Tips For Flying in ICE

[CA1900]

To give you an idea of what can happen to unprotected surfaces, this formed on the spinner of my 1900 during just a half-hour flight a couple of years back:


http://img201.imageshack.us/my.php?image=spinnerro1.jpg


The nose of the same plane; note the thick layer of clear ice:

http://img465.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nosess1.jpg


We went through a lot of glycol that day!

 

[LJPilot]

For preflight planning, I always used the Nexrad VAD page on WSI. What it will shows you is where the moisture is above the station. I use it to determine tops. If the returns stop at 5000ft, you know you'll be clear above. It will also show layers. Always leave yourself two ways out. If one of your ways out is on top, remember you will have to descend through a solid layer. At a descent rate between 500 fpm-1000 fpm, it could mean 10 or more minutes in icing conditions. Once in them, you may not be able to climb out on top again.

 

[N60OSU]

For preflight planning, I always used the Nexrad VAD page on WSI.

VAD may be one of the best kept secrets for preflighting in weather. A couple of days ago I was flying from DAL to OKC. OKC SFC temps were -2 with northerly winds following the recent (by a matter of minutes) passage of a cold front. Forecast winds for 3/6k were northerly suggesting cold temps at those altitudes and possible freezing rain due to moist southerly flow and warm temps above. VAD showed the winds were still southerly down to 2K. I stayed at 6K all the way and OAT was +11 until I descended through 3K on the approach. By the time I reached 2K temp was -3 and I was picking up ice.

I looked long and hard for a web link to a VAD source:
http://weather.cod.edu/analysis/analysis.radar.html

Click on the individual radar site and you'll get a list of options on the left.

 

[osy007]

Ice bridging is definately not a myth...

I used to fly the aerostar and baron for Airnet in the Northeast.
When in the ice, you would have to let the airspeed drop a minimum of 25 kts , for the aerostar, before blowing the boots. If you blew them to early, the ice would start bridging. I would usually do the same for the Baron.

1. Stay High as long as possible. (Climb out of the ice)
2. Dont descend until you absolutely have to!!!!!
3. Stay fast when descending

I landed in BOS once with 2 inches of ice covering my ENTIRE a/c (Baron).
The strut on the left side compressed when I landed. I thought it was a blowout but it was just the weight of the ice. It took the signature line guy 30 minutes to deice my bird (expensive) before heading right back into the same crap...If my battery in the Aerostar didn't die on me that night, I wouldn't be here chatting....

 

[FL420]

VAD may be one of the best kept secrets for preflighting in weather. A couple of days ago I was flying from DAL to OKC. OKC SFC temps were -2 with northerly winds following the recent (by a matter of minutes) passage of a cold front. Forecast winds for 3/6k were northerly suggesting cold temps at those altitudes and possible freezing rain due to moist southerly flow and warm temps above. VAD showed the winds were still southerly down to 2K. I stayed at 6K all the way and OAT was +11 until I descended through 3K on the approach. By the time I reached 2K temp was -3 and I was picking up ice.

I looked long and hard for a web link to a VAD source:
http://weather.cod.edu/analysis/analysis.radar.html

Click on the individual radar site and you'll get a list of options on the left.

OK. I hate to admit I don't know what VAD is or how to read it. Help, please.

 

[ubpilot]

During the crazy cargo days, we were using TKS fluid to deice. During the light icing condition, it worked pretty well, but I hate to say that anything more than moderate icing conditions, the TKS will lose it’s effectiveness. Like OSY007 said, stay out of the icing condition as long as possible. Usually other pilot report is a great source to avoid icing. If you really need to descent for the airport or the approach, then make a steep descent, penetrate the icing lair as quick as possible.

 

[Say Again Over]

My money is on Avbug.

 

[stknrdr]

A quick, obvious but maybe missed, note: Try and determine where the ice is/will/may be along your route, and more importantly where it likely will not be and draw it out relative to your MEA's, terrian, and reported cloud layers over airports along your route. Having to do that math in your head while loading up with ice is one more piece of brain damage at a time you don't need any. Fly much more conservatively until you slowly gain that experience. Like it's been said before, be the PIC. Good luck.

 

[avbug]

That's true. If you follow avbug, you won't have icing issues, because avbug will be the one in the terminal having a big cup of hot chocolate, waiting for the ice to go away.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Just read an interesting article in this months AOPA Pilot about an SR22 getting iced up. The pilot encountered some ice and tried to climb out of it to VFR above which he did although he accumulated enough that his speed dropped, plane stalled and begun spinning downward through IMC.

There's a happy ending though...

Homeboy popped open the ol' parachute allowing him and his passenger to escape without much injury after landing (floating, reallly) in some trees.

I believe that the pilot also had over 12K and the standard collection of flight certificates and ratings which included several hundred hours in the SR22 as pilot and instructor.

 

[time builder]

Just read an interesting article in this months AOPA Pilot about an SR22 getting iced up. The pilot encountered some ice and tried to climb out of it to VFR above which he did although he accumulated enough that his speed dropped, plane stalled and begun spinning downward through IMC.

There's a happy ending though...

Homeboy popped open the ol' parachute allowing him and his passenger to escape without much injury after landing (floating, reallly) in some trees.

I believe that the pilot also had over 12K and the standard collection of flight certificates and ratings which included several hundred hours in the SR22 as pilot and instructor.

Good for him, from what I gather Cirrus is more concerned that people are too hesitant to pull the chute, there's plenty of reports of others who didn't think to punch out.

On the other hand, I saw a report of a crashed Cirrus (fatal) that iced up and crashed but had the parachute deployed. I'm not sure, however, if the parachute was activated by the pilot, or if it blew out during the crash.

 

[tathepilot]

http://aircrafticing.grc.nasa.gov/index.html online course & resource - mentioned above, but very helpful

go to http://www.faa.gov and search safo06002

 

[RedEye1]

VAD may be one of the best kept secrets for preflighting in weather. A couple of days ago I was flying from DAL to OKC. OKC SFC temps were -2 with northerly winds following the recent (by a matter of minutes) passage of a cold front. Forecast winds for 3/6k were northerly suggesting cold temps at those altitudes and possible freezing rain due to moist southerly flow and warm temps above. VAD showed the winds were still southerly down to 2K. I stayed at 6K all the way and OAT was +11 until I descended through 3K on the approach. By the time I reached 2K temp was -3 and I was picking up ice.

I looked long and hard for a web link to a VAD source:
http://weather.cod.edu/analysis/analysis.radar.html

Click on the individual radar site and you'll get a list of options on the left.

OK. I hate to admit I don't know what VAD is or how to read it. Help, please.

Same here, googled vad and didn't come up with much.

 

[tathepilot]

here is a start

http://www.faa.gov/aua/weather/fisdl/common/WSR - Weather Surveillance Radar.pdf

 

[Say Again Over]

That's true. If you follow avbug, you won't have icing issues, because avbug will be the one in the terminal having a big cup of hot chocolate, waiting for the ice to go away.

Which reminds me of another lesson learned, if the roads are too dangerous to drive on it's probably not a good idea to try and aviate, say no and live another day!