Florida in the Summer

It's hot but there are ways to minimize it, such as trying to schedule your flights early in the morning or late in the evening (or even better at night).
 
The heat can be pretty intense at times. Sitting in a cramped airplane with little ventilation while temperatures reach the mid nineties can at times make you feel like your inside an oven. Whether it takes the fun out of training is a matter of opinion. Personally, being a native Floridian I am pretty used to the heat and can tolerate it pretty well. I'm sure others would find it very uncomfortable. One has to be aware of how the heat will affect them personally. This means being properly hydrated and aware of the heat's fatiguing qualities. I try to fly in the early morning before the heat is too oppressive and the mid day thunderstorms start to brew. I would recommend avoiding afternoon flying, where it feels like 105 degrees with the heat index.
 
Counselor said:
Thanks. Is September as bad as August, or does it start cooling down a little bit?
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September is still quite hot but it is usually a few degrees cooler than August. You can expect no break in the heat from now (the first day of summer!) until about the middle of September.

Personally I'd take the oppressive heat over not being able to fly at all in the northern winter. Florida provides an excellent training environment that allows you to fly nearly everyday. The variety of airports and airspaces are nice as well.
 
the florida summer heat can be intense, today i've been flying back to back from 8 am till 3 pm ,and temps by mid-afternoon were in triple digits . It definitely can/ will wear you out, so like others have recommended trying flying early in the morning or late into the evening.

Just remember its all about being prepared...

1. Stay hydrated. (maybe bring a little mini cooler with cold water in it)
2. Wear comfortable clothing, I can't imagine how some people can fly in this weather and black pants with long sleeve shorts.
3. Have a small towel/ bandana that you can use the wipe the sweat off
3. Try to get the engine started as quickly/safely as possible, and don't shut the doors/windows until your ready for take off.

Good luck with the flight training, and remember whether its really hot or really cold you still got the best view in the house :)
 
Jfk-Pilot said:
the florida summer heat can be intense, today i've been flying back to back from 8 am till 3 pm ,and temps by mid-afternoon were in triple digits . It definitely can/ will wear you out, so like others have recommended trying flying early in the morning or late into the evening.

Just remember its all about being prepared...

1. Stay hydrated. (maybe bring a little mini cooler with cold water in it)
2. Wear comfortable clothing, I can't imagine how some people can fly in this weather and black pants with long sleeve shorts.
3. Have a small towel/ bandana that you can use the wipe the sweat off
3. Try to get the engine started as quickly/safely as possible, and don't shut the doors/windows until your ready for take off.

Good luck with the flight training, and remember whether its really hot or really cold you still got the best view in the house :)
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Thanks for the tips. I like your fourth one - I find myself hustling (safely, of course) to get that engine going down here in Texas too.
 
Now that I am in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, I just chuckle at the thought that I ever believed it was hot in Florida. It all depends on your attitude.
PM
 
I just flew 3 hours yesterday from Jacksonville when it was 105. Granted I just climbed up to 5,500ft and got 69F temps and it was a cross country flight. I usually just wear shorts and a polo and get only a little sweaty but I attribute that to the bit of nervousness still. I also always drink plenty of water before I start and bring a refillable water bottle in the plane as well as get all the vents on me that I can.

For me, the heat really only bothers me after I've landed because I just want to be in the air conditioning rather than hang out at the beach.
 
I dont know about Florida, but in Houston the answer is YES. It is so damn hot I dont even want to fly, and I am miserable when I am there. I guess I will just stop complaining now and tough it out a couple more months.....
 
I did all my training a year ago in south Florida and just got use to it. Drink plenty of water and you'll be fine. I think it got a little better in September but can't remember.
 
I was thinking about this too since I was planning to go down to florida to finish my training. I decided to hold it off for a few months till around September when it should start to cool down.
 
I raise the issue because I took the family to Tampa/Orlando last August. In spite of Disney/zoo/beaches, the heat and humidity generated this comment: "Daddy, can we not come back to Florida again?" Sadly, the heat took some of fun out of the trip.

Anyway, training is training, and I'm gonna finish it up in Florida. I love flight training, and hope the summer heat allows for at least a little bit of fun. Thanks for the comments.
 
Counselor said:
I raise the issue because I took the family to Tampa/Orlando last August. In spite of Disney/zoo/beaches, the heat and humidity generated this comment: "Daddy, can we not come back to Florida again?" Sadly, the heat took some of fun out of the trip.

Anyway, training is training, and I'm gonna finish it up in Florida. I love flight training, and hope the summer heat allows for at least a little bit of fun. Thanks for the comments.
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Glad to hear you'll be training in Florida. Question though, does your family really think the summer heat is any better in "Tejas"? :dunno:
 
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