Artika--Russian Winter Ops
 

Wondering if anyone has experience or info on "Artika"--the apparently unholy de-ice / anti-ice fluid used across Russia (outside of St.Petersburg and Moscow). This stuff has a reputation for stripping paint...see any nice looking Siberian aircraft lately?? Scary, thinking the only alternative at Europe--China enroute alternates (or for me, a regular stop in Novosibirsk) is water and hot air!!

Sorry, no. But I heared a story, I think it was here on PPRuNe, of a Russian Ground Engineer at a small Russian airport who poured Vodka on the wings to clear them of snow and ice...

They were short of anti-ice fluid at the airport.

Nick.

I have flown in former Soviet Republics and so far have not used the local "Brew" , I have used on more than one occasion the hot water truck and liberal amounts of "Kill Frost", applied with long handle brushes to get that clean airframe look.
From information I got from our engineer, formally aeroflot... the stuff is very good at getting rid of most things that adhere to wings including the paint, but it is apparently very effective. one aircraft that arrived in europe was rumoured to still have a good coating on landing..... Moscow's airports as far as I know do stock western flavours of anti and de ice fluids,