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Aviation History
1994
1994 - 0133.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT USAir promotes Pittsburgh de-icing system BY RAMON LOPEZ IN PITTSBURGH u SAir says that its $12 mil lion aircraft ground de-icing system is operating flawlessly at its Pittsburgh In ternational Airport hub. The de-icing pads are capa ble of handling de-icing ten aircraft at one time. They are located near the runways to reduce hold-over time follow ing application. The pads are capable of handling all airliners Ice rules extend to commuters The US Federal Aviation Administration has ex tended its stringent de-icing and anti-icing rules to Part 135 commuter aircraft. "These new de-icing regulations provide a greater margin of safety for the public travelling on commuter aircraft," says Administrator David Hinson. The long-expected regula tions were introduced in the wake of the fatal 1992 USAir Fokker F28 crash at New York LaGuardia, but they were first applied in November 1992 to the larger Part 121 airliners only. Flightcrews of commuter aircraft with up to 30 passenger seats, or a cargo-carrying capa bility of 3,400kg, also must now receive training on the risks of ice build-up on aircraft. The rule also covers private aircraft, primarily Part 91 busi ness and executive operations, with 20 or more passenger seats, or a payload capacity of at least 2,700kg. Airlines which are not operated in areas where icing is a problem are exempt from the rules. The FAA programme man dates airlines to improve train ing of pilots and ground personnel in the detection and removal of wing ice. It also establishes limits called "holdo ver times" on how long and under what conditions an air craft can be exposed to snow and freezing rain before being inspected or de-iced again. • which USAir operates and, with minor modification, could service Boeing 747s as well. USAif is offering de-icing serv ice to other airlines for a fee. The system, supplied by Simon Aviation Ground Equip ment, can spray either Type 1 de-icing or Type II anti-icing fluids, although the plumbing for the anti-icing fluid has yet to be installed. "Because we can clear more aircraft simultaneously and more quickly than the tradi tional bucket-truck method, delays due to de-icing should be minimised," says vice- president of line maintenance, Bob Toth. "I believe this is one of the best systems in the country in terms of perform ance and safety." Two de-icing pads of five stations each are located on separate taxiways leading from USAir rates high-performance de-icing system a success Concourses A and B at Pitts burgh. Both pads feature six fixed pedestals, each topped by a telescoping arm. Operators direct the flow of de-icing fluid from an enclosed heated cab. The booms can be NASA works to eliminate glycol Non-glycol based aircraft de-icing/anti-icing prod ucts could be available in as little as one year, if research in the USA continues to make positive progress. An environmentally friendly, direct substitute for the toxic glycol-based substances used today is under development at the NASA Ames Research Cen ter, California, with the sup port of the US Air Force. The products, according to NASA, would be cost-competitive and require no change in existing de-icing/anti-icing operations or equipment. A leading, but unidentified, US chemical company which manufactures aviation de-icing fluid is monitoring the devel opment, and a US Government patent filing is planned. Clear Type I (de-icing) fluid and Type II (anti-icing) gel have been formulated, and they could be commercially availa ble soon if research and testing is accelerated. The researchers say that athough they are reluctant to identify the chemical com position of the products, they will say that they are com monly used natural fluids and polymers, with a natural thick ener which has been added to the Type II product. The formulation is bio degradable and non-toxic, with low biochemical oxygen de mand. The Type II fluid would provide an ice-protection bar rier for at least 30min. Testing is under way of the products' bio-degradability, toxicity and non-corrosiveness. Candidate compounds are to be tried out in a windtunnel and, eventually, on test aircraft to assure satisfactory perform ance against SAE Icing Com mittee specifications. "If nothing else, our contri bution will be to have made the [aviation] community aware that it is possible to find a substitute for glycol-based flu ids," says Dr John Zuck, chief of the research agency's civil- technology office. "To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at finding an environmentally-benign substi tute that uses ingredients which are cost-effective, or can even be cheaper." • extended almost 30m and ro tated through 360°, ensuring complete coverage of aircraft. Both pads are controlled from a central "ice house" where computers monitor and regu late all flows, temperatures and ratios of agent and water. Ground-crew safety has been in question, so aircraft are now de-iced with their engines op erating, increasing the de-icing fluid's period of effectiveness by 2-4min, and reducing start cycles on engines. Officials say that as many as 40 aircraft in a single connect ing bank can be accommodated within 60min. Fluid run-off is collected in holding tanks, each with a ca pacity of 758,0001itres (167,000gal), and is trans ported to disposal sites. • NEWS IN BRIEF KUWAIT BOEINGS Kuwait plans to give three Boeing 727s to Syria, follow ing the lifting by the USA of a ban on the deal. The air craft are surplus to Kuwait's needs and they had been promised to the nation's Gulf War ally. US Secretary of State Warren Christopher apparently had lifted the ban during his December visit to Damascus. The aircraft are 13-16 years old, but, accord ing to Kuwait Airways, the 727s have all been kept in "excellent condition". FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 19 - 25 January, 1994 //
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