Delay Gear Extension in icing?

[xjcaptain]

Not sure, but possibly the original poster may have been hinting at delaying gear extension until required. What I am getting at is I have seen many many newer pilots dangle the dunlops as soon as the GS comes alive on approach. Too bad we were 20 miles out and thousands of feet above the gsia at the marker. In even moderate icing you can build a lot of ice on the main gear if they are extended that far from the runway. Will this cause you to fall out of the sky...? Probably not. But what it has done many times is prevent a successful up-lock on a go-around because of the ice contamination. So now most checklists will have you attempt a recycle and if unsuccessful you lower the gear and leave them down. Now you are in icing for a long long time with the gear down all because you put them down way too early on approach. Sometimes a little "technique" and "common sense" can prevent bigger problems. Should you wait till 10 seconds from touchdown, heck no, but don't configure until a reasonable distance from the runway. Too many guys are accustomed to gear at glide-slope. They forget how high and how far out they are. This comes from experience, and it seems the less experience people have, the more they would like aviation to be an absolute, where things are only done one way, and that is what makes them comfortable. With experience you can modify the details based on conditions to maximize safety.

 

[Flyer1015]

I flew with a guy who insists that you should wait to extend the landing gear while in icing conditions. He said the brakes could not work if you leave the gear down in icing. Being a former frieght dog I was surprised I had never heard of this. What say you guys?

Just do a gear-up landing. Then you don't have to worry about getting ice stuck on the wheel brakes. Problem solved.