Almost identical to my experience as a new copilot on an ATR42 - LCY- LBA. Entered rain ice at circa FL120, saw blue sky as passing FL150 and thought we’d get out on top....except we were hoodwinked, Max torque, icing speeds etc yet we were decelerating in level flight - remember looking across at my tough Yorkshire Captain and thinking he was quiet and looked a lot paler than normal - that’s when I started getting a tad nervous given the ATR’s rep in icing. We promptly descended (I think under a pan call) and found air clear of icing at FL80, outside controlled airspace.
On landing at Leeds where the temp was about 8c, big lumps of ice were dropping off the tail plane onto the ramp, that really bought it home to me how quickly icing can catch you out in a turboprop.
Yep another one, first job in the right hand seat of a Shorts 330 or 360 over the channel with a 30,000hr+ retirement job Captain Flash Philips of BCal fame who had survived the VC10 upset incident over the Andes. Well it started about 8000’ and we drifted down with full power on to about 3000’ with noticeable light aerodynamic buffet throughout. Once we leveled Flash turned to me and said “ Well if the icing level was on the surface we would be dead now” This from the man who had done and in my opinion could do anything. ‘Wow’ the apprenticeship really had begun! Looking back on it quite how fare paying passengers were allowed on those things is quite shocking. However we survived and I look back on those days with very happy memories. It was a pleasure and privilege to have flown and learnt from gentlemen and superb airmen such as Flash and Rex.
Last edited by Out Of Here; 24th Dec 2020 at 10:55.