Icing Encounter Tips for Cessna Caravan Pilots and Operators

 Operating Tips for an Icing Encounter in the Cessna Caravan 

In the Northern Hemisphere Winter is right around the corner, and with it comes increased chances that the Caravan that you fly will have an icing encounter. Are you familiar with the various steps that you can take to help manage the impact of an icing encounter? Whether you own, fly or manage a Cessna Caravan, we here at Caravan Nation recommend that you, not only read this article, but print and save the below listed operating tips for future reference.

The operating tips listed below are part of the FedEx Caravan Icing Program. A program that you should acknowledge and possibly incorporate it into your own program. 

In the Caravan, like every other airplane, you can help manage the impact of an icing encounter by remembering two general rules: 

A) Keep the airspeed/power up and, 

B) Keep the deck angle/AOA down. 

Additionally we recommend that you consider the following:

1. Make sure that you receive a thorough weather briefing. Know the right questions to ask, and don't hesitate to ask them.

2. Compare frontal movement with the proposed flight path, remember to look well up-wind of your course line to see what kind of weather is approaching your flight path.

3. Pre-flight ALL of the aircraft anti/de-ice systems for proper operation and cycle sequences.

4. Periodically wax areas of the aircraft that are exposed to ice accumulation: e.g.

• Nose wheel fairings & accessories (not the shock)
• Engine cowling
• Cargo pod
• Wing-strut/wing-joint area including tie-down hook
• Main landing gear dressing including brake-pad housing, but not the brake-disk
• Gurney-strip of the trailing edge of the flaps
• Left & right outer elevator horn

5. Exercise self-discipline and try to envision ALL possible "What if (s)" that might be encountered during the initial take-off and climb in icing conditions.

6. Use of flaps for take-off should be carefully evaluated when icing is anticipated during departure.

7. Remember... snow, slush, or water standing on the runway will greatly increase the required take-off distance, as well as landing roll. Be particularly careful when a take-off is being conducted. Slow acceleration to liftoff speed followed by an ABORT will require considerably more runway. Therefore, where a choice can be made, pick the longest runway for both take-off and landing.

8. After take-off, increase speed to 110-115 kts as quickly as possible. This will help keep ice formation on the protected areas of the aircraft. Continue to climb with a minimum deck-angle.

9. At airports where SIDs are used, pick a direction of departure which has the lowest climb-gradient. Once you are at a safe altitude you can then proceed to your destination.

10. Constantly monitor & assess the icing situation of your aircraft. Be particularly alert to OAT changes during the climb. Observing the OAT during your climb to altitude can provide clues which could save your life.

11. Consider not using the auto-pilot when operating in ice. This is not to imply that the auto-pilot is not approved for ice operation, but that a pilot can not possibly know how the aircraft is FEELING if the auto-pilot is engaged.

12. When encountering icing and the airspeed begins to drop below 130 KIAS, MAXIMUM CONTINUOUS POWER e.g. 1865# torque/805 C ITT (675 HP) as applicable, should be used.

13. De-ice boots are more effective at higher airspeeds. At lower speeds effectiveness may be improved by SMOOTHLY changing the pitch attitude as the boots are being MANUALLY inflated which will allow the changing relative wind to assist in removing the ice from the wing leading edge.

14. A vibration may occur as ice starts to build on the propeller hub and the back side of the blade near the hub. Under extreme conditions the vibration may continue to increase the the point where the instrument panel begins to shake. In conditions of MODERATE and above accumulation rates, the automatic propeller anti-ice system may not be sufficient to keep the propeller clear of ice. Under these conditions, consider using the MANUAL propeller anti-ice feature and briskly cycling the prop between the maximum and minimum RPM (minimum 200 RPM change) to assist in removing the ice.

15. Don't keep flying into deteriorating conditions. Have a plan, e.g. climb, descend or turn to get to less severe conditions if it become necessary. KEEP YOUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE. DON'T ALLOW YOURSELF TO RUN OUT OF OPTIONS!

16. Communicate your situation with ATC. Keep them advised of your icing problems. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Failing to use all of the resources at your disposal is sellling yourself short. DON'T LET A MACHO ATTITUDE OVERLOAD YOUR BOAT!

