When to use pitot heat ?
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 481
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From: Melbourne
When to use pitot heat ?
When are you supposed to use pitot/static heat ? or when do others use it ?
- always in IMC ?
- always. including day VMC ?
- always at night ?
- icing conditons only (your definition of it is) ?
- always above freezing level (including VMC) ?
- anytime in visible moisture (rain/cloud), even with high outside temperature (ie 25 C) ?
- anytime in visible mositure in temperatures below about +10C ?
I am interested to hear other people's thoughts.
Thanks.
- always in IMC ?
- always. including day VMC ?
- always at night ?
- icing conditons only (your definition of it is) ?
- always above freezing level (including VMC) ?
- anytime in visible moisture (rain/cloud), even with high outside temperature (ie 25 C) ?
- anytime in visible mositure in temperatures below about +10C ?
I am interested to hear other people's thoughts.
Thanks.
Guest
Posts: n/a
I use it in visible moisture below 10 deg C below 10000ft, generally speaking always on above 10K, and on in heavy rain at any temperature.
That is just when I use it. My opinion as requested. Before other start telling me I'm wrong, as tends to happen on these forums.
That is just when I use it. My opinion as requested. Before other start telling me I'm wrong, as tends to happen on these forums.
Bottums Up
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 3,440
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From: dunnunda
Turned on in after start scans. And turned off in after landing scans.
In my whole flying career (20+ years) I've not expereinced a pitot heater failure.
I have however experienced iced up pitots as an F/O flying into cloud in a twin transport category tubo prop because the captain in his infinite wisdom didn't want to turn the heat on so as to prolong the life of said heater. Needless to say, when we flew into cloud at night, the heaters weren't on and the airspeed readings were, shall we say, erratic!
In my whole flying career (20+ years) I've not expereinced a pitot heater failure.
I have however experienced iced up pitots as an F/O flying into cloud in a twin transport category tubo prop because the captain in his infinite wisdom didn't want to turn the heat on so as to prolong the life of said heater. Needless to say, when we flew into cloud at night, the heaters weren't on and the airspeed readings were, shall we say, erratic!
Guest
Posts: n/a
Capt Claret,
I don't know if I'm unlucky, but I have had 2 pitot heat failures, both worked during pre-flight, and broke sometime between when i next turned it on and when they was full of ice and airspeed (indicated) was decaying quite rapidly(an alarming site).
Luckily this particular aircraft had to pitot systems and 2 ASI, so I used the co-pilot's side for the remainder of the flight. The other one was in an older [read normal GA age] piston twin. This one didn't have 2 ASI's, so just had to use standard rates of descent and normal descent power settings to get back down below freezing safely. Not much fun.
Basically in turbo-props I have flown, as soon as you hit IMC, eyes flick to OAT gauge, if less than 10, all engine/prop anti-ice goes on, and pitot heat (that is just my method). Then you just keep an eye on the wings until you need to make the leading edge go bumpy to get rid of that ice!
I don't know if I'm unlucky, but I have had 2 pitot heat failures, both worked during pre-flight, and broke sometime between when i next turned it on and when they was full of ice and airspeed (indicated) was decaying quite rapidly(an alarming site).
Luckily this particular aircraft had to pitot systems and 2 ASI, so I used the co-pilot's side for the remainder of the flight. The other one was in an older [read normal GA age] piston twin. This one didn't have 2 ASI's, so just had to use standard rates of descent and normal descent power settings to get back down below freezing safely. Not much fun.
Basically in turbo-props I have flown, as soon as you hit IMC, eyes flick to OAT gauge, if less than 10, all engine/prop anti-ice goes on, and pitot heat (that is just my method). Then you just keep an eye on the wings until you need to make the leading edge go bumpy to get rid of that ice!
Sprucegoose
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: Hughes Point, where life is great! Was also resident on page 13, but now I'm lost in Cyberspace....
I'm with Kiwi, from line up to vacating. I must say though that this is mandated in the POH of my aircraft.
Cheers, HH.
Cheers, HH.
