Private Jet Charter and Deicing: What you need to know

It’s wintertime and it’s snowing. You’ve rolled up to your private aircraft departure at the FBO and walked up the steps. Once you get comfortable in your cushiony leather seats, the crew briefs you that they’ll be taxiing to a de-icing pad on the way to the runway, delaying your takeoff. While the process is crucial for the safety of your flight and won’t take very long, you may be curious as to what deicing entails.

Allow us to break it down and get to the facts surrounding what you need to know about aircraft deicing:

Why does the aircraft need to deice?

It ensures snow and ice does not interfere with your airplane’s aerodynamics. For an airplane to operate the way it’s intended, it must be able to slip through the air smoothly. The wings, fuselage and tail must be free of contamination, such as snow and ice, prior to take off as they would adversely disrupt the fluid airflow required to produce lift.

Airplanes are also sensitive to extra weight. Ice and snow sticking to the metal surfaces adds additional weight which would result in increased takeoff distances and decreased climb performance.

How does deicing work?

Deicing fluids are a mixture consisting of mainly ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, water and other ingredients. There are 4 types, however, typically Type 1 or 4 are used. Depending on the type of ice or snow contamination, the crew would request the application of one or both types of these deicing fluids.

• Type 1 Fluid:

This fluid, orange in color, is heated and applied to melt and break up ice from the skin of the aircraft. The pressure applied also pushes any remaining ice off the surfaces of the aircraft.

• Type 4 Fluid:

This bright green fluid is applied to the surfaces of the aircraft’s wings and tail. The fluid contains a thickening agent which helps it stick on to the surfaces which functions to prevent any new ice or snow from accumulating while taxiing to the runway for takeoff. The fluid is designed to slide off once the aircraft has reached a certain speed.

The Decision to Deice

The flight crew would monitor the weather conditions prior to the departure in coordination with flight operations and recommend of any changes to your schedule. This is to avoid having the aircraft exposed to the weather and subsequently requiring deicing. One alternative is parking the aircraft in a heated hangar to prevent or melt any accumulation. If the need to deice cannot be prevented or avoided, the crew or flight operations would notify you ahead of time.

When deicing operations take place at an airport, it has an impact on all departures due to the added procedure prior to all aircraft taking off. Delays are to be expected.

What will it cost?

Deicing is considered a weather-related cost and is not included in the quoted price of charters. Depending on the intensity of precipitation or ice accumulation, deicing costs can range anywhere from a few hundred to well over ten thousand dollars.

Parking the airplane in a heated hangar at destination would cost from $500 per day to over $1,000 per day, depending on aircraft size. This alternative, if applicable and available, could considerably reduce deicing fees. It would save on Type 1 usage; however, the need of Type 4 fluid may still be required depending on outside conditions.

If you’re wondering if you should expect deicing bill on a future charter, consider these factors:

• Departing to or from a northern destination during winter

• Weather conditions prone to frost, snow, freezing rain or temperatures falling below zero Celsius

• Availability of heated hangar at destination

Why Travel with NovaJet Aviation Group

The combination of ARGUS Platinum rating and IS-BAO certification highlights NovaJet Aviation Group as a global leader in safety and risk avoidance as well as professionalism. You can rest assured that you are safe while in the air or on the ground. To learn more about NovaJet Aviation Group’s business operations and safety procedures, contact by calling 1-800-979-4538 or by emailing info@novajet.ca.

A team member would be happy to walk you through everything in place so that you can have full peace of mind while flying with NovaJet Aviation Group. Keeping customers safe and satisfied is a top priority.