17. Monitor the terminal approach frequency while you are still in the enroute portion. This will allow you to listen-in on any problems other pilots may be encountering while in their attempt to land. During the approach keep your air-speed at least 15-20 knots higher than normal. Stall speed increases with ice accumulation.

18. Do not cycle the boots during landing since boot inflation may increase stall speeds by as much as 10 knots.

19. Fly the aircraft down-to-the-ground, do not attempt a normal flare-out to a stalled landing.

If you have any questions about this article, use the contact form on  CaravanNation.com 

Always remember to... "Never stop learning. Review often and never get complacent so that you can continue to fly safely!"

AirNationGroup.com

Autonomous Caravan Gets Closer to Full Certification

 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -BusinessWire- Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, today announced that the certification basis of its advanced navigation and autoflight system has been accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The final G-1 issue paper defines the certification basis for the company’s Supplemental Type Certification (STC) on the Cessna 208 Caravan, a popular cargo aircraft. This STC will enhance safety by enabling continuous autopilot engagement through all phases of aircraft operation, including taxi, takeoff, cruise, landing, braking and rollout, with a single pilot on board for abnormal procedures.

“We are very appreciative of the FAA’s noteworthy attention to detail and ongoing support,” said Mark Mondt, Director of Certification at Reliable Robotics. “This certification basis is the culmination of years of work with the FAA and represents a key step towards bringing advanced navigation and autoflight systems to normal category aircraft. We look forward to continuing our work together as we move into the next phase of the certification process.”

The FAA uses issue papers to provide a structured means of describing and tracking the resolution of significant technical and regulatory issues that occur during a certification project. The signed G-1 issue paper represents formal agreement between Reliable Robotics and the FAA on the applicable airworthiness and environmental requirements for the company’s advanced automation system.

Today, Controlled Flight Into Terrain and Loss of Control are the #1 and #2 causes of fatal accidents in small aircraft. Advanced automation systems will reduce the occurrence of these accidents and bring an unprecedented level of safety to commercial aviation through precision navigation, sophisticated flight planning and robust flight controls.

About Reliable Robotics

Reliable Robotics launched in 2017 to bring safe, certified autonomous vehicles to commercial aviation as soon as possible. The company’s automation system enables remote operation of any aircraft type and will expand access to more locations. Reliable’s vision is to transform the way we move goods and people around the planet with safer, more convenient and more affordable air transportation. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, CA, and has a distributed global workforce. Learn more and see job openings at https://reliable.co.

Visit CaravanNation.com for more Caravan news and information!

Flying The Mighty Caravan!

 

Flying the Mighty Cessna Caravan! 

By Scott Humphries 

The legendary Cessna Caravan (C208 for short) is arguably the most versatile plane ever built. Commuter airline? Sure. Military? 31 different air forces fly them. Island-hopping? Indeed, in the Caribbean, the Hawaiian Islands, the Greek Isles, Indonesia and more. Bush flying? Yep, in the Serengeti, the Australian Outback, the Amazon jungle, you name it. Cargo? Fedex has 239 of them. Air ambulance? Good to go. Arctic Circle in your travel plans? No sweat. If you’re on an Alaskan glacier lake tour, chances are you’re in a Caravan outfitted with floats. And skydive operations routinely rank the Caravan as one of the best jump planes around. The Caravan is the “Swiss Army Knife with Wings,” and you can find them literally all over the world. Fortunately, every once in a while Cessna brings a brand new one to Houston to show it off…

I first got excited about the Caravan a few years ago when I met Chris Rosenfelt (my ATOP B-737 sim partner), who runs Caravan Nation (and its fantastic Instagram page) — he’s dropped countless skydivers out of Caravans and is a huge advocate for the plane. Then over lunch, Cessna’s Derek Moore explained that Cessna was seeing increasing interest in the Caravan as personal transport, with orders for the optional “executive” interior ticking up. About the same time, my email to the legal community announcing my law retirement in favor of flying generated a surprising number of “Can you fly me to out-of-town hearings?” responses. I wondered, could the Caravan serve as an all-in-one charter business and family plane?

