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Preserve your machine’s heat as much as possible on the ground, by covering vital areas as soon as possible after landing, not opening and closing doors too much, etc. It’s very important that it does not get so cold that it won’t start again, so you might consider starting up every couple of hours or so, which will both use fuel and battery capacity – certainly, in the average car, it takes about half an hour’s driving to replace the energy taken by one start, and I’m sure it’s worse with a helicopter – a depleted battery will sooner or later result in an expensive hot start. At the very least, remove the battery and keep it warm. If you see fan heaters around the helipad, they are for putting under the covers to keep the engine and gearbox warm (all night).
Special attention should also be paid to the following:
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That correct oil and grease is used and special equipment (like winter cooling restrictors) is fitted to keep engines warm. For Bell 206s, at least, below – 40C, your oil must meet MIL L7808 specifications, and you will need fuel additives in all fuels other than JP4 below – 18C. Note: It has been found that when visible water is present in jet fuel containing anti-icing additive, the additive will separate from the fuel and be attracted to the water. After a certain amount, thought to be about 15%, the density of the new liquid changes so much that it is not identified as water, and will therefore pass through water filters, and will also not be detected by water finding paste, which is not, in any case, meant to detect water in suspension. Where the ratio becomes 50%, as much as 10% of whatever is going through the filter could actually be water, which is very likely to get to the engine, since the filters on the airframe itself are not as restrictive.
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Use deicing fluid if possible— scrapers do not leave pretty results. Fluid, if it's thick enough, helps prevent further ice forming (see the tables in Chapter 6). Don't forget to fit engine blanks, etc. before using them. Bear in mind that deicing fluids are also efficient degreasers, particularly alcohol-based ones.
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That windscreens are defrosted (if you use a mechanical heater, keep moving it around, or it might melt the perspex). Don't
forget to have a cloth handy for wiping the windscreen from the inside when it mists up.
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You have proper tie-downs and pitot/engine covers, static vent plugs, etc.
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Heating systems are working properly and don't allow exhaust into the cabin (if you get regular headaches, check for carbon monoxide poisoning).
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De-icing and anti-icing equipment is working and that all breather pipes, etc. are clear of anything that could freeze.
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That the aircraft has not been cold soaked below minimum operating temperatures. If so, there are particular (and tedious) ways of starting the machine again, which essentially involve preserving the heat from repeated attempted starts so the engine compartment can warm up, with a ten-minute gap between each, removing and replacing engine blankets every time. Just in case you were wondering, cold soaking occurs when the aircraft, and fuel, becomes much colder than the ambient temperature, which can happen over a cold night or at high altitudes, and it becomes a problem because heat is conducted more quickly away from precipitation, making ice formation easier.
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