Why do Caravans suck in ice?

[starcheck208]

I fly it in the great lakes area and I've had a few pucker flights, but you just have to be smart with it. As soon as I see any ice i'm changing altitudes, usually higher but sometimes I'll stay low if it keeps me out of it. We got vans with and without pod/gear boots. I'm sure wing load is the reason but it would've been nice if they could take the wing strut off like a 210 or 177. That would be one less thing to grab ice.

 

[NoPax]

I agree it was a great airplane when I flew it too, as long as I was in florida or south texas in the winter. Im just saying it's dangeous airplane for some operators who pressure low-times who haven't learned how to say NO to a trip. In the winter I would say I cancelled 40% of my assigned trips. I'm glad I did and the day I quit that job was first day of the rest of my life.

40% of your trips...that seems a lot, but glad you're still with us!

 

[vallyman]

I disagree that it is a dangeous A/C it is only the nut behind the yoke hahah (I do fly a Van I write this as I go to work)

I have flowen is some challenging conditions for me, but the van has always pulled through, It is just a wonderfull A/C to fly yes it does have it's limitations but all A/C have them it is up to the pilot(that why they pay us the big bucks) to know the limits of the A/C and one's self

 

[TheDogsBollocks]

There's not too many planes you can take 175kts to the approach lights and make the first turnoff.

Hmmm, 175kts? must have been shot down!

 

[CaravanMan]

Hmmm, 175kts? must have been shot down!

Hehe, pretty fun to watch from the ground, too. See a coworker do it too!

 

[Nolife]

CaravanMan isn't kidding... I turned to parallel an Untied 737 at the marker going into SAT. I landed on 12L, made the first turn off @ 1200 ft, and had to hold short of 12R while the 73 touched down. Gotta love beta.
Now take off and cruise are something different.

 

[F#7b5]

I wish I was to hot chicks what the Caravan is to ice!

I wish I was to "hot chicks" what the Caravan is to ice!

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Wouldn't fly one again on a bet.

A testimony to the power of political lobbying at the FAA.

See MU-2.

 

[TheDogsBollocks]

Now take off and cruise are something different.

You're right on that one-the steam off my piss climbs faster than a Caravan!

 

[Caboclo]

OK RoughAir, I'll try to combine all the previous into a coherent answer for you. Your profile is not very specific, so forgive me if I'm talking below you. Also, I'll admit I have all of 1 hour in the Van, I'm speaking from my experience in general. The Caravan has 2 problems: first, it's not very fast to begin with, and second it has a lot of stuff to collect ice, ie wing struts, fixed gear, cargo pod. The point is, the first thing that happens in ice is that you lose airspeed. You need a lot of wind to blow the ice off the boots, so if you just lost of bunch of speed which you didn't have to begin with, you're SOL. (I liked the climb/dive trick, that could be useful in several aircraft.) That's the biggest part of it right there; it's just not fast enough, and loses too much speed too quickly. You don't have the margin for error that you would in other planes. I believe the proposed AD's are aimed at making sure the aircraft is properly deiced on the ground before take-off, so as to preserve whatever margin of error there might be. Like the Challenger, if you take-off with ice already on the plane, you're cutting it really, really close.