Questions tagged [icing]
Questions about ice formation on aircraft, which degrades performance.
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Do missiles need anti-icing?
Are anti-icing systems needed for any missile carried by a small combat jet? And if so, how is this achieved?
I realize of course that missiles typically fly at Mach 2.5+, so the compressive effects ...
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Why are propellers de-iced before the engines are started, and does ice on the fuselage affect the flight characteristics of the plane?
I recently flew on a flight out of Montreal on a DHC8 turboprop. The plane had been parked at the airport overnight during a winter storm, and as I walked out to the plane, there were visible icicles ...
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What's required for a plane certified to fly to Antarctica?
What special features besides the obvious long range does a plane have to have to fly to and land in Antarctica? I know not just any plane can make the trip, but I couldn't find many relevant ...
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Is it legal to take off with an iced windscreen?
Looking at this video on Youtube, I'm wondering if it is actually legal to take off with a windscreen iced like that?
For VFR this is a no go, but what about IFR and under what conditions?
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How do large airliners de-ice in flight?
How do large airliners de-ice their surfaces in midair? In smaller planes like the ATR or the caravan there are deicing boots as per picture:
How is this achieved on bigger aircraft, as there seems ...
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Is freezing of windows normal in airlines?
Recently I was flying on an Airbus A320. While cruising around 37,000 feet, I noticed half of the glass on the window had frozen. But it was a thin layer of ice.
Was it anything to be concerned about?...
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What would happen to a flying aeroplane if there's suddenly a brick-size hailstorm?
What would happen to a flying aeroplane if suddenly there is hail in the sky?
For example, ice the size of a brick.
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How do you handle frost on a plane?
If you plan to fly on a cold morning and there is frost on the plane, what needs to be done?
Do you have to remove the frost from the windows? wings? tail? fuselage?
How should you remove a thick ...
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Is there any disadvantage to having the de-icing system on?
I was watching Mayday S11E02 about West Caribbean airways flight 708 and the pilots turned off the de-icing system partway through the flight. It's not why it crashed, but I was curious as to if there ...
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When to climb and when to descend when faced with icing?
(YouTube)
The flight faced icing at FL 90 inbound to Germany from the UK on a world tour. Earlier they were flying above an overcast layer.
After they saw the icing they requested FL 70, and asked ...
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Why doesn't ice form on the fuselage?
Ice forms on the wings and instrument probes and vanes, but why not on the fuselage? If the temperature of the air is the same, why does the ice form on the wing but not on the fuselage?
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Why doesn't frost form on a moving airplane?
When I was a young student pilot, long before the FAA prohibition on polished frost went into effect, an instructor left a six-inch square of frost on the wing to demonstrate how fast it would ...
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Why is carburetor heat use discouraged on the ground?
I've been reading my private pilot books for when I start in February and Carb Heat has me stuck in a rut. I feel like I need to have a very solid understanding of this being that I live in a very ...
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Why do only some aircraft require tail anti-icing?
Why do some aircraft require anti-icing on the tail while others (Dassault Falcon Jets, Boeing 737, 747, etc.) don't?
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What does the word "boot" mean?
I found this word "boot" in one book. The chapter was connected with ICING operations, and I found this word with little explanation:
A tube bonded to a surface, e.g. wing edge. When pressurized ...
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Where does ice collect first on a wing in flight and why?
I've seen some reports that say ice forms on the back half of the wing and on the outside edge of the wing (the part furthest from the body) before it will form anywhere else. I'm wondering if this ...
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Why would a canard wing be more prone to icing than a stabilizer?
Someone said a canard wing is more prone to icing than a stabilizer. If true, what would explain this?
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How can ice form in an OAT of +20°?
According to a question that I came across while studying for my EASA exam on Aircraft General Knowledge, "icing" is most likely to happen in an OAT between "Between -5°C and +20°C"...
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Is the "glory" optical phenomenon frequently seen by aircraft pilots?
A glory being this optical phenomenon:
(Source)
It reveals the presence of supercooled water, a hazard for an aircraft (see answers).
Due to the way it can materialize, the center of the rings ...
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What constitute "known icing conditions" and when can you fly VFR while they exist?
For flight operations conducted under 14 CFR part 91(other than subpart F) in VMC, what conditions constitute "known icing conditions"? Under what circumstances (e.g., altitude difference or no ...
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How does flying below the freezing level in a thunderstorm help avoid the most critical icing?
AC 00-6A (Aviation Weather) Chapter 11 states:
Do's and Don'ts of Thunderstorm Flying
To avoid the most critical icing, establish
a penetration altitude below the freezing
level or above the level ...
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Why is full carb heat recommended when reducing power below normal setting?
In my first flight lesson today, my instructor asked me to apply full carburetor heat when we had to reduce power to 1900 RPM in our Cessna 152.
I was surprised by this as I didn't remember learning ...
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What are the considerations for landing on ice runways?
In Greenland there are a number of ice runways and I have heard that it is no difficulty landing on them. One would think they would be slippery and the aircraft might slide off the runway or ground ...
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How was the "frozen wing flap grease" problem solved? (Antarctica, 2001 emergency evac)
In the June 16, 2016 Washington Post news article A rare, risky mission is underway to rescue sick scientists from the South Pole difficulties of flying in and out of the south pole in winter are ...
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Will an aircraft always crash on take-off if de-icing is not performed correctly?
I recognise the Daily Mail's propensity to adulterate and colour news, but are these user comments about the UAL951 flight on 29 Dec 2014 correct?
The Daily Mail claims:
A United Airlines plane ...
user128
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What methods exist to detect airframe icing, and how do they work?
