DE.ICING
Well Dr Illitout ...you are not the only one that has to get passed out every year for de.icing........so do we......we also have to know the hold over times for the weather conditions that we are spraying in ie...frost.freezing fog, rain,snow...and so on and air temp.....so when was the last time you see the top of a 747 tail fin in the dark at -5 degrees or on top of a 146 tail plane....you cant with out a de.icer basket....we can so we know what the conditions are like up there.
I dont think that the AB 330 should have been de.iced and let go using only 320 ltrs.... the hold over time in those conditions on the paperwork i have to use only gives 15.min....(thats a type 2 fluid)and thats from the time you start the job....it took him longer than that to de.ice the total the aircraft.....even using that small amount.....and it still had to call up.push back and get to the runway.
last year in similar snowy conditions i was asked to de.ice a cargo 747 ...i told the captain what the hold over time was ......and that i would not be able to get round the plane and finish the job in 15 mins...it was up to him....it did not fly that day.....and i had a good nights sleep.
and as for supervise...how the hell can you do that from the ground...you cant see jack s**t.....unless you are a geeeraffe????.
and as a foot note i love de.icing......it makes a pleasant change from all the other jobs we do....been doing it for at least 14 years...maybe longer
and no the engineer was not talking tounge in cheek.