Just in time for winter, Air Safety Foundation offers updated 'Aircraft Icing' Safety Advisor

With the return of winter comes one of aviation's deadliest enemies: in-flight ice build-up. The AOPA Air Safety Foundation, in collaboration with the FAA, has just updated and reprinted its popular Safety Advisor on icing, to help pilots cope with the problem.

"Winter's cold means pilots will encounter subfreezing temperatures at lower altitudes across wide sections of the country. Add moist air, and there's a real potential for trouble," said ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "Knowing what to do if you encounter icing conditions, and just as importantly, how to recognize the potential for icing before ever leaving the ground, are among the most important skills a pilot can have."

The Aircraft Icing Safety Advisor dispels many common misunderstandings; that the weight of the ice is what causes danger; that carburetor icing is a thing of the past; and that pilots have few options to avoid ice.

With full-color charts and photographs, the Safety Advisor explains the conditions that may lead to icing, the different kinds of ice a pilot may encounter, hazards caused by icing, and steps a pilot can take to escape an icing encounter. It also includes a harrowing cautionary tale by a pilot who waited longer than he should have to get out of icing conditions—almost too long.

Aircraft Icing is available free of charge online. A written copy may be requested by calling 800/638-3101.

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