Cirrus, AirShares and TKS

M

mshunter

Well-Known Member
\rant

Another reason why boots and heat are superior. Sitting in BFL, just barely made it here ice free this morning(around and under). Going to be leaving this evening, and hopefully, there isn't any ice on the way home, because if there is, it will be a hotel room. With how wide spread the precip and clouds have become, there will be no around or under. I already grounded one airplane today to prevent another AF447(Cirrus for me this time) pitot heat failure. The plane I had to use in it's place is out of TKS fluid, so if I need to use it, I can't.

TKS is great, even better than the other options, until you run out. Boots and heat work good. But if you run out of those items, you usually have a bigger problem to worry about than ice. I miss the Metro/Lear/Citation/Cheiftain/boots and heat right about now.

/rant
 
Haha Yahhh it was frosty up there this morning. I was doin 222 over the ground over MHV on my way into IYK @ 12,5 in the Van. Thankfully it was a light-weight day. At least it was a quick storm and not the Hell-Freezing-Over event that the re:tarded news made it out to be. Assuming ya made it back! I hate stayin in BFL...except for the free breakfast at the Clarion! =P
 
Can't you buy TKS fluid at a lot of FBOs? Also is the cirrus certified known ice? I kind of doubt it, but.... I saw one today with prop heat and a metal leading edge blast off into what I would have called moderate had I been in a 206.
 
z987k said:
Can't you buy TKS fluid at a lot of FBOs? Also is the cirrus certified known ice? I kind of doubt it, but.... I saw one today with prop heat and a metal leading edge blast off into what I would have called moderated had I been in a 206.
Click to expand...
Some of the newer ones are certified for flight into known icing.
 
mshunter said:
\rant

Another reason why boots and heat are superior. Sitting in BFL, just barely made it here ice free this morning(around and under). Going to be leaving this evening, and hopefully, there isn't any ice on the way home, because if there is, it will be a hotel room. With how wide spread the precip and clouds have become, there will be no around or under. I already grounded one airplane today to prevent another AF447(Cirrus for me this time) pitot heat failure. The plane I had to use in it's place is out of TKS fluid, so if I need to use it, I can't.

TKS is great, even better than the other options, until you run out. Boots and heat work good. But if you run out of those items, you usually have a bigger problem to worry about than ice. I miss the Metro/Lear/Citation/Cheiftain/boots and heat right about now.

/rant
Click to expand...

I always put a few gallons in the back in case the FBO's didnt have any.

I was using boots the other night wishing I had TKS. Always looks better on the other side I guess...
 
z987k said:
Also is the cirrus certified known ice? I kind of doubt it, but....
Click to expand...

Yes, some later models do come with an optional known ice package. It's all TKS though, the only heated portion of the system is the pitot tube. Even the prop and windscreen get hosed down with TKS.
 
z987k said:
Can't you buy TKS fluid at a lot of FBOs? Also is the cirrus certified known ice? I kind of doubt it, but.... I saw one today with prop heat and a metal leading edge blast off into what I would have called moderate had I been in a 206.
Click to expand...

I know it's almost impossible to find up here in AK, this summer there were quite a few planes that got stuck in KTN waiting on a ice free forecast after they ran out of fluid. The amazing thing was that not one of them had even though to verify it was available.
 
A good way to tell if a Cirri is FIKI or not is to look at the vertical stab. If it has a TKS panel, it's FIKI, if not, it's not.
 
TKS fluid availability is no different than fuel, ground transportation, hangar, FBO operating hours, maintenance, or whatever else you need. It's simply a logistical issue that needs to be considered.

I don't get angry at the fuel system if I land at an airport without 100LL. It's all a matter of planning ahead.
 
jrh said:
TKS fluid availability is no different than fuel, ground transportation, hangar, FBO operating hours, maintenance, or whatever else you need. It's simply a logistical issue that needs to be considered.

I don't get angry at the fuel system if I land at an airport without 100LL. It's all a matter of planning ahead.
Click to expand...

I guess you don't know much about AirShares and TKS fluid then. I am limited to using the card with the airplane, which isn't a standard credit card. Do me a favor, for the next month, all the different FBO's you visit, go ahead and ask if they have any. Everywhere I go, "oh, no we don't stock that. Most places consider that a maint. item."

I'm not angry, I'm ranting about the lack of availibility of the damn stuff.

