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Aviation vocabulary · Airports & Ground Operations

De-icing

Meaning in aviation, with examples

nounCommon term

In aviation, de-icing means: Removing ice, snow or frost from an aircraft on the ground before takeoff, usually by spraying it with a heated fluid.

In Turkish: buz giderme, de-icing

How it is used

Done on the stand or on a special de-icing pad. A second fluid (anti-icing) stops new ice from forming for a limited 'holdover time', and the aircraft has to take off before that time runs out. Crews call 'request de-icing'.

Example sentences

  1. We are waiting for de-icing, so expect a delay of about 30 minutes.

  2. The de-icing crew sprayed both wings and the tail.

Common collocations

  • de-icing pad
  • de-icing fluid
  • request de-icing
  • holdover time
  • anti-icing
  • icingThe build-up of ice on an aircraft's wings, engines or sensors in flight. It happens in visible moisture, such as cloud or rain, at temperatures around or below freezing.
  • wingEach of the two long surfaces on the sides of an aircraft that produce lift. On airliners the wings often carry the engines and hold most of the fuel.
  • standA marked parking position on the apron where an aircraft is parked for boarding, loading, refuelling and other ground services.
  • ground handlingAll the services an aircraft and its passengers need at the airport between landing and departure, such as check-in, baggage loading, cleaning and pushback.

More terms: Airports & Ground Operations

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