Comments on: Just in Time for the Winter Season http://crankyflier.com/2007/11/28/just-in-time-for-the-winter-season/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:05:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Aviatrix http://crankyflier.com/2007/11/28/just-in-time-for-the-winter-season/comment-page-1/#comment-10842 Aviatrix Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:58:22 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/11/28/just-in-time-for-the-winter-season/#comment-10842 Every flight we are responsible for ensuring that all critical surfaces are free of ice and snow. In Canada I need to see a video and do a corresponding exam every year for every employer. The problem is that some parts of the test aren't applicable to some operations so yes, operators do feed us those answers. We do take deicing very seriously and I will not disregard an "ice on wings" report from anyone. When I did aerial work in a small plane where I deiced, ran up and then picked up my observer with the engine running, I would deice the tail first. Why? I trained my non-pilot crewmember to run his fingers over the horizontal stabilizer as he approached to board, and report any refreezing to me. If the first area to be deiced was still clean, then I was willing to trust that nothing else was frozen either. (It was a high-wing, so I couldn't see my own wings). Every flight we are responsible for ensuring that all critical surfaces are free of ice and snow. In Canada I need to see a video and do a corresponding exam every year for every employer. The problem is that some parts of the test aren’t applicable to some operations so yes, operators do feed us those answers. We do take deicing very seriously and I will not disregard an “ice on wings” report from anyone. When I did aerial work in a small plane where I deiced, ran up and then picked up my observer with the engine running, I would deice the tail first. Why? I trained my non-pilot crewmember to run his fingers over the horizontal stabilizer as he approached to board, and report any refreezing to me. If the first area to be deiced was still clean, then I was willing to trust that nothing else was frozen either. (It was a high-wing, so I couldn’t see my own wings).

]]> By: Claire Walter http://crankyflier.com/2007/11/28/just-in-time-for-the-winter-season/comment-page-1/#comment-10673 Claire Walter Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:16:25 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/11/28/just-in-time-for-the-winter-season/#comment-10673 As I remember it -- and it was a long time ago, so correct me if I'm wrong -- Air Florida had not been flying up north for very long, and the palm-tree pilot didn't realize that when snow/ice began building up on the wings during a long take-off delay, it would have been time to get out of the conga line to be de-iced again. Claire @ http://travel-babel.blogspot.com As I remember it — and it was a long time ago, so correct me if I’m wrong — Air Florida had not been flying up north for very long, and the palm-tree pilot didn’t realize that when snow/ice began building up on the wings during a long take-off delay, it would have been time to get out of the conga line to be de-iced again.

Claire @ http://travel-babel.blogspot.com

]]>