A couple of weeks ago I flew to Mudgee with my mate Jacques. He flew out and I flew back. We left early in the morning and the temperature was quite low. We primed the engine well. While we were preflighting (preflying? preflown?) the aircraft I heard an all too familiar sound on winter mornings at the aerodrome.

chirp-chirp-chchchchchchchchc...chirp-chirp-chchchchchchchchc...

A 152 driver was attempting to start his engine. By cranking the starter over and over and over again.

I was going to post some tips for novice aviators on starting engines on cold mornings, a skill I seem to have acquired somewhere and have accepted without question, lest it slip through my fingers and disappear completely. I was going to post some tips, until I found this, and I really have nothing to add. Budding aviators, read it.