Aero-Sense FROSTMAN
"How can you remove ground icing safely ?"
The best and easiest way to prevent contamination is to hangar the aircraft ... but that's not always possible.
Airliners only depart when the aircraft is 100% clean of ice, frost or snow. GA pilots should have the same principle.
If the ice , snow of frost layer is more than 0.1 inch ( 0.3 cm) thick, it should be considered to use soft bristle brooms or snowbrushes. Pay attention not the scratch the paint, windshields or windows.
Do NOT USE HOT WATER ! Hot water will melt the ice on the surface and could penetrate control surface hinges. If this water refreezes it could have dramatic consequences such as blocking the controls.
Regular alcohol can not be used since this is inflammable and damages Plexiglas and composite aircrafts.
Aero-Sense developed Frostman A1, a de-icing liquid which can be diluted up to 50% with hot water. Frostman A1 is based on the same AL-5 certified de-icing liquid used for TKS equipped aircraft.
This liquid is non-corrosive and save to use on aluminum, painted surfaces, composites and plexi windows or windshields.
A single engine aircraft usually needs 2 up to 4 liters of Frostman liquid for wings and tail de-icing for a complete removal of a layer of frost. For a complete aircraft de-icing you need about 7 liters.
Aero-Sense has also I low-pressure sprayer to apply economically the liquid. The sprayer is similar to garden sprayers but has special washers which resist to the fluid. The nozzles is calculated to evenly spray the Frostman liquid at temperatures down to -10C.
For lower temperatures we advise to make sure the liquid and sprayer are kept in a heated room shortly before application.
