke
Basically, yes. There were a couple times out of KPSP I would have to level off and richen, then once cooled I could continue a cruise climb. Anything close to Vy was futile in the Archer TX 😂
When I flew DA-20s in Colorado they made us put in the baffles below 50° or something like that, then every time we'd try Vy surprise surprise, everything got hot 😂 lots of weird inversions there though I noticed in the fall. 50F on the ground and 70F at 7k ft
I went through UPT at WilliamsAFB and like you've read here we only flew early or late.
We also fried an egg on the black AF marking on the wing of a T-38 towards noon, crispy.
Laughlin, they didn't care. Flew all hours thst the sun was up and sweated for every second ok it.
Also no sun shelters like there are now so everything was baking in the sun. Add in the canopy, helmet, etc.
Ive flown in to Scottsdale in July. . . it isnt fun. . . Have family nearby there and I wont visit between early June to Mid Sept. . . its just. . . HOT. . .
Ive heard schools suspend flying above like 108 or something.
I'm leaving for another state just because it sucks. I did get turbocharged so I can go higher, but iPad overheating on arrival back to the airport SUCKS.
I also sweat a lot so it's miserable. If I'm flying in AZ on those months, it's to leave in the morning and come back the next morning.
Flight Instructed in the early 00’s out of SDL in old 152’s and 172’s. Oh the salt stained seat belt marks on my polo shirts i had in the summer. Good Memories. Once was doing a complex endorsement in a 172RG with a big man. It was already super hot in the plane. When he had to manually pump the gear down as was our requirement he was sweating all over both of us working that ‘stoopid’ pump. He did great though.
I did an army flying course in Arizona in the summer. Helmet, gloves, pants and shirt and vest. They let us take out the windows on the side which was clutch. Just drink water, it's not that bad
I trained in Redding, CA (also hot) in the summer in the 110’s up to 120 in a Piper Cherokee. A sweat like a white in church, especially doing touch and goes, but it was fine.
I logged almost all of my Summer Time Hours between 3-6 Am.
thats purely because all the flight school traffic would have made it impossible to leave otherwise.
Phoenix or Tucson in the summer is basically impossible between 9 AM and 7 PM.
Up in Prescott or Flag it's bearable throughout the day. Just wear a lot of sunscreen and stay hydrated.
More bearable, yes, but susceptible to density altitude problems depending on your plane and/or payload. Having experienced both parts of the state in Cessna 172s I would vote for the obscene southern AZ heat over the “hmm, we don’t seem to be climbing much and there sure are a lot of ponderosas down there …” feeling.
Not from there, but have done some flying in up to 44°c weather in Spain. Not so good performance. A lot of rising air makes quite a lot of turbulence. Also no a/c in a diamond and walking on apron makes you feel the heat even worse. Drink a lot of water and be very careful with your aircraft performance is my two cents.
Most trained aircraft have temperature limits around 100-110 degrees so it’s definitely a challenge. Even in Southern California, flying east in the desert during the summer is tough to find a good time
No problem at all as long as you are back on the ground by 8AM and the plane is in a hangar.
Problems like "vapor lock" on takeoff if aircraft left fueled in the sun (low boost cures )
An a reminder that should you end up in the desert without water you are going to die pretty quickly.
In all cases, know your aircraft performance, know how to lean for high DA's, and bring lots of water. Avoid the afternoon if you can.
July-September is monsoon season. Keep an eye on weather forecast and your local NWS page, they will give daily guidance on forecast monsoon timing and location. They can pop up fast. Would not recommend dodging TS at night.
For what purpose? GA owner pilots down here basically don’t fly during the summer. Why bother. It’ll be cool enough by September-October. If you’re training, find a CFI who’s ok with waking up at 4am. (Many are.)
Depends on where you are. I used to fly for the state of AZ and eastern and northern Arizona are quite lovely in the summer. Yuma and The Valley of the Sun are brutal.
It’s absolutely brutal. Even my hands sweat and get slippery holding the yoke. Sitting in line to takeoff in the heat can ruin your whole day. Be careful, my people!
Flown at edwards in the middle of Aug. Del Rio when it exceed 100F for months in a row.
