Caravan Flights Into Icing
by Mari Peterson
As pilots we are trained to exit icing conditions when they present themselves, and as pilots we know that icing conditions are ever-changing. Sometimes the conditions can be exactly right for ice, and you get nothing. Sometimes the opposite.
The de-ice boots on the Caravan provide some protection for removing ice, but just because an aircraft is approved for flight into icing conditions doesn't mean that you should remain in that environment and continue to accumulate more.
Ice alters the airfoil surface, making us test pilots for a new type of wing shape - therefore the boots are really a tool for exiting an icing situation. The nice part about the Northwest is that the conditions usually change within a few minutes and the situation resolves itself and the short hops between Seattle and the islands sure help too.
Be sure to treat every icing scenario as it's own independent event and to know your indicators and actions: loss of airspeed, autopilot checks etc. Most importantly, have fun and fly safe out there!
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