I jumped at Derek’s offer to test-fly the Caravan. First, I downloaded and studied Flight Safety’s 298-page Caravan-flying manual. Normally when researching a plane I’d also tinker with its weight-and-balance limitations (i.e. what can it carry and how far?), but that seemed silly here: the Caravan has a whopping 3300-lb. useful load. Even with 4 hours of fuel on board, it’ll launch 7 passengers and their luggage. Basically, if you can fit it in the door, the C208 can carry it. And it has some (four!) sizeable doors.

I met Derek at Sugar Land Airport, and we did a hands-on walk-through of the highlights. The first thing you notice about the Caravan is that it’s BIG — the tarmac shaded by its high, 52’ wingspan was perfect for a preflight chat. And at 14’ tall, it dominates the ramp. The plane’s new — 150 hours on it — and sported the most popular options: a creamy executive interior, purposeful underbelly cargo pod, and 29” (mountain-bike sized!) tires, to name a few.  

Time to fly! I climbed the tall steps and slid into the pilot’s seat through the only pilot-specific door I’ve ever used (the co-pilot has his own door). Guiding me from the right seat was Terry Allenbaugh, Cessna’s Caravan guru whose pedigree stretches back to flying C208 serial no. 8 all over Ethiopia in the 1980s. Terry’s colleague Austin Bally and Derek relaxed in the spacious cabin, with Derek helpfully adding C208 bells-and-whistles commentary along the way.

Unlike all the smaller planes I’ve typically flown (except the Piper Meridian), the Caravan is a turboprop: a propeller-driven plane powered not by a piston engine but a turbine, in this case the ultra-reliable 675-hp Pratt & Whitney PT6A. So while the Garmin G1000 panel looked familiar, I welcomed Terry’s advice on the turboprop-specific aspects of the throttle quadrant.

On its simple start-up, the Caravan delivered the sweet whine of a turbine spool-up. No piston catch-and-fire here! A call to Sugar Land ground control, and we were taxing to the runway. After a short take-off briefing, I set the standard 20-degrees of flaps for take-off and advanced the power. Rotation speed is 70kts (70, in this giant bird!) and with nothing more than a slight release of the yoke, the plane flew itself off the runway after an astonishingly short (1500’) ground run. Terry had warned me that all that power required solid right rudder on climb-out, and he was right.  

In no time, we were cruising smoothly southwest at 1700’ in this iconic airplane! Under the Caravan’s giant wing, the view from the cockpit is panoramic. No wonder whale-watching, bear-seeking, and safari photo-shooters love this plane.

A smaller craft might have been pushed around by Houston’s summer thermals, but not the Caravan — it’s heft seemed to smooth out the otherwise bumpy air. So too, its robust A/C mocked the soaring mid-August heat. As stout as it is, I expected the C208 to handle ponderously. Not so: it rolled in and out of steep turns surprisingly lightly (although I had to override its envelope protection — with Terry’s permission — to roll it more than 45 degrees). I ignored the Garmin autopilot and hand-flew it the whole time, enjoying every minute. It’s a hoot to fly!

Time to land came too soon, but landing the Caravan was the highlight for me. There’s no need to really flare it — again, Bruce Bohannon’s mantra worked well: “Glide it down, round it out, let it settle, hold it back.” But on touchdown the Caravan’s turbine engine allows a “beta” mode, which basically reverses the propeller pitch to create backwards thrust. So immediately after the wheels were down — again on Terry’s advice — I yanked the power lever from idle to max beta, and a dramatic whoosh signaled the prop was actively slowing us. As a result, our landing roll was over by the first exit on SGR’s Runway 17, 1800’ tops. That’s short field performance! I taxied in with a Caravan-sized grin!

I owe a huge thanks to the Cessna team. I learned a great deal from Terry’s steady guidance. And Derek makes a compelling case for the Caravan. It remains to be seen whether it’s the right plane to take Humphries Aviation to the next level. But, the Caravan’s fun to fly, and it’s good enough for Jimmy Buffett. So it’s a strong contender!

CaravanNation.com