Ask a Flight Instructor

Posts Tagged ‘Icing’

This video presents practical information to help pilots avoid ice, detect ice, minimize exposure, and safely exit icing conditions during each phase of flight. The effect of icing on performance and handling is also discussed.

Realistic scenarios follow two pilots, Rona and Greg, from preflight planning through the approach and landing phases of flight. Rona is piloting an ice-protected light twin aircraft and Greg is piloting an unprotected single aircraft.

Read the rest of this entry »

This video provides information about ice-contaminated horizontal stabilizers. It presents a physical description of the tailplane icing problem, symptoms of ice contamination, and suggested recovery procedures.

This video is intended primarily for pilots of turboprop aircraft. It discusses ice protection systems, how ice accretes on the aircraft and symtoms thereof, the effects of ice on both the performance degradation and handling qualities, suggested recovery techniques from a roll or pitch upset and finally, the hazard of Supercooled Large Droplets (SLD).

Well..that time of year has come. Time to review icing procedures and courses for icing. Already this season, I’ve already had a few icing encounters, fortunately all light with mixed rime. During a preflight weather check about a month ago I saw an PIREP from a CRJ experiencing severe icing. According to my 2008 ASA FAR / AIM Severe Icing means that “the rate of accumulation is such that deicing/anti-icing equipment fails to reduce or control the hazard. Immediate flight diversion is necessary.” Knock on wood I haven’t experienced that yet. I wondered if it looked something like this when it landed

Every year I try and watch the NASA videos as well as read over my aircraft flight manual or POH for the type of aircraft I am flying. NASA has produced a great online icing course. I was also able to find the NASA icing video on google and share it below. This video is a classic when it comes to aircraft icing. Every corporate, charter and airline operator that I have ever worked for makes this required viewing. Warning it takes a while to watch and load but worth every second. The title of this video is Icing for Regional and Corporate pilots but don’t let the title fool you. It has a lot of practical advice and tips that would apply to anyone.

Nasa also produced a good tailplane icing video:

Here is a good book entitled simply Aircraft Icing. A summary:

In this straightforward, how-to handbook for pilots at all levels, weather professional and Gold Seal flight instructor Terry Lankford gives you a critical overview of one of aviation’s most dangerous and hard-to-grasp threats. For the first time, Aircraft Icing provides both the nuts-and-bolts understanding and the hands-on strategies you need to prepare yourself for icing conditions, whether you fly a single-engine Cessna or a jumbo 777.. “

This is available for $29.36 from mypilotstore.com