Originally Posted by
pineteam
I remember the good old days not so long ago when our A320 were not equipped with ice detectors and the use of anti ice was based on what is written in the FCOM and common sense: You would approach a cloud and according to the TAT/SAT you will set the engines anti ice ON and when clearly out of the clouds, set the engines anti ice OFF. Simple as that, and never had or heard any issues on that matter. Nowadays all our aircraft are equipped with ice detection system which I agree is very helpful especially at night. My problem with that sometimes you will just fly into one thick cumulus for less than 10 seconds, so as per normal you will set the engines anti ice ON before entering the clouds and then when out of the cloud, you set the engines anti ice OFF again but because the probes of the anti ice system are still covered with ice the system will trigger an ECAM which could last a while until the ice is completed gone.. Now my understanding an anti ice system is used to PREVENT, not to remove ice. So when out of icing conditions there is no need to keep the anti ice system active. So what basically happens quite often is that I will switch OFF the engines anti ice system off when we are clearly out of the clouds but because the ECAM is triggered: ''ice detected'' some pilots believe the correct procedure in this case is to set the engines anti ice back ON until the 'memo '' ice not detected'' is displayed even tho it's sunny outside! And This memo last 190 seconds! I mean: Am I missing something there? Are we pilots or robots following blindly an ECAM? Please share your thoughts.
Hi,
In addition to what has been posted already.
the functioning of the Ice detection system is described in Getting to Grips with Cold Weather Operations, section A3.3.2 The Airbus Dual Advisory Ice Detection System (DAIDS). Just google it and you can download the pdf.