Hi. I’m not sure if this is the right forum to post this but,
I’m working on my PPL. Typically in a DA20. Looking for tips on how to stay cool prior to take off. Must be compact and cheap lol.

Holding the door open is the most practical.

I've used the bandanas with the gel in them that hold water; you can find them at home depot or walmart. I sent a case of them to my son when his unit was deployed in the middle east. The idea is that you soak them, they absorb water, and it cools you as it evaporates.

Having spent a ridiculous amount of hours and years in greenhouse canopy cockpits that don't cool well or cool at all, in the middle of summer, with helmet, flight suit, boots, gloves and gear on, I learned to carry a rag to wipe sweat out of my eyes, and to carry plenty of extra water and gatoraid. Hydrate more than you think and force yourself to drink water.

I've gone eight hours in the cockpit without ever needing to urinate, while drinking water continuously, and ended the day with a flight suit white with salt stains from sweat. Even forcing water it's evident I wasn't getting enough: you'll need more than you think at times.

If you're just going out for an hour or two for flight training, pick the cooler parts of the day, when it's calmer anyway, and enjoy those. Night flight is relaxing and often quieter with less traffic, which means that you can sometimes get more done.

I thought this was going to be how not to lose patience with your student. I have lots of tips for that.





But yeah- water bottle.

I used to own/fly in MS, PA-28. As posted, keep the door open until takeoff, then go high as able. Drink lots of water, I’ve never been big on performance sapping, A/C air conditioning systems.

Fly towards evening or earlier morning.

Thanks guys. Appreciate your expert advice

Fly higher too. Getting a few thousand feet higher where the air is much cooler can provide much more relief. Sometimes the piston guys seem very apprehensive about going up more than 3-4K, and at low level in the summer in a hot climate, you just get beat to hell in miserable heat when you stay low. I know it doesn't help with the ground, but it makes it easier as an entire flight. I also would never choose to fly out of somewhere like PHX, Texas, etc., for this reason. Just too oppressive in the summer IMO.

I don't miss the days of training students in a DA40 during the summer.

https://www.arcticaircooler.com/

Check out these coolers. It's a small investment but they work great. My friend has a Cherokee and swears the cooler works better than his plane's factory air conditioning.

A long time ago I flew ambulance in a light piston twin. I worked in a very hot area, and the airplane had no air conditioning. I bought a device similar to that, and pumped it directly to the patient. It did very little, but was better than nothing.

Except that Phoenix is one of the busiest and most active flight training locations in the country, and where several airlines choose to base their ab-initio flight training, and where dozens of others their contracted flight training. The weather permits training nearly every day, year-round. It also means that much of the flight training must be done at lower altitudes for ground reference pattern work, etc. Nature of the beast.

Those things are absolutely worthless.

For a slight hit in available flying days, you can get a much better trade-off in terms of climate. Plenty of places that aren't so horrible to live and fly in where you can still get lots and lots of flying days. Lots of places out in the West that are dry at higher altitude (cooler).

I've used those ice-cooler things extensively and they do work, but they are kind of a PITA due to having to load them up with ice and then they start to crap out after what seems like not a long while, so they are most effective at the beginning of a flight, such as to get off the ground and up to a reasonable altitude. For my own plane, no way, I'd minimize time on the ground and just deal with it till I get high enough and I'd never fly low where it's terrible and hot in the summer. For flight training...maybe. It's not good enough where it's a solid win IME.