Amsterdam Airport: Icing Risk And Winter Woes

Amsterdam Airport, also known as Schiphol Airport, is subject to icing risks during winter. The airport has procedures in place to deal with snow and ice, including de-icing aircraft before takeoff. De-icing is a crucial safety precaution to ensure safe flight operations, as ice on aircraft surfaces disrupts airflow, affecting lift and overall flight performance, and increasing the risk of accidents. Amsterdam Airport is not the only airport that faces icing risks, as airports in northern and remote regions often experience challenging weather conditions that make it difficult to apply de-icing fluids.

Amsterdam Airport's de-icing procedures

Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport is taking steps to improve its de-icing procedures. The airport has contracted JCAII to install its Icelink and Icelink SmartPad de-icing solution, which will provide a software and hardware upgrade to the airport's de-icing facility. This upgrade will improve the efficiency of the de-icing process and enhance connectivity and real-time integrations between dispatch and de-icing crews, flight information display systems, and other relevant data sources.

De-icing an aircraft is a highly coordinated effort that involves multiple steps and is time-consuming. Jet Aviation, the only provider of de-icing services at the general aviation/business aviation (GA/BA) terminal at Schiphol Airport, uses a dedicated FMC de-icing truck and a one-step or two-step process, depending on the specific conditions and aircraft types. The de-icing solution is a mixture of propylene glycol and varying amounts of water that is heated and sprayed under pressure.

During the de-icing season, which typically lasts from December 1 to March 31, Jet Aviation's de-icing service saves customers time and ensures safe travels. Without this service, GA/BA aircraft would have to taxi to the commercial aviation terminal and queue for de-icing. In the last de-icing season, Jet Aviation Amsterdam provided this service to 125 different customers.

Aircraft de-icing is a crucial safety precaution, as ice on aircraft surfaces disrupts airflow, affecting lift and overall flight performance, and increasing the risk of accidents. Regional airports, in particular, face challenges in aircraft de-icing due to limited resources, extreme weather conditions, and logistical constraints. However, by optimizing resource management, collaborating with nearby airports, and investing in crew training and technology, they can ensure safe and efficient winter operations.

The risks of flying in icing conditions

Icing conditions can pose significant risks to aircraft, and it is crucial to take precautions to ensure safe flight operations. Icing, in simple terms, refers to any deposit or coating of ice on an object, caused by the freezing of liquid. This can have detrimental effects on an aircraft's performance and safety. Here are some of the key risks associated with flying in icing conditions:

• Disrupted Airflow and Performance: Ice accumulation on aircraft surfaces, including wings, control surfaces, propellers, windscreens, and antennas, can disrupt airflow and significantly impact the aircraft's performance. It can increase drag, reduce lift, and affect the aircraft's ability to maintain speed and altitude.
• Engine Issues: Turbine engines are particularly vulnerable to icing. Ice formation on engine components, such as the intake cowling and rotor blades, can constrict air intake, affect performance, and even lead to engine flame-out. Additionally, chunks of ice breaking off can be sucked into the engine, causing structural damage.
• Instrument Malfunctions: Ice buildup on pilot tubes, static vents, and antennas can cause flight instruments to malfunction. This includes crucial instruments such as the altimeter, airspeed indicator, and rate of climb.
• Increased Weight: The weight of accumulated ice can be significant, affecting the aircraft's overall weight distribution and handling.
• Hazardous Landing: Landing in icing conditions can be extremely hazardous. Pilots may need to use more power and speed than usual during the approach and landing phases to compensate for the ice accumulation.
• Limited Visibility: Ice formation on windscreens and windows can obscure the pilot's view, making it difficult to see the runway and landmarks during critical phases of flight.
• Engine Icing: Ice crystal icing, which occurs at high altitudes and is not always visible, can lead to temporary engine thrust loss and permanent engine damage. This type of icing is often undetected by flight crews and can cause ice accumulation in engine core gas flow paths.
• Safety Risks: Overall, icing conditions increase the risk of accidents. Timely and effective de-icing is essential to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.

To mitigate these risks, airports and airlines implement various strategies, including aircraft de-icing procedures, the use of advanced de-icing technologies, and efficient resource management. It is crucial to monitor weather conditions, plan flights accordingly, and take necessary precautions to avoid prolonged operation in moderate to severe icing conditions.

Schiphol's efforts to keep runways free of snow and ice

Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam is aware of the challenges posed by winter weather and takes several measures to keep its runways free of snow and ice.

Firstly, the airport prioritizes keeping ice from forming on the runways. While snow and rain are manageable, ice bonding to the runway surface is difficult to remove and requires extensive effort to restore the pavement to a dry state. Therefore, constant preparation and proactive measures are necessary.

To combat snow and ice, Schiphol employs various techniques and equipment similar to those used by state highway departments, albeit with different priorities and adaptations suited to an aviation context. For example, they use polyurethane blades on their snowplows instead of steel-tipped ones to avoid causing damage to the runways. Additionally, they use specialized, expensive formulas to prevent ice from forming without causing corrosion to aircraft, a concern not present with road vehicles.

