Breaking the Ice

Consider this: One gallon of water (liquid or frozen) weighs 8.3 pounds. That may not sound like much, but those pounds really add up when frozen to a plane. In winter months, here’s what happens when the freeze is on and deicing is critical.

When
Deicing is usually done early in the morning after an overnight buildup. Occasionally a captain may detour a plane during taxi to deice again just before takeoff.

How
Some airports have deicing “pads,” designated areas equipped with ground tanks filled with deicing fluid. A ground crew connects a hose to these tanks (or an automated hose system is used) and sprays the plane with a specially manufactured fluid. Other airports use deicing trucks with tanks and hoses. 

What
US Airways uses two types of deicing fluid. One is a liquid that removes ice frozen to the plane. The other is a fluid that sticks to the plane’s surface to prevent ice from forming. This type of fluid slides off the plane during acceleration at takeoff.

This year, a few US Airways stations will start using bioglycol, a soybean-based solution that offers a green way to deice planes.

How Long
Depending on weather conditions, the size of the plane, and the type of fluid used, deicing takes anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes. During the process, the ground crew spraying the plane is in constant communication with the flight crew to ensure everyone’s safety.

The winter months are a matter of year-round consideration; US Airways begins planning for its winter operations in the spring.