Stacking the Deck

Certification for flight into known icing is expensive. Since most GA airplanes are Sunday drivers the benefit doesnt justify the cost. Instead, airplane manufactures and aftermarket providers may offer pieces of a full system. This piecemeal application of anti-icing or de-icing equipment circumvents the testing requirements while providing a pilot with some additional-if not certified-options. Four methods of anti/de-icing exist: hot air, electrical resistance, liquid and boots.

Key Takeaways:

• Due to the high cost of full icing certification, general aviation (GA) aircraft often offer uncertified, piecemeal anti-icing or de-icing equipment as additional options for pilots.
• Four primary anti-icing/de-icing methods exist: hot air (less common in GA), electrical resistance (e.g., pitot heat, prop heat), liquid systems (e.g., weeping wings), and pneumatic boots for wings.
• Each system has specific applications and drawbacks, such as high power draw for electrical heat or weight/complexity for liquid systems, but they provide pilots with critical extra time to exit icing conditions.

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