WASHINGTON — In the DMV we have had three snow events in the last week. Roads have been impacted, schools and offices have closed, and airports have been chaotic.
Flights coming into the region's airports were diverted to different cities during Tuesday’s storm. Hundreds of passengers were separated from their luggage. If the flight made it into the DMV, it wasn’t without hours of patience, as passengers sat on tarmacs while planes were deiced.
If you’ve ever been stuck on a plane while it was being deiced at some point you probably started asking yourself “How long is this going to take?”.
Airplane wings are designed in a specific shape so they can take off safely. Snow and ice change the shape of the wing affecting the effectiveness of the wing’s lift.
According to Delta Airlines, depending on the size of the aircraft, it can take anywhere from five to 10 minutes from nose to tail. If it is actively snowing it can take anywhere between 10-30 minutes. Pilots first have to put down wing flaps and disable aircraft ventilation systems to keep out any chemical odors.
The fluid used to deice planes is a mixture of propylene glycol, other chemicals, and water. It’s then heated to 160-180 degrees and sprayed under pressure to remove frost, snow, and ice from the aircraft.
This process can be done even when it’s not snowing, when temperatures reach below 50 degrees, aircrafts are inspected for frost or ice. The reason for that is that even the smallest amount of frost can affect a plane’s ability to take off.
So next time you’re on a plane and see those hard workers deicing your plane give them a wave and a smile.
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