Aero-Tips!

A good pilot is always learning -- how many times have you heard this old standard throughout your flying career? There is no truer statement in all of flying (well, with the possible exception of "there are no old, bold pilots.") It's part of what makes aviation so exciting for all of us... just when you think you've seen it all, along comes a scenario you've never imagined.

Aero-News has called upon the expertise of Thomas P. Turner, master CFI and all-around-good-guy, to bring our readers -- and us -- daily tips to improve our skills as aviators, and as representatives of the flying community. Some of them, you may have heard before... but for each of us, there will also be something we might never have considered before, or something that didn't "stick" the way it should have the first time we memorized it for the practical test.

It is our unabashed goal that "Aero-Tips" will help our readers become better, safer pilots -- as well as introducing our ground-bound readers to the concepts and principles that keep those strange aluminum-and-composite contraptions in the air... and allow them to soar magnificently through it.

Look for our daily Aero-Tips segments, coming each day to you through the Aero-News Network. Suggestions for future Aero-Tips are always welcome, as are additions or discussion of each day's tips. Remember... when it comes to being good pilots, we're all in this together.

Aero-Tips 01.17.06

Airframe ice is bad news all around.  Sure, it increases airplane weight—but that’s not the half of it. Ice accumulation destroys airflow patterns, rendering wings and tail dangerously unpredictable. Stalls may come at any speed, on one wing before the other (inviting a spin), on the tail first (causing an unrecoverable nose-down pitch), and without the usual warning cues.

Ice reports

The Aeronautical Information Manual gives us precise guidance on reporting ice intensities:

1. Trace icing forms perceptibly, but does not require anti- or deice equipment unless encountered for longer than an hour.
2. Light ice requires occasional use of anti- or deice equipment, encounters of one hour or more are extremely dangerous.
3. Moderate icing is hazardous even in short encounters, and requires continuous use of deicing equipment. Diversion is called for even in “known ice” airplanes, as ice may form on unprotected surfaces.
4. Severe ice accumulates faster that deicing equipment can remove it. Immediate diversion is necessary.

If you encounter ice, should you report it? Some pilots fear the FAA’s response if they report ice. If you encounter unforecast ice accidentally, you’re not in the wrong. And if your airplane is ice-certified, it’s perfectly legal (though perhaps ill-advised) for you to “go up for a look” -- so there are no repercussions for an icing report. Either way, accurately report any ice you find -- correct information saves lives.

Aero-tip of the day: Understand and use the proper terms for ice reporting, so you (and others) can avoid icing’s hazards.

FMI: Aero-Tips