Ice forming on a drone.

[MrCalvano]

Prepping for my Basic. and stuck on this one question on my online course

What must an RPAS pilot do if they suspect that their aircraft has ice forming on it?

• The pilot may begin the flight as long as the frost has not adhered to any part of the propellor or engine itself.
• The pilot must complete the mission as soon as they notice the ice formation on the aircraft.

thanks

 

[pelagic_one]

Welcome to the forum!

I would imagine the name of the game is survival of one’s drone. As a young kid who saw the aftermath of the Eastern Airlines airliner crash into the Potomac River, I know that ice is bad on wings. As an old guy flying my drone, icing can’t be good for all the money we toss at this hobby.

Mavics won’t fair well after an ethylene glycol de-icing shower. Land that plane, Maverick!

 

[Mavikhan]

WELCOME ABOARD!

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Welcome to the DJI family The answer to your question is if the ice is not on the Props or motors.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain / Snow

 

[slup]

Hi there & welcome to the forum ?

... and I would say ABORT, ABORT.

 

[old man mavic]

welcome to the forum, with regards to your question if there is any chance of ice forming on the aircraft then you should abort the mission and wait for conditions to improve,and you need to be aware of the likely conditions that would cause ice to form ,during flight ,which should be covered in the course you are taking

 

[Rich QR]

I don't know Canadian rules or test questions, but...

As soon as you notice ice forming on any part of your drone, it's time to abort the mission. It's past time, actually.

It's not safe to start a mission into known icing conditions, even if ice hasn't yet adhered to the props or other surfaces. At altitude, it is likely to be colder, so icing may be worse. And spinning props will cause slight reduction in air pressure, and thus temperature, along the upper surface.

Takeoffs are always optional, landings always mandatory.

 

[MA2 317]

Hello from the Hoosier Heartland MrCalvano.


I had the same thoughts as Rich QR.

Good luck on your answer and welcome to the Forum.

.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

The pilot must complete the mission as soon as they notice the ice formation on the aircraft.

I assume the above is the "abort" that prople are refering to but "complete"?
To me "complete" means fly the intended flight until it is finished.
Would terminate or "abort" not be better?

 

[old man mavic]

i agree complete is a bit ambiguous ,it should say land safely as soon as its possible to do so

 

[Rich QR]

I assume the above is the "abort" that prople are refering to but "complete"?
To me "complete" means fly the intended flight until it is finished.
Would terminate or "abort" not be better?

I agree that "terminate" or "abort" would be better. I'd say, "get the drone on the ground ASAP".

I agree that "complete" could mean "finish all of the originally planned objectives" in some contexts, but look at the context of this sentence. It says the pilot must "complete" the mission as soon as they notice the ice. In other words, they are under no obligation to "complete" the mission unless and until they notice ice.

Surely no reasonable pilot would say that noticing ice is a signal that forces the pilot to extend the mission and finish tasks that wouldn't have been mandatory if no ice had been noticed!

The context makes it clear that "complete" means "put an end to it promptly".

But it was a poor choice of words.

 

[PanamaMike]

Welcome to the forum, from the Republic of Panama!

 

[mrjohnc1]

Welcome!

 

[ResistanceFlyer]

Welcome to the Forum from Wyoming!!

 

[wjkrysak]

Welcome to the forum. We look forward to your participation and your view of the world.

 

[Thomas B]

Welcome to the forum from the deserts of Arizona! Enjoy.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

I agree that "complete" could mean "finish all of the originally planned objectives" in some contexts, but look at the context of this sentence. It says the pilot must "complete" the mission as soon as they notice the ice. In other words, they are under no obligation to "complete" the mission unless and until they notice ice.

Surely no reasonable pilot would say that noticing ice is a signal that forces the pilot to extend the mission and finish tasks that wouldn't have been mandatory if no ice had been noticed!

I am afraid that we will have to agree to disagree.

I find it a confusing sentence and as such I think it should have no place in teaching material. Aviation is not an area where ambiguity or confusion is good.
I presume MrCalvano is asking for help because he too found things confusing.

 

[Deleted member 133794]

Welcome and enjoy ? from the ??

 

[MrCalvano]

Prepping for my Basic. and stuck on this one question on my online course

What must an RPAS pilot do if they suspect that their aircraft has ice forming on it?

• The pilot may begin the flight as long as the frost has not adhered to any part of the propellor or engine itself.
• The pilot must complete the mission as soon as they notice the ice formation on the aircraft.

thanks

Thank you

 

[eaglesurfing]

Welcome to the forum and enjoy.

Please share your pictures, videos and knowledge about your drones.