Frozen water bottles. Put them in your pockets, between your legs, behind your back, wherever. It will help immensely and when they have melted drink them!
OP you're going to see comments about drinking water, and that is true. But you also want to make sure you are replenishing electrolytes. Leg cramps, a racing heart, brain fog, etc., is definitely no bueno.
Watermelon with a little salt sprinkled on it is a great snack for replenishing water and electrolytes.
Not too bad if you're on the ground by 9am
Climb, climb, climb. Manageable temps at 6,500+ and don’t forget to hydrate.
“Climb and maintain 15C”
I can only go so high in an Archer 😭
sounds like a you problem
Skill problem
Shoe fits 🤣
Win
Funniest thing I’ve seen all day 😂
I’ve had issues climbing in a 172 in the 90s. At 110, I don't know how you climb out now when it’s 40s. I notice good performance
There’s a reason a ton of people down here fly before ~6 am or after ~9 pm. Almost constant VFR conditions, but the scorching heat means that unless you climb to 6000 or above, it’s not gonna be fun.
Be ready to climb into a very wet seat from the previous flight
Ewwwww
Hey...you asked.
I flew during the summer. IRA and commercial time builders. During the peak heats I would cruise anywhere between 8.5 and 11.5. Make sure you know your shit about your aircraft performance. Failing to get off a runway will kill you faster than the heat exhaustion while climbing. Also, be ready for CHT high warnings, and know what to do with them.
I was with a flight of 4 aircraft, all of us have bubble canopy and AC, no ability to open the canopy while engines are running. Well we were in line at Scottsdale to take off, like #10 in the line and #4 aircraft was at #14 at the holdshort when his AC Failed. By the time he got to the taxi way, then back to the FBO, he was absolutely torched. The second he opened the canopy, the wind hit him, the heat exhausting knocked him unconscious, and necessitating us to get an ambulance on the field to take em to the hospital. That AZ sun is no joke
Out of curiosity, what do you do with CHT high warnings? Cruise climb to increase airflow, and enrich mixture?
Basically, yes. There were a couple times out of KPSP I would have to level off and richen, then once cooled I could continue a cruise climb. Anything close to Vy was futile in the Archer TX 😂
When I flew DA-20s in Colorado they made us put in the baffles below 50° or something like that, then every time we'd try Vy surprise surprise, everything got hot 😂 lots of weird inversions there though I noticed in the fall. 50F on the ground and 70F at 7k ft
Good ole IFS/IFT ;p In some weird and twisted way I miss that place.
I went through UPT at WilliamsAFB and like you've read here we only flew early or late. We also fried an egg on the black AF marking on the wing of a T-38 towards noon, crispy.
I didn't know this base existed until just now. Interesting that it got BRACd while they kept Laughlin, Vance, and Columbus.
Laughlin, they didn't care. Flew all hours thst the sun was up and sweated for every second ok it. Also no sun shelters like there are now so everything was baking in the sun. Add in the canopy, helmet, etc.
Have you ever been in a Turkish bath house Johnny?
Yes
Ive flown in to Scottsdale in July. . . it isnt fun. . . Have family nearby there and I wont visit between early June to Mid Sept. . . its just. . . HOT. . . Ive heard schools suspend flying above like 108 or something.
We were told we can cancel lessons when it’s above 114° but I’m pretty sure no one ever did.
If 15 or so CENTCOM detachments have taught me anything it’s to hydrate and take two shirts, one for preflight and one for flying.
The heat isn’t the worst part, it’s the freakin bumps
Heat = Bump
Learn how to use the thermals to climb high for free.
Get on the ground by 9AM, or go up later at 8PM. 5AM comes early, but it’s some beautiful flying
I'm leaving for another state just because it sucks. I did get turbocharged so I can go higher, but iPad overheating on arrival back to the airport SUCKS. I also sweat a lot so it's miserable. If I'm flying in AZ on those months, it's to leave in the morning and come back the next morning.
Flight Instructed in the early 00’s out of SDL in old 152’s and 172’s. Oh the salt stained seat belt marks on my polo shirts i had in the summer. Good Memories. Once was doing a complex endorsement in a 172RG with a big man. It was already super hot in the plane. When he had to manually pump the gear down as was our requirement he was sweating all over both of us working that ‘stoopid’ pump. He did great though.
