Freezing Rain this weekend- upcoming flight

Jaybird180

Jaybird180

Final Approach
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Jaybird180
We had some freezing rain this weekend which caused me to think about it jeopardizing my upcoming XC trip. What will I do if we get more precip the night before my planned 10am departure? What provisions and preparations are at my disposal? I’ve heard about putting Isopropyl Alcohol (IA) and distilled water mix (???) in a spray bottle and since I’ve never seen it in action, I thought I’d try an experiment last night.

My front steps were iced over (concrete) so I poured 50% (IA) onto the steps and swept vigorously to rub it in. I also used a rake to try and etch the ice. I was disappointed at the results.

What is the proper way to deice a GA airplane with IA? What other options may be available to me for an airplane that lives at an uncovered tiedown spot?
 
Can you put it into a hangar the night before the flight?
 
Wing covers. Jaybird, you need Kennons/Bruce's or Planecovers, for the night before.
 
Anthony said:
Can you put it into a hangar the night before the flight?
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Not an option.


bbchien said:
Wing covers. Jaybird, you need Kennons/Bruce's or Planecovers, for the night before.
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The cover we have over the wingroots and windshield is already a pain in the rear. I think that proposal may get voted down. Also, it will not help this weekend if Murphy strikes.
 
I suspect something like this would work, but especially once you add the heating element it gets expensive. I do think the heated fluid is likely to make a big difference.

For occasional use can you pay the local FBO for a de-icing?
 
We are talking about deicing - after the fact, yes?
I have known people to put hot water in a heavy duty plastic garbage bag, and run the exterior of the bag along the wing surface, in order to transfer the heat (not the water) to the ice in order to assist its departure. Several trips to the fbo for hot water refills are necessary.
 
If the plane is iced over from freezing rain, and there's no warm hangar available, there isn't much you can do at an airport like Freeway other than wait for the sun to come out and/or the temperature to get up above freezing, because they don't have hot glycol trucks at Freeway. If you can come up with a way to heat and spray that water/alcohol mix on the plane, that may work, but it's gonna take a whole lot of it to clean off a 172.
 
Jaybird180 said:
Not an option.



The cover we have over the wingroots and windshield is already a pain in the rear. I think that proposal may get voted down. Also, it will not help this weekend if Murphy strikes.
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Have you asked the FBO if they can put you in a hangar? I don't know what airport you are based out of but most will put their tie-down customers airplanes in a hangar for one night for a small fee.. ours charges $20 or something
 
If a hangar isn't an option, can you reposition your plane to a nearby airport with either a hangar or de-icing available the day/night before your departure? It may be a few more minutes' drive to get to your plane, but that's a small price to pay for an ice-free aircraft.
 
spinfire said:
I suspect something like this would work, but especially once you add the heating element it gets expensive. I do think the heated fluid is likely to make a big difference.
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That's awesome!

I just called. This weekend they used old-fashioned CFI-power (x4)to clean the flight school airplanes and had just enough space in the maintenance hangar they could swap planes in for 10 mins each to help.

AuntPeggy said:
Plan B. How to get there without flying.
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I have 5 days to pre-stage a solution for this (likely) contingency. I'm not giving up that easy. The drive would suck.

Let'sgoflying! said:
We are talking about deicing - after the fact, yes?
I have known people to put hot water in a heavy duty plastic garbage bag, and run the exterior of the bag along the wing surface, in order to transfer the heat (not the water) to the ice in order to assist its departure. Several trips to the fbo for hot water refills are necessary.
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I like it!

Mike I said:
If a hangar isn't an option, can you reposition your plane to a nearby airport with either a hangar or de-icing available the day/night before your departure? It may be a few more minutes' drive to get to your plane, but that's a small price to pay for an ice-free aircraft.
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I like it even better!
 
I've been pondering this myself. Up until now I've always been a renter and they put the planes in a hangar ahead of time when you have flight time scheduled in the winter. But if all goes well soon I will be a Cardinal owner with a tie-down. I haven't asked yet, but maybe they'll do the same for non-rental folks for a reasonable price.

It only takes around 10-15 minutes in the heated hangar (with ceiling fans going) to melt everything. You can even do your preflight as it thaws if you don't mind getting dribbled on.
 
I heard of using windshield washer fluid (????). Anyone know about that?
 
Never heard of IA being used. Not sure you can get anything above 70% to begin with. Just never heard of that. Deice fluid is one of the glycols. I do not think ethylene is as popular due to toxicity. Propylene is more common. The solution is heated and copious amounts sprayed on the plane just before departure. A small twin I would guess $300-$500. They charge by the gallon. Other than heated hangar that is about it.
 
We used a 70/30 mix of Polypropylene Glycol and IA in a garden sprayer. And we put it in a warm place so it's at 80+ degrees. Spray it on frost and lightly iced wings. Then use some towels (not paper towels, real terry cloth) to wipe the wings clean. This takes a while and LOTS of towels.

A warm hangar or a delayed departure with sun exposure is the best.
 
ronnieh said:
Never heard of IA being used. Not sure you can get anything above 70% to begin with. Just never heard of that. Deice fluid is one of the glycols. I do not think ethylene is as popular due to toxicity. Propylene is more common. The solution is heated and copious amounts sprayed on the plane just before departure. A small twin I would guess $300-$500. They charge by the gallon. Other than heated hangar that is about it.
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I've seen some high concentrations online. Allegedly there's an industrial supply place that's not far from the airport that sells 99%:hairraise:

Nevertheless, I got 2 hits on shelter. Side benefit its that both airports are closer to me than her home base. I'll have to work out the ferry details, but I'm still interested in learning as much as possible about the poor man's chemical solution.
 
I'm prepared to drive it, but would rather not. Hey, I have an airplane now and have to show an ROI or the wife won't let me upgrade.:D
 
So we come back to Wing covers. If you order them promptly you still might have them in time....
 
bbchien said:
So we come back to Wing covers. If you order them promptly you still might have them in time....
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How much of the airplane must be covered for frost, snow, ice, etc to not be a factor? With your solution, the tailplane would be exposed as well as the fuselage. I don't get to the same conclusion as you with the information I have (probably missing a lot).
 
I've awakened to find my plane covered in a half inch of ice CC. Just waited for it to melt. ;)

If there is ice on your plane there will be ice on the runway and taxiways. No braking situations are a no go for me.
 
If the concern is freezing precip, and you're not covering the entire aircraft, I don't know see how an ice-free wing is a sufficient solution. I don't think I'd try to take off with 1/2" accumulation of ice over the cowling and aft fuselage/empennage.

Purchasing covers for an entire plane is also not an inexpensive solution for what sounds like a rare occurrence. I think it's also already too late to pull the trigger for that this weekend.
 
i would imagine that some of them there fancy tarps they sell at Lowes, Home Depot or any other hard ware store would do the same job. assuming you find ones that wouldn't scratch the paint up.
Lowes has some by a company called Homax, you may need a few they're 7'x5' but it says they have a blanket blanket side and a more tarplike material side.

any reason that wouldn't work same as a wing cover?
 
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