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 96
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From: Melbourne
On the Fokker F27:
Pitot Heat goes on during the After Start checks and off after landing during the scan. We've never had a pitot burn out during taxi even at Paris CDG with a 40 minute taxi and temperatures of 15 plus.
Pitot Heat goes on during the After Start checks and off after landing during the scan. We've never had a pitot burn out during taxi even at Paris CDG with a 40 minute taxi and temperatures of 15 plus.
Joined: Nov 1998
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From: A long way from home but seeing and experiencing the world!
From more than one manufacturers manual 'in visible moisture with OAT<10C. Having said that, most turbine aircraft I have flown have been 'ON' in After Start and 'OFF' in shutdown scans. Cheers
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: shivering in the cold dark shadow of my own magnificence.
I agree entirely with the <10 deg AND vis moisture line of thought. Having said that I believe that pitot heat is anti-ice and not an anti rain/cloud device. I've flown in some pretty nasty down poors in northern Oz, PNG, Solomons etc and have never seen a pitot blocked by rain let alone cloud. Lastly I think leaving heat on when it's not necessary is just plain lazy.
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Down at the sharp pointy end, where all the weather is made.
On some light a/c I've flown, I've seen up to 7 deg compass swing with pitot heat on/off. I believe compasses are swung with all services on, including pitot heat. Thus, even on a warm day VMC flight, I select pitot heat on to ensure compass is within card readings, THEN align DI with it as a part of the vital actions before t/o. This ensures minimum time on the ground with heat on, but aligned DI and compass within limits. Then, final cross-check of DI, compass and runway QDM once lined up and before rolling. This only takes a few seconds but all this drill was how I was taught it for the IMC rating years ago.
Standing by for more disagreement!!
The Odd One
Standing by for more disagreement!!
The Odd One
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: shivering in the cold dark shadow of my own magnificence.
Claret,
I most humbly apologise for not mentioning every specific aircraft type, nor every operational scenario however I was trying give an opinion without excessively pontificating.
Certainly when you line up in your McNorthrop Grummen Douglas you'll turn on a host of anti-ice protection.
The topic is Pitot/Static heat and is representive of a real conundrum at the GA end of the spectrum. I've seen quite a few pilots turn on pitot/static heat in an un-pressurised aircraft as a matter of routine and oblivious to the fact that they were in the tropics on a stinking ISA +50 day.
Quite a few pilots could be forgiven for thinking that pitot heat is there for rain/ cloud protection. Why else would light aircraft manufacturers put pitot/static heat in an aircraft that has no other anti-ice device? (eg Qiute a few singles and light twins).
My opinion is that in a nill icing cond aircraft, the pitot/ static heat is there to provide acurate ASI Whilst negotiating out of an inadvertant icing situation. em tasol
I most humbly apologise for not mentioning every specific aircraft type, nor every operational scenario however I was trying give an opinion without excessively pontificating.
Certainly when you line up in your McNorthrop Grummen Douglas you'll turn on a host of anti-ice protection.
The topic is Pitot/Static heat and is representive of a real conundrum at the GA end of the spectrum. I've seen quite a few pilots turn on pitot/static heat in an un-pressurised aircraft as a matter of routine and oblivious to the fact that they were in the tropics on a stinking ISA +50 day.
Quite a few pilots could be forgiven for thinking that pitot heat is there for rain/ cloud protection. Why else would light aircraft manufacturers put pitot/static heat in an aircraft that has no other anti-ice device? (eg Qiute a few singles and light twins).
My opinion is that in a nill icing cond aircraft, the pitot/ static heat is there to provide acurate ASI Whilst negotiating out of an inadvertant icing situation. em tasol
Last edited by psycho joe; 26th April 2005 at 02:53.
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 522
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From: shivering in the cold dark shadow of my own magnificence.
DEF'N: ISA +50 (colloquialism)
1. Hot, damn hot, f#%king bastard of a place hot.
2. A normal day in the Kimberley.
1. Hot, damn hot, f#%king bastard of a place hot.
2. A normal day in the Kimberley.
Last edited by psycho joe; 26th April 2005 at 09:11.
