Ensuring Flight Safety Doesn't Slip Through Comprehensive De-/Anti-Icing Training

De-/anti-icing of an aircraft is a critical pre-flight procedure that ground handling teams around the world undertake ahead of take-off and is mandatory if ice, frost, or snow has accumulated on major surfaces including an aircraft's wings or fuselage.

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Effective de-/anti-icing training is crucial for ensuring flight safety and enables safe and timely aircraft operations during winter weather conditions. Aviator Airport Alliance, a full-range provider of aviation services at 15 airports across the Nordics and a family member of Avia Solutions Group, delivers insights on how the importance of equipping their team with comprehensive de-icing training is critical for successful operations across Northern Europe, spanning the Baltics, Nordics, and Scandinavia.

Anders Søreide, Head of De-Icing & Safety Advisor at Aviator, outlines the structure of the training program that operates within his team, “Our training program is based upon SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) aerospace industry standards. The main objective is to train our staff to perform de-/anti-icing operations according to the SAE standards to ensure flight safety.”

THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL INTEGRATION

Training includes both theoretical and practical training and is renewed through annual recurrent training before each season. Theory in the classroom provides the foundations but potential candidates are often curious to understand how the practical training is delivered.

Anders commented, “Practical de-/anti-icing training consists of both simulated scenarios and actual operations performed under supervision. Simulated exercises may vary between stations, but a typical simulated exercise would include a vehicle driving through an ‘obstacle course' to develop driving patterns.”

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND SAFETY