WICHITA, Kan. - As passengers get set to fly out for the Thanksgiving holiday, a looming ice storm threatens travel.
While freezing rain could mean delays and cancellations at Wichita's Eisenhower Airport, the airport said a shutdown is unlikely because it's a complicated decision with many parts. The airport authority said airlines can decide on their own not to fly based on their specific regulations. In addition, the airport itself can decide to close down certain runways based on icy conditions.
As for ice on the planes, the crews at YingLing Aviation say they're prepared. They do the same process for sleet and snow too.
"We are very prepared. We don't want any delays and we want everyone to get to grandma's for Thanksgiving," said Lonnie Vaughan, President of YingLing Aviation. "We have never run out of de-icing fluid."
YingLing is responsible for handling the de-icing and anti-icing of many airlines at Wichita's Airport. It is also the back up for airlines that have their own private companies. Vaughan said there are two kinds of chemicals used on airplanes depending on the conditions. One is for removing existing ice or frost from an airplane and the second is a thick, gel substance used to absorb moisture and keep ice from forming on the plane for a specific amount of time.
Vaughan said application depends on the person flying the plane. He said, "What we are responsible for is whatever the captain's orders are on the airlines and on general aviation on how he wants the aircraft cleaned for flight."
Vaughan said YingLing does advise pilots sometimes as well to make sure passengers are safe. But he said Wichita's airport is much simpler than a larger airport when it comes to de-icing.
"Our abilities to do de-icing and get the aircraft in the air is much greater versus if you go to say Chicago. You will mostly see those aircraft being de-iced at the end of the runway because typically you're sitting in line for 10 or 15 or 20 minutes," he said.
So why does de-icing matter so much to airplanes? Augusta Airport Manager Lloyd Partin said it's a huge deal if it's not addressed correctly. He said as a pilot, he knows firsthand.
"When you have ice adhere to the wings of an aircraft, it disrupts the lift on the airplane plus it adds weight and so when the aircraft gets too heavy, it takes a lot longer for it to take off, you need a longer runway," Partin said.
Partin added most airplanes leaving from Wichita's airport are larger jet engines and have some anti-ice technology on the plane.
"Jet aircraft are equipped with anti ice equipment on them. Typically the leading edges of the wings are heated from bleed air from the engines. Other heated surfaces, wind screens are heated so that the pilots can see out of the aircraft," he said.
Partin said he's predicting Wichita will not be a great place for air travel if this storm hits as predicted, and for a good reason. He said if a pilot encounters a situation where ice begins to stick to the plane, the pilot would not have too many options.
"You either have to land immediately, try to get to an area that's either warmer, that could be above or below depending on the temperature. Sometimes you can actually find warmer air up above. But in any case it turns into an emergency situation very quickly you either have to turn around or get out of there as quickly as you can," Partin said.
Usually, Partin said, pilots can get above the precipitation or get away from the storm. But they aren't in the clear if they have to land somewhere dealing with ice.
"In the case of freezing rain, there is no braking action and that's again, worst case scenario. You're landing on a runway that's iced over. You have no control over the airplane it's just like being in a vehicle on an icy road," he said.
Airports can put a chemical on the runway to help melt ice and there are different mechanisms used on the tarmacs to keep them active, but Partin said sometimes, the ice takes over and it's safer to shut parts of the airport down.
Story and video: http://www.kwch.com
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