Funny, guys telling me to "show up prepared." Guess I forgot to mention that I had to switch airplanes last minute because the other had a pitot heat inop annunciator. And that one was out of fluid to.
 
mshunter said:
Funny, guys telling me to "show up prepared." Guess I forgot to mention that I had to switch airplanes last minute because the other had a pitot heat inop annunciator. And that one was out of fluid to.
Click to expand...

Oh wait, no I did mention that.


mshunter said:
I already grounded one airplane today to prevent another AF447(Cirrus for me this time) pitot heat failure. The plane I had to use in it's place is out of TKS fluid, so if I need to use it, I can't.
Click to expand...
 
The FBO I worked at carried TKS, as well as isopropyl alcohol but nobody ever used that.


This post brought to you by beta from my iPhone.
 
I know this doesn't help you out, but we keep a 50 gallon drum of TKS in the Hangar. I have found it very difficult to find on the road. We have a 2.5 gallon container we'll toss in the back. Once you load it up with fuel and ~ 100lbs of TKS you fluid you can't take anyone with you. :rolleyes:
 
mshunter said:
I guess you don't know much about AirShares and TKS fluid then. I am limited to using the card with the airplane, which isn't a standard credit card.
Click to expand...

You're right, I don't know much about AirShares. I was speaking from the perspective of operating a privately owned FIKI SR22 under Part 91.

mshunter said:
I'm not angry, I'm ranting about the lack of availibility of the damn stuff.

Funny, guys telling me to "show up prepared." Guess I forgot to mention that I had to switch airplanes last minute because the other had a pitot heat inop annunciator. And that one was out of fluid to.
Click to expand...

I'd be frustrated if I were in your spot, too.

But I don't understand why the TKS system is to blame. It sounds more like a management problem with the company not giving you the right tools to do the job.

When I flew for an airline, if they decided to MEL the weather radar on a night with thunderstorms all over the place, I'd delay or cancel the flight until the radar was fixed, I swapped in to a new plane with working radar, or the storms went away. Both management and I knew exactly what was going to happen and how it could be resolved. It was up to the company to decide which path to take.

If your company starts having dispatch problems resulting from insufficient TKS supplies, hopefully they'll figure out a solution quickly. It shouldn't really be your problem, other than making sure the company is aware of what's happening out on the line.
 
If you're ever stuck in BFL, The Padre Hotel is pretty nice and not too expensive. Ask for the government rate and show them your pilot's cert for ID... Works every time.
 
TwoTwoLeft said:
If you're ever stuck in BFL, The Padre Hotel is pretty nice and not too expensive. Ask for the government rate and show them your pilot's cert for ID... Works every time.
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Just so you know, this is technically fraud. :)

My wife is a Fed, and we're not allowed to use the govt. rate when we travel on personal business for that reason.
 
jrh said:
You're right, I don't know much about AirShares. I was speaking from the perspective of operating a privately owned FIKI SR22 under Part 91.



I'd be frustrated if I were in your spot, too.

But I don't understand why the TKS system is to blame. It sounds more like a management problem with the company not giving you the right tools to do the job.

When I flew for an airline, if they decided to MEL the weather radar on a night with thunderstorms all over the place, I'd delay or cancel the flight until the radar was fixed, I swapped in to a new plane with working radar, or the storms went away. Both management and I knew exactly what was going to happen and how it could be resolved. It was up to the company to decide which path to take.

If your company starts having dispatch problems resulting from insufficient TKS supplies, hopefully they'll figure out a solution quickly. It shouldn't really be your problem, other than making sure the company is aware of what's happening out on the line.
Click to expand...
That's why we're paid, um, some money.


Sent from Seat 3D
 
killbilly said:
Just so you know, this is technically fraud. :)

My wife is a Fed, and we're not allowed to use the govt. rate when we travel on personal business for that reason.
Click to expand...

You don't say... From what I understood it was at the discretion of the hotel whether or not to offer it and the price to set. With the bottom being the local per diem rate. I just figured it was like any other discount they were willing to offer.
 
TwoTwoLeft said:
You don't say... From what I understood it was at the discretion of the hotel whether or not to offer it and the price to set. With the bottom being the local per diem rate. I just figured it was like any other discount they were willing to offer.
Click to expand...

The hotel can honor the rate at its discretion - this is true.

But representing as a fed employee is considered fraud by the feds. :)
 
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