Avoiding That "Chilling" Sensation

For those of us who have "hit the boots" (or the equivalent system on your favorite bird) a few times in the last few days (despite my home base in Northern Florida...) due to the ever-present seasonal 'charms' of in-flight icing, we thought a series of short tips from Cirrus Design's Scott Winter (yes, that IS his real name) might help us all to consider some of the realities of this time of year.

So... here are the first of seven tips for dealing with icing. Y'all be careful out there!

Icing Aero-Tip #1

With the changing of the seasons, also comes the changing of the weather. For some in the northern parts of the United States and Canada, snow has already covered the ground, as well as airplanes!

While icing is not a new concept for pilots, just as one needs to spend time reviewing those winter driving skills, so must pilots review winter flying skills that could be life saving! General aviation flying can be accomplished safely and effectively in the winter months as long as pilots follow a few simple rules to keep them safe.

During the pre-flight planning, look up pertinent information regarding icing. Pilot reports, AIRMETS, and winds aloft forecasts are common areas that can help a pilot identify areas of possible ice. New forecasted icing potential charts may also be useful.

Prior to flight, make sure that all frost and snow are removed from the aircraft. Even a small amount of frost or snow may decrease lift by up to 30%, at times maybe even preventing the aircraft from becoming airborne.

Make sure you are aware of where there is icing and where it is safe. Knowing the answers to these two questions PRIOR to flying will reduce the time needed to decide the best course of action if icing conditions are encountered. Remember, in icing conditions, time is critical.

Even short encounters and small buildups of ice can drastically affect the performance and handling qualities. The horizontal stabilizer, which has a smaller radii than the wing, will accumulate ice at a faster rate than the wing. It is estimated that ice accumulates 3-4 times faster on the tail than the wing.

About Scott Winter

At the time that this series was authored, Scott was a member of the Flight Standards Department at Cirrus Design Corporation in Duluth, MN (one of those places that see more than its fair share of icing encounters). Born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, he discovered his passion for aviation at an early age. After obtaining his Private Pilot Certificate prior to his senior year in high school, he attended Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree majoring in Professional Flight. In December 2006, he completed his Master's of Science degree from MSU spending time focusing on aviation weather, scenario-based training, and visualization techniques to enhance the methods used to educate aviators.

Note: ANN thanks Cirrus Pilot William Dobson for the use of the excellent SR20 icing pix...

FMI: www.cirrusdesign.com, www.aopa.org/asf/publications/sa11.pdf