ATRs have been in a number of incidents involving icing. There have been modifications to the de-icing equipment and to date I only think there has been one incident since the modifications.
I know I was sat on the tarmac in Manchester the other week in EI-SLL and I questioned the captains judgement not to get sprayed on the ground. It was blooming cold (Metar said 2 deg c an hour earlier in the evening), there was water everywhere on the ground and over the a/c and a low misty fog. It was clear that they were shortly expecting sub zero temps -The runways/taxiways were being treated and there were anti-ice trucks sat around with drivers in. When I asked the question to the CC she did get in contact the captain. She then politely reminded me that 'the captain knows what he is doing'. We then took off it appeared the PF was using the take off procedure in icing conditions - a steady and cautious application of power and leaving the tarmac much further down the runway at a greater speed than normal.
Anyway I am still alive so I guess he does know what he is doing. Certainly after reading up on all of the incidents involving the ATR in icing conditions I spent most of the flight staring at the wings ha!
But what are the conditions that would require and a/c to be anti-iced? and do you have to re-spray after each flight?
Last edited by bigjim99; 4th Jan 2013 at 12:56.