ICING

ICING
Haider Ali
Contents:
• What is Icing
• Airframe icing
• Types of icing:
I. Clear ice
II. Rime ice
III. Mixed ice
IV. Hoar frost
• Icing and cloud type
• Flying in icing conditions
Icing:
• Icing – refers to any deposit or coating of ice on an
aircraft
• Icing exists when the air contains droplets of super cooled
liquid water
• Icing conditions are characterized quantitatively by the
average droplet size, the liquid water content and the air
temperature
• There are three basic classification of icing i.e.
Airframe ice, Carburetor ice and engine icing
• We will be discussing Airframe icing today
Icing:
Airframe icing – Airframe or structural
icing refers to the accumulation of ice on
the exterior of the aircraft during flight
through clouds or liquid precipitation when
the skin temperature of the aircraft is
equal to, or less than 0°c
The primary concern is that even the

slightest amount of structural icing will
cause the loss of aerodynamic efficiency
via an increase in drag and a decrease in
Icing:
• Ice disrupts the smooth laminar flow over airfoils causing

a decrease of lift and an increase in the stalling speed
• Also increases the drag and weight of the aircraft which
also decreases its fuel efficiency
• Loss of visibility if ice forms on the windscreen
Icing:
• Antennas can become coated with ice or break off with

resultant loss of communications
• Undercarriage and brakes can freeze and can become
inoperable
• Fuel consumption will increase because of increased drag
and weight
Conditions for ice to form:
• Visible moisture LWC
• Super cooled water droplets and droplet size
• Temp should be at or below freezing point (0°C to -
20°C)
• Airframe temp must be below 0°C
• Visible moisture (LWC): the most important factor in
determining ice accumulation and rate. Always present in
clouds and greater in the higher parts of clouds.
• Supercooled water droplets: water drops that exist
in liquid state below 0°c. small particles are deflected with
the airflow and large particles hit the aircraft
• Airframe temp: must be below 0°c so that the
droplets/moisture can convert to ice and stick to the
surface
• Temperature: temp less then -40°c no supercooled
water droplets hence no ice. Temp greater then 0°c no
ice. Temp between 0°c to -15°c ideal conditions for ice
formation
• Summing the process of formation of ice is that
we need super cooled water droplets to hit the cooled
surface of the aircraft
• The bigger the size of the droplets the worst the icing
• The larger the liquid content in the air the worst the icing,
most of the time you need to be flying through visible
moisture for icing to happen
• Warm air can hold more water vapor then cold air so a
cloud formed in warm air mass condenses more water
• The rate of freezing after impact depends on the
temperature of the aircraft skin and on the air temperature
Types of ice:
I. Clear ice
II. Rime ice
III. Mixed ice
IV. Hoar ice (frost)
Clear ice:
• forms when droplets impacting an
airplane freeze slowly, spreading
over the aircraft components
• Air temperatures are usually
between 0°c & -5°c
• These conditions create a smooth,
glossy surface of hard ice.
• Clear ice is less opaque than rime
ice
• Most dangerous form of icing as it
is hard & disrupts flow of air
Rime ice:
• Most common type of icing
• Forms when droplets freeze on
impact trapping air bubbles
• Forms at Temp below -15°c
• Milky white and flaky in
appearance
• Only forms on leading edges of
airfoils & tends to build forward
into the airstream
Mixed ice:
• A combination of rime ice & clear

ice
• Water droplets of different sizes
cause this
• Forms in-between -5°c to -15°c
• A difference in LWC and temp
range causes this ice to
accumulate on the A/C
Hoar Frost:
• When moist air comes in contact with

a surface whose temp is below 0°c
• The liquid changes directly into ice in
a crystalline form
• Conditions on ground (cool & calm
night high relative humidity)
• It can occur on ground as well as in
air obscuring vision through cockpit
Icing and cloud types:
I. Cumulus type ( large drops )
II. Stratiform ( small drops )
III. High-level clouds ( ice crystals )
IV. Precipitation ( rain )
Cumulus type:
• Often contain high amounts of liquid water and larger
droplet sizes
• Icing is most intense in the updrafts that have high liquid
water content, which sometimes support Super large
droplets
• Icing usually found at temperatures between 0° and -
20°C.
• Icing is usually of short in duration, but can be severe in
intensity
• Attempt to maintain visual separation from the clouds
Stratiform:
• Typically contain lower amounts of liquid water than

cumulus clouds
• Thickness can go to several thousands of feet however,
the vertical extent of an icing layer in a stratus cloud
usually does not exceed 3,000 feet
• Icing in stratiform clouds is usually found in the higher
temperature mid to low-level clouds below 15,000 feet
AGL
High-level clouds:
• Risk of icing is almost nil
• Comprises of cirrus clouds whose bases are above
20,000 ft
• Ice crystals are present which will not freeze on to the
surface of the aircraft
Precipitation:
• Rain or drizzle will freeze onto a surface below 0°c

• The size of the water droplet tells the severity of the icing
• Be cautious while flying in rain at low temperature
Flying in icing conditions:
• As a VFR pilot you are NOT ALLOWED in IFR conditions
i.e. in clouds because there might be icing and freezing
rain present
• Make sure you plan your flight after consulting with all the
weather forecast information
• Check airfoil for any ice or frost and it should be removed
prior to take off
• If taxing or taking off below freezing temp avoid splashing
of water onto the surface and also check effectiveness of
controls
• If icing up or freezing rain start to climb or descend as that
might take you into warmer air but act quickly to avoid
build up of clear ice that deteriorates the performance
alarmingly and quickly
• Usually the safest action is to go back to base
• Ice of any sort requires your immediate attention as it
diminishes A/C performance
• An ice laden A/C might be incapable of flight
• Most training aircrafts are not fitted with any anti icing
device so pilots should exercise extreme caution about
icing
SUMMARY:
• What is icing ?
• Types of ice on the airframe ?
• Clear, rime, mixed , hoar ice
• Icing in clouds ?
• Precautions to take before going into known icing
conditions !
References:
• www.google.com
• www.Wikipedia.com
• Meteorology and Navigation book
• http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/In-Flight_Icing

ICING

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The primary concern is that even the

• Ice disrupts the smooth laminar flow over airfoils causing

• Antennas can become coated with ice or break off with

• A combination of rime ice & clear

• When moist air comes in contact with

• Typically contain lower amounts of liquid water than

• Rain or drizzle will freeze onto a surface below 0°c

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