Army Aircraft Icing
107
machine that could handle deicing 16 ALOT(?) a day and also a small portable
deicing machine for deployments.
11. 1998: UH-60, Fort Monroe to Pentagon VIP flight. Had to abort between
Richmond and DC. Return VFR to Monroe. Misforecast moderate to heavy rime
icing in flight. All systems working, i.e., inlets, blades, windshield.
12. Icing has little to no impact on operations in Central Germany.
13. None.
18. The UH-60s in our flight have problems with in-flight icing conditions.
The blade deice system is intermittent (?) and restricts operations from time to
time. On ground, icing problems are time consuming, but have never been a
grounding or no-flight result.
20. Missed missions in Kosovo; malfunctioning weapons; rockets frozen in
the tubes.
25a. Significant icing during deployment from home station. Slowed down
the OPTEMPO, but did not stop very many missions.
25b. 236th MED Co. At this time we have not experienced any situations
here with deicing problems due to the fact that we have readily available hangar
space to store the a/c during inclement weather. Though upon deployment,
problems may accrue in environments without proper facilities.
25c. If deice equipment is turned on and checked with each 10-hour as a
preventive measure (even in the summer months) and deice components are
cleaned thoroughly prior to freezing each year (Aug/Sep), then deice systems on
the UH-60 rarely fail. We practice this at the 45th. I find that covers are one of
the least preferred methods since wet covers freeze to the airframe. Blade covers
are very impractical. Windshield covers and engine covers are semi-helpful. I
would recommend using moneys intended for deice facilities to build larger,
more spacious hangars. Hangaring a/c prior to flight is undoubtedly the best
method and keeping emergency response a/c hangared continuously is also
preferred. The best field method is to continually clear accumulating snow from
the a/c. However, this is very manpower intensive. [I have even begun work on a
2028 for the deice maintenance procedures--I believe Sikorsky has this method
in the S-70 manual. I don't know why the Army hasn't adopted it.]
28. Damage to blades on CH47D.
31a. None.
31b. None in flight.
37a. Spent three years at Fort Drum--they need a deicer.
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