Nobody failed to notice the severe winter conditions that began already in December 2009. But operations have to go on. This poses a challenge for several Branches at the E-3A Component.
Flying can’t be cancelled because the aircraft are iced, so the ice has to be removed. The preparations start with the Meteorology Branch, which is the element that gives warnings for icy conditions. “One working day in advance we provide notification that icy conditions can be expected,” says Mr. Rob de Wolff, Meteorology Branch Chief. “We give an update 3 to 4 hours before the first take-off. Also we advise, looking at the weather conditions, which de-icing fluid should be used.”
Airfield de-icing
The Special Vehicles Section is responsible for the daily cleaning and checking of the airfield area. Every day in the early morning MSgt. Nähring checks the overall condition of the runway, taxiways and aprons. The section has 19 personnel, working in three shifts from Sunday 2200 until Friday 2200. During wintertime a shift is also on-call from Friday 2200 until Sunday 2200 to react if it starts to snow or freeze.
“All the work we do is done in close co-operation with Tower, Flight Safety, and Job Control,” says MSgt. Nähring. “When we receive our instructions we start planning how we can do the cleaning in the best and fastest way. The critical factor, of course, is always what air movements are going on and scheduled.” In total the section has 11 trucks at its disposal. “It is important to know that we are only responsible for the airfield area. The rest of the base is a responsibility of the German Armed Forces Service Centre. When necessary, needless to say, we help out.”
Aircraft de-icing
When there are freezing conditions and precipitation, de-icing an aircraft is a key requirement. Frozen contaminants cause critical control surfaces to become rough and uneven, disrupting smooth airflow, increasing drag, and greatly degrading the ability of the wing to generate lift. This situation could result in a crash. If large pieces of ice come loose when the aircraft is in motion, they can be ingested into engines and cause catastrophic failure.
“We use two types of fluid,” says Mr. Emile Zimmerman. He is responsible for the de-icing training of the crew chiefs, which perform this as a secondary job. “What kind of fluid we use depends on the weather conditions, the aircraft and the kind of mission that has to be flown. Before starting the de-icing procedure, we contact Flight Operations, Meteorology Branch and the Flight line Supervisor. The preference goes to the type 1 fluid because it drains away faster than the type 2. The advantage of this is that the aircraft can carry a maximum fuel load, if necessary. But as I said earlier, this depends on the various factors.”
In the beginning of 2009 the E-3A Component received a third de-icing truck. Its boom has a reach of 21 metres, instead of the 13-metre reach of the other two trucks, and this truck also has 3 tanks. This has the advantage that it can carry, in addition to water, both types of fluid. So the decision on which fluid is to be used can be taken at the last moment. With this equipment the de-icing procedure can be shortened by 20 minutes.
