Assessing Environment & Risk: The Airmanship Approach to Icing Avoidance

The atmosphere, in its colder phases, holds a paradox for the aviator: it is both the medium of flight and a potential graveyard. We all love the increased performance cold air provides, but cold air and moisture can create a hazard. Among the most complex and lethal hazards inherent in winter operations is atmospheric icing. Ice accumulation subtly yet decisively corrupts the precision-engineered surfaces of an aircraft, turning reliable aerodynamics into unpredictable danger. Mastering this environmental threat requires more than just functional knowledge of anti-ice systems; it demands a deep, professional commitment to Airmanship.

Airmanship is defined not just as skill, but as the consistent use of good judgment and well-developed skills to accomplish flight objectives. This consistency is built on a cornerstone of uncompromising flight discipline. Critically, a high state of situational awareness completes the airmanship picture, gained through knowledge of one’s self, aircraft, environment, team, and risk. When facing the nuanced threats of supercooled water droplets and freezing precipitation, this holistic approach to risk assessment is the ultimate safety feature.

As author Rick Durden observed, "Flying is 95 percent a head game". A pilot must realize that what matters is how we think, that mental acuity is what ultimately keeps us safe or puts us in danger. The battle against icing is first won or lost in the mind, long before the aircraft enters the clouds.

The Inevitable Crisis: LOC-I and the Icing Catalyst

The objective of all high-quality training is safety enhancement. The aviation industry recognizes a primary existential threat: Loss of Control Inflight (LOC-I). LOC-I is tragically identified as the number one cause of fatalities in airplanes. For General Aviation, the urgency is even greater, as LOC-I has more fatalities than the next 9 categories combined.

While ice itself is a hazard, excessive aircraft icing can easily lead to an aerodynamic upset, pushing the aircraft toward the edge of the envelope and resulting in a LOC-I event. Many mishaps can be attributed to inadequate skills in stall/spin prevention/recovery, a lack of all-attitude recovery skills, and, crucially, poor decision-making. The problem with excessive icing is that recoveries become more difficult than with a clean airframe.

The airman must strive for prevention. The primary cure for the LOC-I crisis driven by environmental factors is proper training and knowledge. This training must go far beyond the minimum requirements, challenging the pilot’s proficiency and decision-making capabilities. This begins with more weather knowledge and learning strategies for dealing with icing avoidance, escape, and recovery.

The critical decision in icing avoidance is determining where not to fly. This process relies heavily on predictive judgment and strategic planning, the core of mental airmanship. The high-risk nature of structural icing means that practicing encounters must, whenever possible, occur in an environment where true danger is absent, but realism is preserved.

This necessity can be met through modern flight simulation training. The ‘simulator’ (any training device capable of creating realistic icing effects on flight performance) environment is a powerful tool for developing advanced mental fortitude. It allows the pilot to concentrate on complex systems and procedures without the distractions of real flight. This provides for economical, high-value training that effectively tackles high-stakes scenarios. A specific and vital area covered within this simulation training is Icing strategies (avoiding or dealing with inadvertent icing, etc.).

In a simulator, a pilot can repeatedly confront the dynamic progression of an inadvertent ice encounter. They practice instrument procedures (such as Simulated IFR instrument full-panel recoveries and stall prevention in the instrument environment) while dealing with the simulated performance decay caused by ice. The simulator allows the safe exploration of freezing level boundaries, practiced emergency descent profiles, and the implementation of avoidance maneuvers, all reinforcing the proactive decision-making that prevents the upset from occurring in the first place.

Building Resilience: The Physical Defense of Upset Recovery

Despite the best plans and pre-flight diligence, inadvertent upsets happen. An unexpected accumulation of ice, or an airframe contaminated by freezing precipitation, can lead to degraded performance and a sudden, sharp onset of an upset. The antidote to this catastrophic scenario is Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT).

UPRT is core training designed to train pilots to recover from a wide variety of situations throughout the entire attitude spectrum. The goal is quick recovery from any recoverable in-flight upset situation.

A defining feature of this training is teaching the pilot to deal with the startle factor, which is a significant contributor to mishaps. When an airframe violently shakes or performance rapidly deteriorates due to ice, the suddenness of the event can paralyze an untrained pilot. UPRT prepares the pilot psychologically and physically, ensuring they can execute disciplined recovery techniques, drawing upon an advanced understanding of aerodynamics.

As an added modern layer of preparation, Specialized Aero Works’ UPRT courses now include virtual reality training. This VR component allows the pilots in training to practice recovery techniques before even entering the airplane, reinforcing procedures and preparing them for the sight pictures in a low-stress environment. This accelerates learning and increases the fun factor of UPRT.

Bringing it all together: A Comprehensive Plan for Dealing with Icing in Flight

As a test pilot, I have had the opportunity to test an airplane for Flight Into Known Icing (FIKI) certification. This was a great experience for learning and seeing first-hand effects on the aircraft. It has been very valuable as an instructor when teaching pilots how to deal with icing for the airframes I am knowledgeable about.

In my opinion, a combination of enhanced weather knowledge, as it relates to aircraft icing, simulation, UPRT, scenario-based training, understanding of airframe limitations, and real-world experience with a qualified instructor can provide some of the highest levels of preparation for dealing with icing. Even with all of that, one should always be conservative when dealing with icing. A FIKI aircraft is not invulnerable to the effects of icing. It may allow an airplane to maintain flight through light to moderate icing for extended periods, or allow a safety buffer for one to get out of icing in a timely manner. Pilots must know their aircraft’s limitations! 

Study useful material on the subject and seek competent instruction from those with icing experience and a conservative mindset. This is a complex subject that must not be taken lightly.

Mike “Cuckoo” Kloch