Flying is a great past time and these days there are a vast number of aircraft types to choose from; each with their own advantages and disadvantages or probably more to the point each with a certain suitability for a particular flying application or personality of pilot. I started flying hang gliders over 30 years ago and then in a desire to increase flying time when it was not soarable a small group of us started to experiment with mounting lawn mower and chainsaw motors on our hang gliders. We had lots of fun doing this and learnt some interesting lessons along the way. From these humble beginnings a whole new industry began, that of microlight flying. I still choose to fly microlights today, they are a great aircraft, fun and easy to fly, cheap to run and maintain yet capable of flying around the world. I like the open cockpit, I like the connected feeling you get from a weight shift microlight, to me it is a very real type of flying, I am still learning and still enjoying flying them all these years on.

So whilst my preference is to fly a microlight aircraft others may choose to fly a more conventional 3-axis aircraft. I guess I can see the appeal particularly on those cold winter mornings, climb on board, close the doors, turn on the cabin heat and away you go. Warm and cozy inside your enclosed cockpit, insulated from the world with little more to do than check every now and again to make sure you are not suffering from Carbon Monoxide poisoning . But, hey, I'm not that old yet surely for all the advantages, simplicity and pleasure that the microlight's offer I can put up with the cold for a few more years. Still, do we really have to suffer the cold when flying a microlight or any other open cockpit aircraft for that mater?

It's all in how you dress. Now exactly what you wear will depend on where you fly, how fast you fly, how long you fly for and of course what the forecast temperature is for the height you intend to fly. For example if you are going for a half hour flight in an Airborne Redback (cruise speed 40 knots) below a couple of thousand feet in far north Queensland on a warm sunny day then little more than shorts, t-shirt and a good pair of thongs is needed. However if you are flying an XT-912 / Streak (cruise speed 60 to 70 knots) and are planning to spend several hours in the air at heights of 5,000 feet or above, your departure airfield is located on the south coast of South Australia and it is the middle of winter, now we are talking cold! It is time to think about what we wear and what is available to help keep us warm and comfortable for the duration of our flight.

Many pilots simply start to add more clothes over what they are already wearing and whilst this may help it starts to get bulky, heavy and generally uncomfortable. Looking like the Michelin Man you now have on so much clothing that it is difficult to climb in or out of your aircraft, freedom of movement is restricted, you are still not warm enough and ultimately the enjoyment of flying is somewhat tarnished by cold and discomfort.

It is best to include what to wear as part of your total flight plan. If I know I will be spending several hours flying in cold conditions I will start to dress for it the moment I climb out of bed in the morning. The first thing to start with is a good base layer, the clothing that will be next to my skin. I spare no expense here and buy the very best available, I like natural fibers and there are some great woollen garments available. Icebreaker is a New Zealand company that produces a range of clothing made from 100% Merino wool. Their Bodyfit 260 range is ideal for our purposes and I wear a long sleeve shirt and leggings as my base layer. Yes, I know there are synthetic alternatives available at a fraction of the cost, but they do not work nearly as well, are not as comfortable and after a couple of days of flying/camping they start to smell and just get worse from there on in. The Icebreaker gear is warm, comfortable and does not hold odor making it great if you are on a long flying/camping adventure. There are now other brands of Merino wool undergarments available that are probably just as good that I know of and have used the Icebreaker with great success for many years so choose to stick with it. I also wear good quality woollen socks and leather boots.

If you want to spend lots of money then you can keep buying the Icebreaker gear as they also offer a range of mid and outer layer clothing as well. I have some and do wear it on the coldest of flights but it is the base layer that is of most importance. After my base layer, I normally convert to a good old pair of jeans, t-shirt and a windcheater. Now, here is the big secret for those long flights in really cold conditions; heated clothing. That's right, heated clothing. Call me a wimp if you like but I've been on long group flights and seen pilots and passengers turn blue with cold, shaking and shivering in front of the local pubs open fire for hours desperately trying to get their body's core temperature back to level of comfort. Meanwhile, thanks to my heated clothing, I am leaning up against the bar knocking back a few ice cold beers and chatting up the local bar maid. Now who's the wimp?

I have tried a number of types of heated clothing and now use and sell the EXO range manufactured in England. The EXO heated clothing uses a fabric called Fabroc that is extremely efficient at generating heat from a very low voltage. The clothing is great quality, comfortable to wear and works far better than any other heated clothing I've tried. I can happily recommend the StormRider heated vest. It can operate from a rechargeable battery that lives in the vest pocket and this can be very handy for instructors who may be swapping from trike to trike throughout their days teaching. For most though it is best to connect the supplied fused lead direct to the aircraft battery, mount the lead in a convenient place and simply plug in and out to turn the vest on/off. The Fabroc panels heat to a pre-set maximum temperature and automatically uses less power as it reaches this operating temperature, it can not over heat and is intrinsically safe. There are also heated gloves, heated mitts and heated innersoles if you really want to fly in luxury. I use the heated mitts and innersoles as well but don't tell anybody otherwise the wimp label may stick.

Of course the finishing touches are flying suit and helmet. So far as flying suits are concerned it is pretty hard to go past the Ozee range of suits. I have been using and selling these suits for many years now and they are second to none when it comes to quality, comfort and warmth. The Millennium Thermal suit is the top of the range for warmth and comfort, 160 gram Thinsulate quilted lining, waterproof, windproof and breathable Cyclone outer fabric. Two contrasting colours and lots of pockets. For those on a budget the X-Treme Air suit offers a cost effective alternative, water resistant, windproof and 120 gram Thinsulate quilted lining. Once again it is not worth to compromise when it comes to a flying suit, a good quality suit will last for many years, so do your homework, get a suit that fits well, has all the features you need and above all do not buy a freezer suit. They may be cheap but they a big, bulky and allow wind to pass through them. They work fine if you work in a freezer (cold storage) as that's what they are designed for but out in the wind or in the pilot's seat of an open cockpit aircraft they just don't do the job. One of the first things I advise my students to buy is a good quality flying suit. If you are warm and comfortable you will have more situational awareness and as a result be a safer more competent pilot.

As mentioned earlier, I wear quality woollen socks and leather boots (water proofed) even heated innersoles on the coldest of days. For my hands I prefer mitts to gloves and wear the Ozee mitts or the Heatmitts depending on the day. I also have the Air Hog bar mitts permanently on my control bar. They are there if you need them or push them aside if you don't. So the only thing now left is our head and neck. A choice of a balaclava or a neck warmer will depend largely on the style of helmet you use. I choose the Micro Avionics Integral helmet as it greatly reduces the amount of wind entering the helmet; this keeps the cold out and the noise down. That being the case all that is needed is a neck warmer. If you use a separate headset/helmet set up and particularly if the helmet visor does not have a good air dam then a balaclava will be necessary.

So there you have it, a somewhat long winded article about staying warm when flying a microlight aircraft. I unashamedly endorse the products mentioned, many of which Adelaide Airsports stock and sell and some that we do not. Ask around, talk to instructors, pilots and students see what they use, see who is shivering and shaking after flying, see who is warm and comfy. Outfit yourself with the best gear you can and enjoy the winter flying; it can be one of the most spectacular times of year for flying.

Have Fun!
Larry