What are the primary methods used to detect ice on an airframe, and how do they work on at least a high level?
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Why is icing more critical on smaller airplanes?
My professor mentioned that the contour of smaller airplanes changes more drastically than that of larger airplanes. In this context, he mentions the surface-to-volume ratio. But how does that relate ...
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Is on-board equipment for in-flight de-icing also used on the ground?
Aircraft operating in icy conditions are equipped with de-icing equipment to remove ice from specific parts of the aircraft (wing, sensors,...) in flight.
When there is snow or icy conditions while ...
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Why is the Tu-204 virtually immune to wing and tail icing?
Atmospheric icing is extremely hazardous to heavier-than-air aircraft, as it badly disrupts their ability to generate aerodynamic lift (the inherent roughness of accreted ice encourages the airflow to ...
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Does the AC-130 have de-ice or anti-ice protection for wings and surfaces?
Does the AC-130 have de-ice or anti-ice protection for wings and surfaces? Can it fly in icing conditions? Looking at many pictures I see no sign of a shiny "hot wing" leading edge nor any boots. Does ...
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Can IPA be used as a FSII with MoGas, particularly with a Peterson STC?
This question established a basis for the use of 100% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) as a Fuel System Icing Inhibitor (FSII) in aviation gasoline systems. However, this Cessna Service Letter documents that ...
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Is it safe to takeoff with some ice and snow on the wings? [duplicate]
I took a look at the post 'What things can a passenger look out for, to indicate an emergency?', and remembered this video I've seen.
Obviously, video uploader claims that this take off was unsafe ...
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Why do some commercial flights start off unpressurized?
In this video, the B738 starts takes off without the plane's pressurization system engaged. The video specifically notes that the craft is being pressurized fairly soon after the takeoff has happened....
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How can I avoid downdrafts and icing when crossing the Alps in a small airplane?
let's say I need to fly from LSZL to LSZP crossing the Alps with a small airplane (C150, Piper Tomahawk,...). How many times a year I could expect to find the suitable weather conditions to do that (...
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Are all US airline aircraft certified into known ice?
Are all US airline aircraft certified for flying into known icing (FIKI) conditions?
I assume all the large (100+ PAX) aircraft come FIKI certified from the design stage?
What's the largest ...
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Do helicopter rotors have anti-ice systems like propellers and wings?
Icing disrupts the aerodynamic qualities of wings and props, is there a similar danger with helicopter rotors? Are there de-icing systems to prevent this?
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How else can snowy/icy conditions disrupt airport operations?
In casey's fabulous answer here, he identifies several ways snow/ice can disrupt airport operations:
Continuous heavy snowfall can eventually close an airport if it
becomes impossible to keep the ...
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How to get out of icing conditions asap?
We all know certain weather can cause ice to form on an aircraft, and the danger it poses. Obviously the best way is to avoid flying near these areas in the first place.
Let's say I happen to fly ...
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What is considered to be a flight into known Icing?
I am aware that flight into known icing is prohibited if your aircraft is not suitable to fly in icing conditions (unless e.g.: FIKI,...). Given the following example I am wondering if it would be ...
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What are some Anti-icing solutions for small planes without an on-board system?
When flying during the winter, is there anything I can do to increase my margin of safety, such as anti-icing fluid?
I've heard of people spraying their aircraft with propylene glycol, but am curious ...
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Are aircraft with counter-rotating props or Down Between Engines less likely to develop asymmetric icing?
It is suggested by some (and somewhat substantiated) that twin-engine propeller aircraft which do not have counter-rotating props (all modern regional turboprops are this way) can develop asymmetric ...
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What is the risk of icing with water / moisture on wings prior to takeoff?
If a plane without any deicing equipment has water moisture on the wings (say, from sitting overnight) and that plane is then flown to an altitude which will have temperatures below freezing, what is ...
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Why is a small amount of smooth ice over the top of the wing more dangerous than an accumulation on the leading edge?
According to a Gleim study guide,
"Generally speaking, smooth ice on top of the wing is more dangerous than heavy accumulated icing on the leading edge."
Is this true? If this is true, why?
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Is anti-icing a small area of the windscreen (hot-plates) adequate for the full flight or only an interim solution?
I asked this question about what "the thing on the windscreen of some Piper aircraft is". It came out that it is used as small anti-icing.
The user Jules asked following in a comment of an answer:
...
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Why is carburetor heat unnecessary at full throttle?
Questions like How does aircraft design affect carburetor ice? show how carburetor mount point affects the relative passive heating of the carburetor by the engine, but I've never learned why full ...
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What common forms of deice and anti-ice exist and what future alternatives are being researched?
For the leading edges of aircraft's flight surfaces, there are a few more common deice and anti-ice methods available. What are the most common systems? What are the alternatives? Is there any ...
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Will ice on an airfoil work as a vortex generator?
Vortex generators are little fans that generate vortex to attach flow to an airfoil and delay stall. If frost or ice are formed on an airfoil, technically they also generate turbulence and vortex,I am ...
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What is the reasoning behind this question about the correct altitude to avoid clear icing?
This question has been killing me for a while and it's an original PPL question:
You are approaching to an airmass with a temperature of 6 C at
10000ft. Which altitude should you be in order to avoid ...
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Why does pitot tube freeze at an altitude whose temperature is way below the freezing point?
It's supposed that Air France 447 crashed into the Atlantic because the pilots stalled the airplane when the frozen pitot tubes forced them to handfly it while cruising through the thunderstorm. But ...
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Do icing limits exist for parked aircraft?
Are there any aircraft that have a limit on the amount of ice or snow that can be on the aircraft when stationary and on the ground?
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