Page 40 - Volume 15 Number 2

As you start the descent and approach phase, try to anticipate where the ice may be. For example, if you are in the clear and there is a cloud layer below you with temperatures below freezing, rather than accepting a descent clearance into it for a period of time, you may want to ask ATC for discretion to that altitude and remain above the cloud layer until you need to go down for landing.
The stabilized approach becomes more important than ever because if you have to go into the ice for landing, you only want to do it once: not miss the approach, try to do a go-around, get vectors and then try it again. Keep your speed up, Vref plus 10 knots. If you have to hold, keep the flaps and gear up. If you are doing an approach to an uncontrolled field at night, don’t forget to turn the runway lights up.
The stabilized approach becomes more important than ever because if you have to go into ice- laden clouds for landing, you only want to do it once: not miss the approach, try to do a go-around, get vectors and then try it again.
There have been many ice-related accidents that have occurred when the plane was on short final. Some of these are due to the fact that the pilot let the plane get too slow and it stalled. Remember the higher stall speed.
Some accidents have been tied to the fact that as the flaps were extended, they blanked the tail and it lost effectiveness. As a personal choice, on planes with Fowler- type flaps, if the runway is long enough, I do not select full flaps if there is any ice adhering to the plane. Unfortunately, this starts an undesirable chain of events. Faster approach speed, no full flaps and landing on a runway with a possible reduced braking action. If these conditions are not safe, go somewhere else!
Historically, we have used “good,” “fair,” “poor” and “nil” as braking action reports. More and more we are hearing Mu (pronounced “myoo” or “moo”) readings, particularly in the northern climates where airport surface vehicles are equipped with quantitative test equipment, rather than subjective estimates. Mu readings are reported as three sets of numbers outlining the approach end, middle and rollout end of the
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38 • ­TWIN & TURBINE
FEBRUARY 2011