Icing Danger!
With Winter here, pilots need to remain aware of the dangers of aircraft icing. Good flight planning and preflight inspections are very important for preventing a potentially dangerous situation.

  • Check the weather the night before your flight to ensure that the aircraft you will be flying is hangared and plugged in.
  • Pay particular attention to the possibility of in-flight icing. Look for icing airmets, sigmets, and pilot reports along your route of flight.
  • Be sure to dress warm, and take your time during preflight inspections. Pay special attention that all ports on the aircraft are clear including static port, pitot tube, oil breather lines, stall warning horn, and other critical aircraft components.
  • Check to see if there is any ice on the top of each wing. Even if you cannot see any, run your hand over all surfaces to make sure there is none.
According to the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board), a wing upper surface roughness caused by particles of only 1-2 mm (millimeter) diameter (the size of a grain of table salt), at a density of about one particle per square centimeter, can cause lift losses of about 22 and 33 percent, in ground effect and free air, respectively. Icing on the upper surface of the wing can be tough to see and may not be visible from the aircraft cabin. The Safety Board believes strongly that the only way to ensure that the wing is free from critical contamination is to touch it. If you discover any ice during your preflight inspection, make sure that it is removed completely. According to an NSTB Advisory, many pilots believe that if they have sufficient engine power available, they can simply "power through" any performance degradation that might result from almost imperceptible amounts of upper wing surface ice accumulation. However, engine power will not prevent a stall and loss of control at lift off, where the highest angles of attack are normally achieved. While aircraft performance is much better in the winter, it can be easily negated by a very small amount of ice. Be safe and enjoy flying this winter.