luv2flypilot
Well Known Member
An interesting question came up in a conversation between pilots today. Is a heated pitot required for IFR flight? Excuse my ignorance of knowledge on this subject since I do not have my IFR ticket.
An interesting question came up in a conversation between pilots today. Is a heated pitot required for IFR flight? Excuse my ignorance of knowledge on this subject since I do not have my IFR ticket.
Years ago when heated pitot's were invented, we didn't have GPS. A heated pitot was the only way you could get your speed back. Now, you can tell you groundspeed (not airspeed) and altititude even if both the pitot and static are frozen over.
Excellent question. I intend to fly IFR, so it is a question that is dear to my heart. I will make ever attempt to avoid ice, but there are no guarantees once you go into cloud. If you get unlucky, some day you will pickup some ice that you cannot get rid of.Hmmmnn. What airspeed does an ice-covered wing stall at?
Kevin:...If you're really intent on learning about airframe icing, do it in an aircraft certified for known ice. Even then, it's important you know OAT and lapse rate, bases and tops, and are operating with an escape plan. Certainly, if you intend to fly IFR in Canada, you're eventually going to encounter ice. Some good reading on the topic as well as actual experience with a qualified pilot and aircraft will serve you well.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP
I appreciate and understand your concern. But, I've got hundreds of hours flying in actual icing conditions. I've done flight testing with simulated ice shapes on several types of aircraft, and I've done flight testing in natural icing conditions on several types of aircraft.Kevin:
I'm not sure that trying to simulate ice build-up with sandpaper is going to tell you anything useful. Ice can accumulate as rime, clear, or mixed and will adhere to surfaces in almost limitless ways depending upon moisture content, type of ice, temperature, skin surface temperature, aircraft attitude, etc. At the same time, we haven't even taken into account the element of weight and weight distribution.
If you're really intent on learning about airframe icing, do it in an aircraft certified for known ice. Even then, it's important you know OAT and lapse rate, bases and tops, and are operating with an escape plan. Certainly, if you intend to fly IFR in Canada, you're eventually going to encounter ice. Some good reading on the topic as well as actual experience with a qualified pilot and aircraft will serve you well.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP
Thanks for that reference. Very useful and interesting. It certainly calls into question my belief, based on my experience with larger aircraft, that 40 grit sand paper was a suitable means to simulate the initial ice buildup on our aircraft. The report does give the reduction in lift at the stall, which is a useful reference. The testing was on the NACA 23012 airfoil, which is in the same family as the airfoil on the short wing RVs. The testing simulated an aircraft that had pneumatic deice boots, and they looked at the effect of the ice that would build up on the leading edge between cycles of the boots, and at the effect of the small amount of ice that remained on the leading edge after the boots were cycled.
Appendix IV
Instruments required for aeroplanes engaged in:
(i) aerial work and private operations under the Instrument Flight Rules
(including night V.M.C.); and
(ii) charter operations under night V.M.C; and
(iii) Instrument Flight Rules freight only charter operations in aeroplanes
with maximum take-off weight not greater than 5 700 kg.
1 The flight and navigational instruments required are:
(a) an airspeed indicating system; and
(b) a sensitive pressure altimeter; and
(c) (i) direct reading magnetic compass; or
(ii) a remote indicating compass and a standby direct reading magnetic
compass; and
(d) an accurate timepiece indicating the time in hours, minutes and seconds, except
that this may be omitted if it is carried on the person of the pilot or navigator; and
(e) a rate of climb and descent indicator (vertical speed indicator) for other than night
V.M.C. flights; and
(f) an outside air temperature indicator; and
(g) an attitude indicator (artificial horizon); and
(h) a heading indicator (directional gyroscope); and
(i) a turn and slip indicator except that only a slip indicator is required when a
second attitude indicator usable through flight attitudes of 360 degrees of pitch
and roll is installed; and
(j) means of indicating whether the power supply to the gyroscopic instruments is
working satisfactorily; and
(k) except for aeroplanes engaged in night V.M.C. flights, means of preventing
malfunctioning due to either condensation or icing of at least 1 airspeed
indicating system.