Tips For Flying in ICE

[fivefootnuthin]

something to add ....I'm not sure if type 4 can be used on a 310 or not ...but be very careful, if it can, about using it. Unlike type 1, which is pink in color and applied hot, type 4 is green ..applied cold ...and a very thin layer is ALL thats required. one pass with the hose, thats it. they thick it up ...and I promise you you wont get off the runway because it wont break away as advertized. So watch them when its applied ....

 

[avbug]

Timeoff,

Are you asking about applying a teflon or other lubricant to the leading edge of an unprotected wing (ie, one with no ice protection such as boots, heat, fluid, etc), or are you talking about applying silicon to the leading edge of a protected wing?

I suspect where you're going with that is finding something to coat the leading edge upon which ice will not stick. Many pilot erroneously believe that by spraying their boots or the leading edge of their wing with an oily substance, the ice won't stick...but it will. Paint it with a teflon or other similiar type paint or coating, and it's still going to stick. Or form, which is a better way of putting it.

Some wings leak fluid out of very small pores; this is the basis of the TKS system. It's effective, until one is of fluid, to a point. Others use methanol for various surfaces from the nose of a jet to propellers. These prevent freezing precipitation from bonding to the surface not so much by producing a slick liquid surface that causes the moisture to slide away, as creating a consistantly melting boundary upon which the freezing precip can find no purchase.

Something like silicon or teflon soloutions in a liquid form merely slough off. In a solid form such asa coating (imagine your frypan, but on the leading edge of the wing), pecipitation will still bond. Something is needed to either break it free mechanically (such as in inflatable boot), or melt/weaken the ice closest to the surface (fluid, heat, etc).

Some pilots believe that by spraying their boots with various substances, they can prevent ice adhesion. This may work with trace icing, but not with moderate or severe icing. Part of the reason is that coatings tend to change propeties in the presence of the cold slipstream, and part of it is that the coating inevitably gets removed to some degree or another by the slipstream. But the main reason that it doesn't work is the very definition of severe icing...icing which can't be removed fast enough by the onboard anti-icing or de-icing equipment...it accumulates faster than it can be removed. This definition is subjective to the individual aircraft and system...what is light to moderate icing for one aircraft may be severe to another.

Coating your wings with pledge or various oils doesn't prevent ice. Goodyear and other companies make boot treatments which are often mistaken for soloutions to prevent icing...they're not. Those soloutions are intended to extend boot life by treating the rubber, and a number of soloutions that pilots might unwittingly apply do just the oppsite...contribute to boot deterioration.

A much better idea is to come to the icing table armed first with the necessary equipment, and a close second with both the knowledge and judgement to properly use it. A number of different innovative ideas have been used over the years from conventional inflatable rubber boots to ultraonic devics intnded to break up and remove ice. Magnetic devices, heated blankets, hot air from various engine sources ("bleed air"), etc, are all in use, or have been tried.

Icing itself is very dependent on temperature, dewpoint, droplet size and condition, airspeed, the shape of the wing, angle of attack, etc. Icing can be very unpredictable. Icing can occur suddently without being forecast, in areas where no icing is being reported, in freezing conditions, in the summer, in the winter, in the mountains and by the sea. The first word is caution and the second is suspicion when dealing with ice. Trace ice can quickly become severe. A few days ago I went from trace to two inches of ice in very short order in very mild convective activity in the desert in a very arid area of the middle east. Who'da thunk it? Yesterday we encountered a lot of supercooled water under freezing conditions, and rapid ice buildup that surprised even some very experienced weather experts observing what occured. If they're surprised, you can bet I couldn't have predicted it.

I'm not nearly so educated on such things...being lowly aviator. My approach is a whole lot more simple. I assume that it can occur under the most unexpected conditions, and as a result, it's seldom surprising...expect it, plan for it, and plan to avoid it where ever you can. Ice is a whole lot easier to handle when you aren't in it, becuse you've planned your way around it, than trying to figure out how to get rid of the stuff. Even with teflon and a barrel of alcohol.

 

[Lear Wanna Be]

All of the advice you have gotten here, with the exception of G-Force's advice, is pretty good. Read it two, three, and four times until you get experience of your own. I have 1000s of hours in a 310 and they do very well in ice. You will here people say that they fall out of the sky on landing with ice on the airframe. As long as you keep the speed up and don't chop the power then you will be fine. If fact, if you want good landings on a clear day, then you won't chop the power anyway. A substantial part of lift is produced just by the prop wash.

