Aircraft configuration for de-icing

[Ropey Pilot]

I notice that during de-icing the airbus (prob others) should not be configured for take-off till after anti/de-icing. Why is this?

If runway/taxiway is contaminated then flaps should be left down after landing so they can be checked by eng. Presumably if they are full of frozen crud at -10 degrees then the way to clean it out is using the de-icing rig?

So if de-icing happens while slats/flaps down is there a problem or is it just to reduce liklihood of a de-ice rig taking your flaps off in a blizzard at night?

Cheers

[Swedish Steve]

Deicing with flaps up is much simpler and you will get an even spray of deicing fluid. The problem now is that some airlines have now introduced T/O flap set before taxy. So now you will accumulate snowfall during the taxi on the flaps. I really don't know what the answer is. My personal preference(as an engineer supervising deicing) is to taxi with the flaps up and select flaps at the holding point. But our airline's SOP is deicing with flaps up, and flaps to T/O before taxy.
Leaving the flaps down after landing on a contaminated runway should be limited to the aircraft types that need it, mainly the B737 with its large inboard flaps right behind the wheels!
I don't see B737 at present, but am presented with A320 B757 B767 and B777 taxying in with the flaps down after landing on a contaminated runway. I inspect the flaps and get them retracted pronto before the falling snow settles. Except for the snow that has settled during the taxy, I have never found any deposits to worry about on any these aircraft.
If snow has settled on the flaps that have been left down during the taxy, then the flaps must be left down during the transit to allow them to be deiced on departure. This causes a traffic problem on the ramp as baggage trucks and fuel tankers try to drive around them.
Then the deicing team must get out of their trucks and use hand held spray guns to spray between the flaps, doubling the time, and cost, of deicing.
I think someone should do a real study on this, and remove the requirement for these high flapped (high off the ground) aircraft when landing on a swept runway to leave the flaps down for inspection.