9.2: Weather Hazards

 Hi All,

    In my opinion, aircraft icing, or the process of ice forming on an aircraft, can be a dangerous part of aviation and a significant hazard to flight during the winter months. This icing normally forms when supercooled droplets strike the plane and break apart to form a watery film. That film freezes into a solid sheet of ice referred to as clear ice. If the supercooled droplets are frozen before they are able to spread over the surface of the plane, they are referred to as “rime ice” (Types of icing and their differences 2020). In order for the icing to form, the FAA details the 2 major criteria of : the aircraft's position must be flying through a type of water such as cloud droplets or rain, and temperature at the area where the droplets strike the aircraft must be 0 degrees C or lower. This can also occur during  Aerodynamic cooling conditions which cause the airfoil temperature to reach the needed 0 degrees, even though the ambient temperature could be warmer (Types of icing and their differences 2020).
     Aircraft icing presents a major danger to aviation due to the negative effects on the aircraft’s ability to fly. Icing increases the overall weight of the aircraft and depending on where it forms, can affect the plane’s aerodynamics, increasing drag. If the ice were to form on the intake for example, it would cause less air to be fed to the engines, decreasing overall thrust capability. It can also impede the operation of hydraulic systems needed for flight control, landing gear, brakes, and instruments (Structural Icing 2015). Imagine if more than one aircraft, such as a major airport were to be affected? It could be disastrous for the airport's flight completions.
    As a maintainer, I have seen these effects first hand on a detachment during the wintertime onboard NAS Fallon NV. The flight schedule would begin in the early morning as the sun was rising, so that meant that our time beforehand was spent removing as much ice as possible from the jets before take off. Once the pilots took control, we had extra procedures to follow such as: extra “exercisers” for the flight control surfaces, more time allowed for engine warmup, and de-icers applied to the canopies. Icing is a serious hazard that should never be taken lightly!

References:

IFATCA. (2020). Types of icing and their differences. Icing, Refresher. https://www.ifatca.org/icing-refresher/. 

Federal Aviation Administration. (2015). Structural Icing. Flight in Icing Conditions. https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac%2000-6a%20chap%2010-12.pdf.


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