Extra large flight suit so it fits over down jacket. I also wear a base layer and polar jacket. Motorcycle type thin balaclava under helmet. Heat holder high tog rated socks https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/heat-holder-sock-p164854. Ski gloves with hand warmers, put hand warmers inside glove in your palms https://www.costco.co.uk/c/Little-Hotties-Hand-Warmers-40-Pack/p/2000505

Martin if you already have a ski jacket and trousers they'll be great. We all know roughly what to wear on a winter dog walk, but as you've discovered, it's easy to get it wrong when you first get into flying: You get surprisingly cold standing around on a windy hill, and it's even colder in the air!

The main advice that relates to flying is that on really cold days you really need to tog up, like Chris has advised. As flyers we are dangling in an airflow with little opportunity to generate any warmth with exercise. So we're often baking hot from the walk up to launch and then frozen in the air.

Of course it's inconvenient to change your clothes on launch (and obviously impossible once flying) so most of us have clothing that is quite adjustable, such as jumpers with full length zips (which can be unzipped during a sweaty walk-up) and jackets with under arm vents (which can be adjusted in the air). Ski trousers often have adjustable vents too.

Our hands are particularly exposed so we have various ways of trying to keep them warm. The simple rule is that mitts (although less dexterous) are invariably warmer than similarly insulated gloves. Some use electrically heated gloves and swear by them. Many of us use disposable chemical hand warmers in our gloves / mitts. Many use thin balaclavas to keep our heads and faces warm on really cold days.

Hope this helps!

Ash

Ash and Chris

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Great advice.

Cheers, Martin