In more than 40 years of flying, Mary Schu says she has never been more frightened than the day she encountered extreme icing in flight.
Icing 101
Key Takeaways:
- Icing presents an immediate and severe hazard to aircraft, capable of rapidly degrading performance and control, as demonstrated by an experienced pilot's near-catastrophic encounter.
- Thorough pre-flight planning is crucial, requiring pilots to understand the specific atmospheric conditions that create dangerous icing and to consult multiple, reliable aviation-specific weather sources.
- Pilots must have a clear in-flight exit strategy (climb, descend, or divert) to escape icing conditions, even when flying ice-protected aircraft, and should never hesitate to declare an emergency for critical air traffic control assistance.
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