Issues around de-ice on a 182

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...

Those who know told me.

Has anyone told of a situation where TKS has not worked in a known-ice TKS
airplane? If so, then -- very seriously -- I would REALLY like to talk to
that pilot. I have never -- repeat never -- heard any concerns whatsoever
about TKS performance even among pilots who have clearly pushed TKS beyond
the point that is legal and appropriate. I have heard stories about people
departing in freezing rain with TKS with no problems at all. Again, I do
*NOT* advocate known-ice TKS for anything beyond a climb above light to
moderate icing conditions. However, it is helpful to know how a system
performs at the boundaries. If you have any negative information whatseover
about TKS performance in a known-ice airplane, please let me know; I have
yet to hear of a single negative story except in the case of someone who ran
out of fluid.

Known-ice TKS is there to GET YOU OUT of icing conditions. Why in the
world
would you intentionally fly into an area where the only purpose of your
safety equipment is to get you out?

I would do this to depart and climb on top in the winter if I have a planned
trip with reported light to moderate rime icing and tops within my
airplane's capability.


Saying one should fly into actual reporting icing conditions just because
you have known-ice TKS installed is like saying I should intentionally
spin
a Cirrus because I have the safety equipment to recover from the spin
installed.

No, it's like saying I would spin a Citabria which is certified for spins.
The Citabria is certified for spins, but I would use due caution at an
appropriate altitude with appropriate training. My airplane is certified
for flight into light or moderate known icing conditions; I regularly use
that certification to climb through a layer to non-icing conditions.
Indeed, rarely is icing more than 3,000 feet thick in winter stratus
conditions and the TKS does a great job keeping the plane clean so usually
my icing exposure is no more than maybe 10 minutes in the climb since my
climb performance does not degrade in icing other than the need to conform
to the stated minimum climb airspeed in icing conditions.

Keep in mind that "known ice" for the purpose of icing certification means
"freezing temperature and visible moisture", while the icing conditions
I'm
talking about here are those that are truly known to exist (that is,
someone
has just been there and reported that ice is present).

Known icing for the purpose of icing certification means either forecast or
observed. If it is wintertime and light to moderate icing is reported by
piston airplanes climbing on top and no freezing rain is forecast, I depart
all the time in my plane and it is perfectly legal to do so. If jets are
reporting moderate icing or if anyone is reporting severe icing or if
freezing rain is reported by anyone, then that is a different story.



--------------------
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com