Someone just flipped the switch and shut off summer. Aircraft owners who live in the temperate climes are preparing their machines for the demands of winter. Unless those owners have been living under a rock, they know that part of that preparation involves figuring out a way to start the engine when the frost is on the pumpkin because they know that firing it up in very cold weather, without some form of preheat, can do a lot of damage to the engine.
We’re going to talk first about why preheating an engine is important and the concerns about engine corrosion due to moisture that can accumulate in the engine due to improper preheating with an electrical engine heater. Then we’ll look at the products available to remotely switch heaters on and off if a pilot doesn’t want to leave the heater plugged in full time and have to drive out to the airport to plug it in prior to a flight. The bottom line? We like the remote switches sold by SwitchBox Control, FST LLC and Belkin—and their prices.