Things I would remember:

1) You are the pilot, not ATC. Ask once for an altitude change, if they say stand-by, give them a minute and tell them you need to change altitudes, if still nothing give them a minute and then tell them I need need higher or lower now, which way do you want me to go. They will start turning people or making calls.

2) Don't forget to ask for block altitudes if you find yourself between layers. 7,000 block 9,000 will give you the ability to fish around for something.

3) Don't be shy, ask for pilot reports in your area. Even if ATC doesn't have time, somebody will chime in on the radio if they have info that will help.

4) If ATC says they need you higher than 3,000 (or whatever) for radar coverage and not terrain and that is going to put you in icing conditions, tell them too bad and you will except routing instead of GPS direct. Pretty common theme in NW MN, ND, and SD.

5) Cycle the boots one more time before landing. Anything you can get off will make things safer. A mag lite will help get the rest off when you are on the ground.

6) You will here lots of ice hitting the nose. You will be certain that the nose will have shotgun size holes in it when you land. Don't worry, it is not as bad as you think.

7) If you don't have inboard boots and a hot plate then you are not K-ice and probably shouldn't be out there. If you have alcohol and inboard boots you will be OK as long as the alcohol doesn't run out. Check the tank before each flight when icing can be expected.

8) You can tell how much ice you have on a 310 just by how much IAS you loose. 10 knots and you can probably think about blowing the boots. 20 knots and things not getting any better any you better be thinking about landing.

9) If you are not comfortable going, then don't go. You only get one chance at life and many chances at finding a job.

 

[paulsalem]

Turn the props on BEFORE you enter ice. We had a guy dent up a 310 we had at our flight school b/c he forgot to turn them on before entering icing. When he did, the chunk, got thrown forward of the reinforced area of the shed.

I've never done this, but my a friend of mine at Airnet said he'd ask for a block altitude and start a decent, and get your KIAS up before you blow the boots. The more airspeed you have, the more ice will come off. He would then climb back up after the ice was off to get ready for the next blow. I just wouldn’t get too slow (below min icing speed) on the climb or you may end up with ice behind the boots, on the underside of the wings.

 

[Alltheway]

[FONT=&quot]I used to fly a lot around the great lakes, be careful come winter time with airports that are close to the lake, more importantly airports that have approaches that take you over the lake (UGN, MKE, ENW……) there’s a lot of moisture out there so plan accordingly. [/FONT]

 

[Jpilot23]

Guys much thanks for the advice posted. i know you guys have been there and know what really works. BTW the NASA website was VERY insightful. AGain much thanks.

 

[Big Dog]

If you expect bad icing on final, especially a long final and the ceilings permit, shoot the LOC instead of the ILS. Plan a high rate of decent until MDA. Got me out of a freezing rain situation. Tell ATC to keep you as high as they can as long as they can. ATC can usually be pretty helpful in general when they know what is going on.

 

[CloudyIFR]

The C310 is a great airplane and can carry quite a bit of ice, not that you want to.

Even if it's above freezing on the ground I'd exercise the boots during taxi to help get rid of some moisture built up while it sat idle. If not, you may find the boots frozen once climbing into below freezing temperatures.

Also, if you're using an alcohol window I'd suggest turning the fluid off at the FAF so that you can see to land. You can't see through the streaming flow of fluid across the window. Also make sure that fluid hasn't sat for awhile as you know alcohol and water love one another and it'll just freeze on your window, so it needs to be pure alcohol.

Curtis
Montana

 

[FL420]

If you expect bad icing on final, especially a long final and the ceilings permit, shoot the LOC instead of the ILS. Plan a high rate of decent until MDA. Got me out of a freezing rain situation. Tell ATC to keep you as high as they can as long as they can. ATC can usually be pretty helpful in general when they know what is going on.

Good advice. If you need the lower ILS minimums, fly it quite fast at a high rate-of-descent to minimize the time your in icing conditions.

If you have a low enough MVA you can ask for vectors to intercept the GS lower than GSIA and get down to MVA quickly if it is below the freezing level or icing conditions.

 

[taters]

Another concept is the difference in ice at different temperatures. Ice that is closer to freezing is much like a sticky snow ball, i.e freezing rain can cause hell to your wings verses fllying through a cloud at -25 SAT were ice is similar to powdery snow, it rarely can adhere to the wing. Always be particularly careful at temps right around freezing, this is where a majority of the most dangerous icing conditions occur.