wangmyers said:
I'm going to fly from FDK (Frederick, Maryland) to 0B5 (Turners Falls, Massachusetts) this coming weekend. I have very minimal experience with icing. Now, I've read a lot about icing, but I wonder if someone can provide some helpful hints or some sort of cheat-sheet guidelines that would help with go/no-go. For example, I know that any time in clouds near the freezing point, there is a possibility of icing. I also know that warm fronts can be dangerous. What I need to know, though, is a way of getting a feel for what's inside. The worst thing I can imagine is getting all the way there, and then having to make an approach through clouds that are laden with ice. If it happened fast, a go-around might not be an option.
Anyway, please help, and thanks!
Bruce's guide is definitely good reading. To that I'd add a few things:
1> Stay away from the NE quadrant of any low that has clouds or precip.
2> Go as light as you can. Every unnecessary pound you leave behind means more climb ability to get through a layer. Don't cheat on the reserve fuel, but don't tanker fuel to save money either, and chuck out that extra stuff that always seems to accumulate in the airplane over time.
3> Don't be timid with ATC about staying in icing, even light icing and let them know in advance that you will want a rapid descent to hook up with your approach.
4> Avoid places where you have few options such as airports under low Class B, routes surrounded by hot MOA's and restricted areas, etc.
5> The lee side of water bodies are especially ice prone in the fall and early winter until they freeze over. Large bodies are likely to remain open all winter.
6> Something on the plane will generally be the first place that ice shows up. Learn that place and monitor it closely. If you do see ice there, immediately start working on a way out (or better yet implement the plan B you already worked out). The sooner you do the more options you have. Once you've accumulated any significant amount of ice you will not be able to climb and may not even be able to hold altitude.
7> Rapidly varying the prop will flex the blades and this often sheds ice. Light to moderate ice often affects propeller effectiveness more quickly than wing lift.
8> Beware very light ice over an extended period of time. It can block fuel vents and engine air intake filters.
9> If you get out of the clouds, the ice will slowly sublimate away. This happens much more quickly if you are in sunlight (one good reason to avoid night flight when ice is a possibility).
10> If you do pick up ice that you cannot shed before landing, land without any flaps to avoid a potential tailplane stall and add extra speed (beyond what you'd normally add for no flaps). The stalling speed of your airplane is likely to have increased by 10-20% and your stall warning is probably inop. This means you need at least twice your normal runway length so avoid the need to land with ice at any airport without long runways.
11> Daylight makes it easier to see ice accumulations as well as ice free layers between clouds and cloud bases/tops. If you do fly at night, carry a big flashlight to inspect the wings and tail in the air.
12> To help stay out of the clouds consider asking ATC for a block altitude of 1000-2000 ft.
