Safety Message
Summer weather means warmer temperatures and gives us the opportunity as pilots to fly around the country to visit new and exciting places. Warm weather brings its own set of considerations, especially when flying to and from shorter strips.
As temperatures heat up, air becomes less dense and the aerodrome’s effective density altitude increases, which decreases aircraft performance and the ability to generate lift because air molecules are spread further apart in hot weather.
This means that a runway that we can usually use at maximum all up weight in winter might present severe limitations in summer.
In New Zealand we have the group rating system as a great tool to give us an indication whether we can safely operate from a given airstrip or not. If you are operating close to the limits of performance or the runway’s density altitude is particularly high, do not hesitate to use p-charts or performance tables to double check the numbers.
CAA has a great GAP Booklet on Take-off and Landing Performance. If you feel a bit rusty with the calculations or have any questions ask an instructor next time you’re at the club.
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