de-icing

Contamination on a wing wrecks its lift, so de-icing is not optional. Type I fluid, usually orange, removes what is there; the thicker Type IV, green, stays on the surface for a limited holdover time to stop more forming. A de-icing pad in winter light, with fluid streaming off a wing, is one of the best photographs an airport offers.

Nearby in Aviation

• callsign — The name a flight uses on the radio, usually an airline telephony name plus a flight number.
• crosswind — A wind blowing across the runway rather than along it.
• deadhead — A crew member travelling as a passenger to get into position for a duty.
• displaced threshold — A runway threshold moved down the paved surface, so the pavement before it may be taxied on but not landed on.