Summary Aircraft icing is a common and major hazard for the aviation industry. Depending on conditions, icing can have a very small or major impact on aircraft performance. The types of icing that form on and affect aircraft, the variables in how each type of icing forms, and the severity categories will be discussed. Many prevention and treatment methods exist and all pilots should be familiar with flight rules and regulations regarding avoiding and responding to icing situations. Airplane Icing Airplane icing is nothing but a significant problem and danger for the aviation community. With good conditions aloft, our winter season allows icing to occur when least expected and most pilots know very little about where icing will actually occur. With a little training in meteorology, most can know where ice may await them and how to avoid it. The key points of merit would be where the fronts were, where they were moving, the location of the cloud tops/bases, and the alternative routes available. When flying, there are also several key locations in the United States to be aware of: around mountains, the Great Lakes, or other large bodies of water. And if you don't need to fly through a cloud, don't do it. Although dangerous for all aircraft, each craft is either approved or not approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for icy flying conditions. It is primarily smaller, lighter aircraft that are not equipped with extensive forms of anti-icing protection and these are the most affected and legally prohibited from flying in known icing conditions (Landsberg, 2008). Icing normally occurs when temperatures are high. a range between 14 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit...... middle of paper ...... have devastating effects on the ability of aircraft structures to create lift. No lift equals no flight. Once frozen and beyond the pilot's control, an airplane is virtually a useless, grounded vehicle that one can only hope will land easier than a boulder falling from the sky. Pilot training is an essential key when approaching landing. It is during this period that icing conditions and effects can have the greatest impact. Proper training can make a huge difference between life or death. (Landsberg, 2008). References Landsberg, Bruce (2008). Aircraft Icing, #1 Weather Safety Advisor. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Aviation Safety Foundation. Retrieved December 4, 2009, from AOPA online website: http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/Ahrens, C. Donald (2009). Meteorology Today (9th ed.), 181-183. Canada: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.