bits44 wrote:In Canada at major Airports that are affected by severe winter weather such as Toronto and Montreal, and the Maritimes as well, they have drive through de-icing stations, the pilot just steers the plane through on his way to the runway, at Toronto they can do 6-8 planes at the same time. There has been work on a Air Dryer system under development for some time that will eliminate the use of chemicals, and will actually heat the metal of the aircraft, and should last longer than the glycol spray. Time will tell on that one.
This drive through de-icing station would be a very good idea for Brussels Airport! Just a little snow here and it's total chaos
bits44 wrote:In Canada at major Airports that are affected by severe winter weather such as Toronto and Montreal, and the Maritimes as well, they have drive through de-icing stations, the pilot just steers the plane through on his way to the runway, at Toronto they can do 6-8 planes at the same time. There has been work on a Air Dryer system under development for some time that will eliminate the use of chemicals, and will actually heat the metal of the aircraft, and should last longer than the glycol spray. Time will tell on that one.
This drive through de-icing station would be a very good idea for Brussels Airport! Just a little snow here and it's total chaos
Drive thru is a good idea, but only when you need it several month's a year and not with only a few bad days every few years.
A drive thru probably offered by the airport authorities and not by the handling agents.
motorcycling : sensation with a twist of the wrist
My humble understanding is that in flight icing can occur when it is not snowing at ground level to aircraft spending a length of time in the freezing level.
Last year a Convair CV 580 descended into a freezing squall and got heavy icing whilst reducing speed for an approach. It stall spun and broke up in midair at night.
That is an example of where no amount of de-ice fluid will save you. Long slow ascents or descents in the freezing layer are suicidal. Jets normally pass through the freezing layer quickly, thus it mostly afflicts light IFR twins and turboprop airliners.
twinsen wrote:What is the main purpose to this de-icing process? It's never been fully clear to me..
The reason for de-icing is that a/c would have (and sometimes has...) weight and/or aerodynamical problems because of the snow accumulated on wings and fuselage.
It is not just ice and snow, frost is as bad, or even worse in some cases.
Airflow is critically dependent on a clean smooth surface, and it take very little to destroy that.
Aircraft deice system have no affect on the ground, as just the leading edges of wings and engines (where ice accumulate in flight). So any ice, snow or frost has to be totally gone before flight, and once it is, you cannot stay in icing conditions if your systems do not keep it off (jets go up and down so fast they shot right through it).
The other day we went thru de-icing with our Embraer 145 and we could actually hear the liquid falling on the plane, the sound was the same as when you hare in a car washer and you stay in the car
jan_olieslagers wrote:
The infra-red uses a lot of electrical power, which is not better from a "green" point of view. It is a choice between various evils!
I still think that it is going to be more environmentally friendly...but depends on what the country uses to make energy!
glycol is okay, as long as you don't use it as a sweetener, as some austrian wine farmers did in the 70'ies.
from a passengers point of view, I dislike de-icing because it makes the planes dirty.
(probably the most unprofessional remark in this lead)
Good one!