The airport also adapts its runway usage based on weather conditions. In poor weather, the safest runways for aircraft are selected, taking into account the strength and direction of the wind, as well as visibility. This may result in using runways that cause more disturbance to the local community. During such conditions, the airport operates below maximum capacity to prioritize safety.

Schiphol also conducts training exercises to prepare for various scenarios related to snow and ice management, ensuring they are well-equipped to handle the challenges posed by winter weather and maintain safe operations.

The challenges of aircraft de-icing at regional airports

Amsterdam Airport does face icing risks, and these can cause significant disruptions to flight operations. Aircraft de-icing is a critical safety precaution to ensure flights can operate safely. De-icing an aircraft is a complex and time-critical process, and regional airports often face unique challenges in this regard.

Limited Resources

One of the main challenges at regional airports is the limited staff and equipment available for de-icing operations. They often rely on a small team and a handful of trucks, which can make it difficult to keep up with demand during heavy snowfall or icing events. If any equipment malfunctions or breaks down, there may not be sufficient backup equipment to maintain smooth operations. Additionally, regional airports may lack specialized de-icing vehicles commonly found at larger airports.

Extreme Weather Conditions

Regional airports, especially those in northern or remote regions, often experience more challenging weather conditions, such as snowstorms, blizzards, and ice fog. These conditions hinder the application of de-icing fluids and can cause them to freeze too quickly or become ineffective. As a result, the time required to prepare aircraft for safe departure increases, leading to potential delays. Extreme weather is the leading cause of flight delays, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

De-icing Fluid Management

Storing and managing de-icing fluids, such as glycol-based solutions, is a significant challenge for regional airports. It is costly and requires careful planning, especially for remote airports that may experience infrequent deliveries. Close monitoring of fluid inventory is crucial to ensure an adequate supply during peak icing periods. The limited effective duration of de-icing fluids adds to the challenge, as applications must be precise and timely before takeoff.

Strategies for Overcoming Challenges

To overcome these challenges, regional airports can implement several strategies:

• Efficient Resource Management: Advanced software solutions can help optimize the utilization of staff, equipment, and de-icing areas. Automating processes and optimizing task scheduling can significantly reduce delays and improve operational transparency.
• Improved Communication: Clear communication between airports and airlines is essential for prioritizing de-icing operations. Collaborating to prioritize aircraft based on departure times and flight importance can prevent bottlenecks and unnecessary delays.
• Collaborative Purchasing and Equipment Sharing: Smaller airports can pool resources with nearby facilities to share equipment or bulk-buy de-icing fluids, reducing costs and ensuring sufficient supply.
• Training Programs: Continuous training for crews is vital, especially at regional airports where staff often perform multiple roles. Ensuring proficiency in de-icing techniques and adaptability to changing weather conditions helps maintain productivity and safety.

De-icing at regional airports presents unique challenges due to limited resources and harsh weather conditions. However, by optimizing resource management, collaborating with nearby airports, investing in crew training, and adopting innovative technologies, these airports can ensure safe and efficient winter operations, maintaining the safety of passengers and crew.

The effects of in-flight icing

Amsterdam Airport does face icing risks, and aircraft de-icing is one of the most important precautions to ensure safety. De-icing is a highly coordinated effort involving multiple steps and is always a race against the clock.

In-flight icing occurs during flight in supercooled clouds or freezing precipitation and poses a potential hazard to all aircraft. Ice accretion and accumulation can affect the external surfaces of an aircraft, including the engine, resulting in carburetor icing, air inlet icing, or engine icing. These phenomena may occur together or independently.

The formation of ice on an aircraft can significantly impact its aerodynamic performance and safety. Icing can disrupt the airflow over wings and control surfaces, affecting the lift and drag characteristics, and leading to a decrease in aircraft performance and handling capabilities. Icing can also increase the weight of the aircraft, further impacting its performance and handling.

Icing conditions are characterized by the average droplet size, the liquid water content, and the air temperature. These parameters influence the extent, type, and speed of ice formation. Federal Aviation Regulations define icing conditions that some aircraft are certified to fly into, while supercooled large droplet (SLD) conditions are considered more hazardous and should be avoided by all aircraft.

In-flight icing can lead to a stall at a lower angle of attack and a higher airspeed, increasing the risk of an accident. Even small amounts of ice can have significant effects, and asymmetric ice accumulation between the wings can result in roll control problems.

Icing is particularly dangerous when it occurs on unmanned aircraft (UAVs) due to their smaller size and weight. UAVs are more sensitive to icing and can experience negative effects more quickly. Additionally, UAVs operate at lower velocities, making them more susceptible to icing at a broader range of temperatures.

To mitigate the risks of in-flight icing, aircraft must be equipped with suitable ice protection systems, and pilots need to be aware of the conditions that lead to icing and take appropriate actions to reduce the risk.

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