De-icing Training

Trainees get to know the de-icer, its fluid tanks, its mixing and heating systems and its safety features, and learn what every control in the operator cabin does. They carry out the walkaround before a shift, including the refractometer test of the Type I mix, and practice the spray technique on a practice wing until they hold the nozzle at the right distance and clear the surface strip by strip. At the aircraft, they run complete de-icing jobs on the wings and the fuselage of an Airbus A320, from accepting the job on the Data Transmission System to recording it as done.

The de-icer is the Vestergaard Elephant BETA, a one-person de-icer with an enclosed operator cabin and a 12 meter telescopic spray boom. The lessons at the aircraft use an Airbus A320. The spray technique, the no-spray zones and the job sequence apply to other de-icers and aircraft types as well.

No. Apart from the demonstrations with a second de-icer, which trainees watch before they spray, every lesson is hands-on. Trainees operate the joysticks, set the spray, drive the de-icer and clear the snow themselves, and the training reacts to what they do: spraying into the engine inlet, spraying a window directly or touching the aircraft with a proximity sensor all lead to an immediate correction.

Live de-icing practice depends on the weather, so the season for it is short, and every attempt on a real aircraft costs fluid and stand time under departure pressure. In VR, operators can repeat the full procedure as often as they need, at any time of year, without fluid, without an aircraft at risk and without holding up a departure. The scored spray practice shows exactly where each operator still needs to improve.

New operators reach the de-icing pad already knowing the controls, the spray distance and the order in which surfaces are treated, and they have already made and corrected the mistakes that damage aircraft, such as spraying into an engine inlet or bringing the boom too close. Stations get faster qualification, fewer incidents and a consistent de-icing standard across shifts.

Yes. Less than 3% of trainees report any symptoms. Trainees work seated in the operator cabin for most of the course, and every movement of the cabin and the boom is slow and controlled by the trainee.

Yes. The course is built as a path for someone new to the job: the de-icer from the outside, then the controls in the operator cabin, the spray technique, the walkaround and an exam, before the first jobs at the aircraft. Lessons for the tail, a complete aircraft practice and an assessment follow in upcoming releases.

The course is based on SAE AS6285F, Aircraft Ground Deicing/Anti-Icing Processes, and SAE AS6286E, Aircraft Ground Deicing Training and Qualification Program. The current lessons follow them for the order in which surfaces are treated, the spray distance, the areas that must never be sprayed directly, such as engine inlets, windows, doors, emergency exits and sensors, and the daily refractometer check of the fluid mix.