My first brush with icing

Salty

Salty

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Salty
Ok, not really, but seriously this is my first time seeing this and I’ll be happy if it’s the most I ever see.

interestingly enough, we weren’t even really in the clouds. Just brushing the bottoms.
680D7C25-AC06-4970-8796-37D818C9EBBD.jpeg DA1D4400-8028-4558-BA94-A636E0947C37.jpeg F691FF3C-C637-4245-93C4-C8B2EE617E24.jpeg 64817635-AB09-4320-AEB4-DDA6AB77C99A.jpeg
 
That was my first thought as well. That wasn't the typical rime.
 
None on the wings and it only last a couple minutes.
 
It'd be pretty rare for it to stick to plexi like that and not the wings. I bet it was there but that's the nasty stuff that'll be clear and really hard to see in flat light on light paint.

Rime usually makes little ridges and is easier to see on even light colored surfaces right at the edge because the angles are visible.

Both are easier to spot on black surfaces. On Cessnas look at the front of the main gear tire if it doesn't have wheel pants on. Struts too.

Any way you spot it, it'll definitely get your attention! Don't forget Mr Pitot Heat as an automatic check right then. Heh.
 
denverpilot said:
It'd be pretty rare for it to stick to plexi like that and not the wings. I bet it was there but that's the nasty stuff that'll be clear and really hard to see in flat light on light paint.

Rime usually makes little ridges and is easier to see on even light colored surfaces right at the edge because the angles are visible.

Both are easier to spot on black surfaces. On Cessnas look at the front of the main gear tire if it doesn't have wheel pants on. Struts too.

Any way you spot it, it'll definitely get your attention! Don't forget Mr Pitot Heat as an automatic check right then. Heh.
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Yeah, I flipped on pitot heat until the ice slid off. It accumulated pretty much instantly and didn’t last long enough for me to ask for lower.
 
I've had that happen to me below the clouds, no real precip to speak of, just ice forming up.
 
luvflyin said:
SCLD ?? google ain’t no help.
EDIT: think I got it. The L is liquid.
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Super Cooled Large Droplet

Liquid rain/mist that is below freezing and forms ice instantly upon hitting the airplane, and can build scary fast.
 
Cloud tops are frequently where one picks up icing. Happens in the bases, too. And below if it happens to be Virga falling.
 
wsuffa said:
Cloud tops are frequently where one picks up icing. Happens in the bases, too. And below if it happens to be Virga falling.
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Yup. One time I was having fun surfing in and out of the tops when maybe the 9th one I heard a loud crackling sound and the windscreen looked like post #1.

"Uh Center..."
 
Thanks for sharing. That's more ice than I want to see form all of a sudden, for sure. Can you say where you were (generally speaking) when you picked this up? No worries if not - just curious since I think I remember you fly in FL.
 
Deelee said:
Thanks for sharing. That's more ice than I want to see form all of a sudden, for sure. Can you say where you were (generally speaking) when you picked this up? No worries if not - just curious since I think I remember you fly in FL.
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Central Michigan @7000 feet
 
yah that stuff scares me. run into it a few times. i normally reduce altitude looking for warmer air
 
What did you do? Call ATC and climb, descend, do a 180?
 
WDD said:
What did you do? Call ATC and climb, descend, do a 180?
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I watched like a hawk. Was about to ask for lower, but I really needed to go higher. It was a cold front sliding under warm air, so going down might not have helped. But, we were below the clouds already, and the clouds were ending within a couple minutes ahead, and it was nearly time for us to start our descent, so I gave it a minute before doing anything. It wasn’t collecting, it hit instantly, stuck, and slowly slid off, so it was getting less the couple minutes it was present. I could see 2 airports ahead, and there was another just behind, so if it was building, I probably would have tried going down first towards a runway and then if that didn’t work soon, gone up.

I said “not really” in the first post, because I really didn’t have to deal with it, it never got to that point.
 
Salty said:
I watched like a hawk. Was about to ask for lower, but I really needed to go higher. It was a cold front sliding under warm air, so going down might not have helped. But, we were below the clouds already, and the clouds were ending within a couple minutes ahead, and it was nearly time for us to start our descent, so I gave it a minute before doing anything. It wasn’t collecting, it hit instantly, stuck, and slowly slid off, so it was getting less the couple minutes it was present. I could see 2 airports ahead, and there was another just behind, so if it was building, I probably would have tried going down first towards a runway and then if that didn’t work soon, gone up.
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I think climbing would have been a losing proposition in that unless you knew the temps were warmer up there you weren't going to get above it. Ice is a tough problem, FIKI in a small airplane if you have it, but even then you want to get out of it as soon as possible.
 
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PaulS said:
I think climbing would have been a losing proposition in that unless you knew the temps were warmer up there. Ice is a tough problem, FIKI in a small airplane if you have it, but even then you want to get out of it as soon as possible.
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Yeah, I hope that’s the last time I ever see it.
 
Salty said:
Yeah, I hope that’s the last time I ever see it.
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It won't be, but it's good to have a plan for it and look for it in your briefings. The icing forecasts seem to be pretty good, and the freezing level is right on. Pireps are always good.
 
Salty said:
Central Michigan @7000 feet
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Sound like you had a nice x country! Florida to Michigan. I’m planning to fly from Michigan down to the keys sometime this fall. Flying imc in Mi is almost always a risk for ice. I’ve never seen clear ice like that though. I would guess that was freezing rain? Getting some ice in the clouds is one thing. Freezing rain is downright butt clenching scary! You really don’t have any outs. What was the temperature at 7000 and on the ground?
 
Ice is scary stuff. What amazes me (or scares me most) is how fast it builds up
 
AlphaMike said:
Sound like you had a nice x country! Florida to Michigan. I’m planning to fly from Michigan down to the keys sometime this fall. Flying imc in Mi is almost always a risk for ice. I’ve never seen clear ice like that though. I would guess that was freezing rain? Getting some ice in the clouds is one thing. Freezing rain is downright butt clenching scary! You really don’t have any outs. What was the temperature at 7000 and on the ground?
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+2C at 7k. 40s F when we left, not sure what it was at that point and time.
 
It’s been a long trip. Stopped at my parents in east Ohio. Mom has been very ill for a year and a half. She passed the night we arrived. Sis says she was waiting for us to get there. The purpose of the trip was to take my wife’s mother’s ashes to the upper peninsula and spread them, so we tied up what we needed to in OH and continued on. Weather hounded us the whole way, we left every stop a day early than planned to try to avoid the worst. That’s why we ended up in mackinac for the night....where my dinner gave me horrible trots. Couldn’t leave the room to do anything interesting. Now we’re on our way back to Florida. I’m taking two days to get there because I’m still not quite at 100% from losing so much liquid......
 
That’s awful. So sorry to hear about your loss Salty! I really hope the rest of your trip goes better. Be safe.
 
Sorry to hear it Salty. Best wishes - peace to your family.
 
Sorry for your loss Salty, glad you got to see her. That instrument ticket has served you well. Safe flight home.
 
Sorry for your loss, Salty. :(
 
Sincere condolences.
 
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