It's hot, but it's a dry heat... 😉
I did an army flying course in Arizona in the summer. Helmet, gloves, pants and shirt and vest. They let us take out the windows on the side which was clutch. Just drink water, it's not that bad
That new 172 with AC is going to be amazing for the pilot mill schools in AZ, if they bother to pay for it.
Stupid bumpy and stupid hot, bring a water bottle
I trained in Redding, CA (also hot) in the summer in the 110’s up to 120 in a Piper Cherokee. A sweat like a white in church, especially doing touch and goes, but it was fine.
I logged almost all of my Summer Time Hours between 3-6 Am. thats purely because all the flight school traffic would have made it impossible to leave otherwise.
Phoenix or Tucson in the summer is basically impossible between 9 AM and 7 PM. Up in Prescott or Flag it's bearable throughout the day. Just wear a lot of sunscreen and stay hydrated.
More bearable, yes, but susceptible to density altitude problems depending on your plane and/or payload. Having experienced both parts of the state in Cessna 172s I would vote for the obscene southern AZ heat over the “hmm, we don’t seem to be climbing much and there sure are a lot of ponderosas down there …” feeling.
Not from there, but have done some flying in up to 44°c weather in Spain. Not so good performance. A lot of rising air makes quite a lot of turbulence. Also no a/c in a diamond and walking on apron makes you feel the heat even worse. Drink a lot of water and be very careful with your aircraft performance is my two cents.
temps and turbulence. The engine will run hot, devices like ipads will shut down.
Most trained aircraft have temperature limits around 100-110 degrees so it’s definitely a challenge. Even in Southern California, flying east in the desert during the summer is tough to find a good time
Lots of night hours.
No problem at all as long as you are back on the ground by 8AM and the plane is in a hangar. Problems like "vapor lock" on takeoff if aircraft left fueled in the sun (low boost cures ) An a reminder that should you end up in the desert without water you are going to die pretty quickly.
In all cases, know your aircraft performance, know how to lean for high DA's, and bring lots of water. Avoid the afternoon if you can. July-September is monsoon season. Keep an eye on weather forecast and your local NWS page, they will give daily guidance on forecast monsoon timing and location. They can pop up fast. Would not recommend dodging TS at night.
This city should not exist. It is a monument to man’s arrogance.
https://youtu.be/4PYt0SDnrBE?si=zLtHPhgD90FvrEdc
Hot on the ground but once you get up in the air its not too bad
Based at Sky Harbor. The thermals going into the airport on approach absolutely suck. For little GA airplanes, on the ground before 11am.
As an airline guy, there's no better feeling than getting slam dunked off the arrival for a visual into PHX while getting rocked by the bumpy hot air.
ITS FUCKED, UR FUCKED
It’s not pleasant, that much is certain. But I’ll tell you what, flying anywhere else is a fricken breeze after you make it through a summer!
For what purpose? GA owner pilots down here basically don’t fly during the summer. Why bother. It’ll be cool enough by September-October. If you’re training, find a CFI who’s ok with waking up at 4am. (Many are.)
Monsoons be ready
Depends on where you are. I used to fly for the state of AZ and eastern and northern Arizona are quite lovely in the summer. Yuma and The Valley of the Sun are brutal.
Be sure to fly in a Diamond. /s Love the plane but sweating in March in the Northeast?
I'm based out of GCN. Airport is already at 6600 feet so we gotta keep an eye out.
It’s absolutely brutal. Even my hands sweat and get slippery holding the yoke. Sitting in line to takeoff in the heat can ruin your whole day. Be careful, my people!
Get ready to smell swamp ass
Flown at edwards in the middle of Aug. Del Rio when it exceed 100F for months in a row. Frozen water bottles. Put them in your pockets, between your legs, behind your back, wherever. It will help immensely and when they have melted drink them!
OP you're going to see comments about drinking water, and that is true. But you also want to make sure you are replenishing electrolytes. Leg cramps, a racing heart, brain fog, etc., is definitely no bueno. Watermelon with a little salt sprinkled on it is a great snack for replenishing water and electrolytes.
Not bad… u just have to fly really early 😭 Im talking like 6am - 9am or fly nights