Kelvin Sproule is bundled up as he works in the bitter cold at West Wind Aviation at the Saskatoon airport.
"They're getting ready to tow that 1900 Beechcraft into the hangar so hopefully it doesn't freeze," he said, pointing to other members of the ground crew working on a nearby plane.
As a member of the ground crew, he's making sure planes are fueled, their power charged and the ramp is clear of snow.
"In a 12 hour shift, you're probably out there maybe six hours at a time," he said.
Sproule explained the cold does make the job more difficult as it's hard on both the people and the planes.
"We prefer rain and everything else to go with it other than snow and cold," he said.
He said a big challenge right now is keeping the planes' engines warm.
"There's been delays because of the cold because if (a plane) has been sitting out there on the ramp there for 20 minutes or a half hour prior to take off, engines freeze up," he said.
What Sproule then has to do is use a big construction heater with hoses to blow warm air on the engines.
He said the key to working outside when the temperature drops is dressing for the cold.
"I have a Saskatchewan Roughrider toque and a balaclava," he said.
"Actually, it's not too bad right now."
He said the worst weather he's had to work in was the huge blizzard of 2007 in Saskatoon when West Wind and WestJet were the only two airlines running.
Source: http://cjme.com
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