Tips for Staying Cool/Hydrated While Instructing

jordan747_400

jordan747_400

Well-Known Member
I'm a part-time CFI about to make the plunge into full-time instructing. It will be my first summer instructing in the Texas heat and I'm looking for tips/tricks to stay cool/hydrated while working 10-12 hour days in the sun. Even after just a couple of flights the other day, the heat was intense enough to knock me out with a pretty bad headache. Beyond carrying a water bottle, have any of you found anything particularly helpful?

Thanks!
 
jordan747_400 said:
I'm a part-time CFI about to make the plunge into full-time instructing. It will be my first summer instructing in the Texas heat and I'm looking for tips/tricks to stay cool/hydrated while working 10-12 hour days in the sun. Even after just a couple of flights the other day, the heat was intense enough to knock me out with a pretty bad headache. Beyond carrying a water bottle, have any of you found anything particularly helpful?

Thanks!
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Remember to hydrate for the next day, ie don't think that drinking a bunch of water in the morning will keep you hydrated for that day. Also, avoid running back and forth between the heat and much cooler air conditioning. That can shock your system and will make the heat that much worse. Make sure your diet is also proper, that's where your body will get most of the electrolite replacements from your sweat. You can also look into more moisture wicking t-shirts for undershirts. I have Eddie Bauer and REI undershirts that help keep me much cooler in the cockpit.

Hope that helps a little!
 
Bring a gallon of water with you and drink from it.

Sports drinks like Powerade, Gatorade also have sugar do watch out for that. Pedialyte is the non-alcoholic drink of choice for alcoholics because of its high electrolite content.
 
CFI A&P said:
Bring a gallon of water with you and drink from it.

Sports drinks like Powerade, Gatorade also have sugar do watch out for that. Pedialyte is the non-alcoholic drink of choice for alcoholics because of its high electrolite content.
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Hehe. We've all been there...

Seriously, what those guys have said. Nothing hydrates you like water.
Keep drinking, even when you don't think youre thirsty.
 
If your flight school hasn't invested in some quality sun shades for the aircraft while they're parked I'd definitely recommend that.

Also, something I do frequently, keep a small towel with you or wear a quick-drying hat (like those Colombia fishing hats you can find easily). Soak the towel or hat in ice water while you're running your pre-flight routine and place the towel over your heard (or hat obviously back on your head); by the time you're in the aircraft you should be mostly dry, however, the cooling effect is amazing and really helps on a hot day.

I typically bring coconut water along for the ride as well, which you can find easily at CVS/Walgreens.

Texas summers are no joke! Good luck.
 
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Front load your schedule in the morning and back load your schedule in the evenings. Do ground school during the hottest part of the day.
 
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I used baby wipes after flights to wipe down my shoulder back and chest. I would've gotten gnarly bacne if I had just sat in my own juices for 12 hours.
 
Wear sunscreen. Lots of it. And re-apply it regularly - remember your ears, knees while bent, and the back of your neck. Face goes without saying.

Seriously, not only will regular sunburn make you uncomfortable, but melanoma is vicious. Protect your skin AND hydrate.
 
Pachong said:
I used baby wipes after flights to wipe down my shoulder back and chest. I would've gotten gnarly bacne if I had just sat in my own juices for 12 hours.
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Whoa! Slow down here....TMI!

To the OP: Stay away from carbonated drinks, they may feel good at the time but will make your body require more water. Front load your water consumption but don't over do it.

Get a neck cooler like a CoolDownz or an Ice Bandana....these are awesome! These coolers were instrumental in my deployment survival......(OK, maybe a slight exaggeration...)

Note to Self: If I'm not sweating........I should be concerned!
 
If you fly Pipers, and are along enough to be a left seat instructor (CFI initial and CFII), pop open the storm window and wrap the opening of your pant leg around the floor vent. You'll thank me later.
 
If you are feeling it, your students are feeling it too. Talk to them and see if they are willing to start early in the day. When I instructed in FL, I had one student who worked construction and started work early in the day. He wished he could fly during the week, but it was too hot after he finished work. Perfect. We start flying at 5am. I had usually billed 8 hours by 1pm in time for lunch and spent the afternoon in the pool cowering in the Air Conditioning.
 
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Stay hydrated in the day, and don't overdo it on beer in the evenings. If you're dehydrated, it takes less alcohol to have a hangover the next day.
 
dustoff17 said:
Whoa! Slow down here....TMI!

To the OP: Stay away from carbonated drinks, they may feel good at the time but will make your body require more water. Front load your water consumption but don't over do it.

Get a neck cooler like a CoolDownz or an Ice Bandana....these are awesome! These coolers were instrumental in my deployment survival......(OK, maybe a slight exaggeration...)

Note to Self: If I'm not sweating........I should be concerned!
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Dustoff pretty much covered it all. Those neck coolers come in clutch to keep you cool. Remember your own safety, heat exhaustion is a real possibility, so if you don't feel well don't fly. The cockpit can feel like an oven, especially one that isn't ventilated well like a Piper. Climb high so you can get some cool air moving through those air vents. Fly as early as possible! When I worked in Phoenix we would have to wake up at 3am every morning and start flying by 5. I recommend doing pattern work during the cooler hours of the morning as well as this is where the cabin will get especially warm.
 
NickH said:
If you are feeling it, your students are feeling it too.
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+1

Keep your lessons short during the heat of the day. Cut about 15 minutes off of what a normal lesson would be. Every mental stressor involved with learning to fly is multiplied by the heat which diminishes your student's mental endurance.

Avoid low altitude maneuvering or pattern lessons from 1200-1700 as much as possible. Cross countries where you can climb up to 5500 and cool off a bit are preferable if you must fly during that time.


I will second the idea of the cooling neckbands. They really help.
 
+1 to all the suggestions above. I spent many years instructing in the South and another 2.5 years flying freight (mostly out of Miami and Orlando). In addition to light, comfortable clothing, be sure to invest in a good pair of SHOES. Yes, shoes. I never had any serious heat-related issues, but managed to get a really bad case of foot fungus from wearing the same pair of shoes for 14 hours a day in the heat. It's a special kind of misery when your feet itch like holy &%$#! and you can't do anything about it.
 
Plenty of water, and get some altitude. Utilize those air vents. Make sure your student is well hydrated as well. You don't want students unable to focus or passing out on you.

francis03 said:
Tip # 1: Don't instruct in a DA40
Tip # 2: Don't instruct in a DA42

...and yeah, water
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But that cooling gap kept me so cool! /sarcasm

Nothing like roasting in the Twin Star on a hot summer day. Fortunately, I did mostly XCs and high altitude air work so it stayed cool most of the time.
 
JustinS said:
Nothing like roasting in the Twin Star on a hot summer day. Fortunately, I did mostly XCs and high altitude air work so it stayed cool most of the time.
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The DA-20 was even worse. You couldn't even crack open the canopy on the ground.

The wing spar is composite and has a temperature limit that you had to check on preflight. When I was teaching in them, we kept them in the hangar so they could stay in the shade.
 
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