+9c OAT and de-icing?
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,024
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From: England
+9c OAT and de-icing?
Hi all 
I'm not an engineer or pilot but do work on the ground and I'm involved in de-icing every now and then when it's required.
I flew on Saudi Arabian Airlines in mid Feb to Riyadh from Heathrow (772). We boarded on time etc and doors were closed for a good 10mins but we still hadn't pushed back, then the next minute a de-icing rig pulled up and started to de-ice us (wings + tail only).
That may seem quite ordinary for February, but it was +9c outside (according to METAR at the time) and no other aircraft were being de-iced.
Are there any reasons why de-icing might be requested in such conditions as I've never experienced it before?
Thanks
I'm not an engineer or pilot but do work on the ground and I'm involved in de-icing every now and then when it's required.
I flew on Saudi Arabian Airlines in mid Feb to Riyadh from Heathrow (772). We boarded on time etc and doors were closed for a good 10mins but we still hadn't pushed back, then the next minute a de-icing rig pulled up and started to de-ice us (wings + tail only).
That may seem quite ordinary for February, but it was +9c outside (according to METAR at the time) and no other aircraft were being de-iced.
Are there any reasons why de-icing might be requested in such conditions as I've never experienced it before?
Thanks
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,581
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From: flyover country USA
Since I suspect (from history) that fuel is cheaper there than in UK, the ship might have "tankered" a lot of fuel into LHR, and that fuel was cold-soaked enroute. This would aggravate any residual ice from precipitation, or frost from a high dewpoint.
