Summary Air Start Units & De-Icing Vehicles are essential for aircraft maintenance in extreme cold. Preheating of engines is crucial in cold weather; methods include electric heaters & forced air heaters. Proper attire, working in shifts, and hangar use are vital for personnel maintaining aircraft in cold climates.
As I've mentioned in several previous articles as well as my Simple Flying author bio page , the B-52 Stratofortress (AKA the "BUFF") is my all-time favorite warplane, so it was a joy to be able to watch the BUFFs take off and fly when I was a young enlisted airman a t Minot AFB , North Dakota. Thing is, for those of you not familiar with that geographical region of the United States, North Dakota and the surrounding so-called "Northern Tier" states get really, really freakin' cold during the winter months. "Why not Minot? Freezin's the reason," goes the cynical joke.
How cold, you ask? I recall experiencing -40°F (which by crazy coincidental quirk also equates to -40°C) wind chill factor on at least a couple of occasions. Yet those B-52 kept flying even in those miserable conditions. This begs the question of how military aircraft in general manage to maintain operational readiness even in the face of extreme climates and inclement weather.
Simple Flying now attempts to answer that question. When the temperature drops below freezing, you need to preheat piston aircraft engines. Basic equipment and procedures Two key items for aircraft maintenance in extreme cold.