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http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=busav&id=news/FROST120109.xml

FAA Expands Polished-Frost Takeoff Ban



Dec 1, 2009

By James Swickard

James Swickard The FAA announced yesterday that a new rule will extend its prohibition on aircraft takeoffs with "polished frost" -- frost buffed to make it smooth -- on the wings, stabilizers and control surfaces to include FAR Part 91 subpart F, Part 25 and Part 135 operations, effective Jan.30, 2010. Major and regional air carriers are already prohibited from taking off with polished frost. The FAA says 57 operators flying 188 aircraft are affected by the new rule changes. The FAA insists the safest action is to completely remove ice and frost before flight. Previous FAA guidance recommended removing all wing frost prior to takeoff, but allowed it to be polished smooth if the aircraft manufacturer's recommended procedures were followed. But manufacturers never published standards of acceptable smoothness for polished frost, and the FAA has no data to determine exactly how to polish frost to satisfactory smoothness. "The FAA has advised pilots not to take off with frost or ice contaminating their wings for years because it made good sense," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "Now, it's the law." The new rules mention there are several ways to prevent or removing frost that operators may consider: using wing covers to prevent frost accumulation on wings, waiting for frost to melt, storing the aircraft in a heated hangar or deicing the flight surfaces. Operators could also simply move a frosted aircraft into a heated hangar to expedite melting. The new rules also clarify that affected aircraft must have functioning deicing or anti-icing equipment for flights under IFR into known or forecast light or moderate icing conditions, or under VFR into known light or moderate icing conditions.

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