It’s that time of year again in the Northern Hemisphere. For those of us rarely straying into the teens or above, airframe icing usually isn’t a thing until late fall. Nowadays, with the typical freezing level much lower than other times during the year, we’re much more likely to see it up close and personal. Let’s be clear: Airframe icing in any form poses a significant danger to personal aircraft. There’s some weather no aircraft should be in, and icing tops the list.
As we all should know by now, airframe icing’s effects are cumulative. In other words, as thrust is reduced, drag increases, lift lessens and weight increases. The results are an increase in stall speed and a deterioration of aircraft performance. In extreme cases, inches of ice can form on the leading edge of an airfoil in less than five minutes. It takes little more than a schmear of ice to severely disrupt the aircraft’s aerodynamics. My encounter with icing in an airplane not approved for it should be a cautionary tale.
