Icing was properly simulated?I was thinking about this topic the other night. I often fly in areas where icing would be present, with aircraft not certified for FIKI. There was a thread a while back about how FSX simulates icing, and apparently it doesn't do a very good job. It will affect flight but only after a long time.So would you decide to take a larger aircraft out instead of your C172 in the event of forecast icing?Come to think of it none of my smaller planes are certified for it... I've got the ES Cirrus but that model technically isn't FIKI certified. Are there any programs out there which simulate more realistic icing and also the anti icing and deicing of the aircraft?

You're right. Some cover the visual aspects nicely (F1 Mustang) but few feature the real affects of flying into icing (known or unknown). I think I recall that the ES Comanche would lose power quickly if you flew it into icing scenarios, without carb heat on (then spring to life as soon as you flick the carb heat on!).

Icing was properly simulated?I was thinking about this topic the other night. I often fly in areas where icing would be present, with aircraft not certified for FIKI. There was a thread a while back about how FSX simulates icing, and apparently it doesn't do a very good job. It will affect flight but only after a long time.So would you decide to take a larger aircraft out instead of your C172 in the event of forecast icing?Come to think of it none of my smaller planes are certified for it... I've got the ES Cirrus but that model technically isn't FIKI certified. Are there any programs out there which simulate more realistic icing and also the anti icing and deicing of the aircraft?

Interesting thought, Ryan. I've pondered it before, but ice is the bane of any light aircraft so I choose to not think about it and not go near it. Icing is the one thing that has scared a part 135, 20,000+ hr pilot I am friends with. The one thing you can't 100% plan for or react to appropriately.I'd be interested in answers as well. Luckily, icing season is quickly ending at my latitude!

I always do consider icing in flight sim flights, in fact I was disappointed when they removed it as an option from Weather Maker, because it was cool in that, and I liked the old Ariane FS9 NG because that actually had the windows ice up, although if I recall correctly, I think the recent FSX Digital Aviation DA-20 Katana does simulate icing on its canopy, so not every developer forgets or ignores this stuff.Whenever I fly at lower cruise altitudes in stuff like turboprops in FS, I do the stuff you actually should under those circumstances, i.e. occasionally disengage the autopilot to check that the tail is not icing up and trimming the tail icing out without me noticing, even though FSX does not actually really simulate this danger. Then again, I also keep some revs on the engines on aircraft with the CFM 56 when descending through heavy clouds, to prevent flame outs when passing through rain squalls, even though that isn't simulated either!Al

I really don't do any of that because there's not a good way to tell if I've got ice. Some planes give you the visual effect, but when I'm not in those... anything goes!

Ryan,About five months ago, FS Captain added a "Hazard package" which attempts to simulate in-flight icing and other wx-related conditions:

• The effects of turbulence in thunderstorms will be enhanced, and you risk extreme up and downdrafts, and periods of loss of control, possibly resulting in airframe damage. Hail (present only in a CB cloud formation with heavy rain) can cause jet engine flameout. Now, you'd better think twice about flying straight thru that storm to make the schedule.
• When flying in visible precipitation in the temperature range of +5C to -15C, engine icing may occur on jet engines. As the amount of ice increases, the likelihood of a flameout also increases. The ice can be cleared by use of the engine anti-ice switches. (MS does simulate loss of power for piston engines, fought with carb heat, but my experimentation shows that it does not affect jets.)
• When ice accumulates on the wings (as indicated by the "ice weight" visible on the Information page of the FCOM) and you are flying in rain, FSCaptain will simulate the effect of the dreaded "freezing rain" on your airfoils. Failure to keep them clear with your structural de-ice systems can result in the airplane "departing controlled flight" if enough ice builds up. Your FO will warn you if ice is starting to look dangerous.
• In periods of heavy rain or snow at your destination airport, it will be possible that the runways can become contaminated. There are four levels of braking action effectiveness: good, fair, poor, and nil. If any runway is contaminated, Dispatch will warn you, and if the action is poor or nil, will give an estimate of when the runway will be cleared and the action upgraded. Your brake effectiveness will be reduced on contaminated runways appropriate to the level.

There are no visual effects to this package -- more of a "the FO will warn you if conditions are building" -- but speaking for me (and I'm one of the FOs) it's made regular flying (and even "test" flying) a bit less predictable. And to answer the title question, "yes, I do fly differently!"Implementing correct de-icing and anti-icing procedures is on the table as far as future features. (Nothing concrete's been started yet though in that regard.)

If it were properly simulated... meaning visual cues and correct modeling of impacts on aerodynamics... definitely.Have had one icing scare before when IFR causing me to descend. I think if icing effects were modeled properly, would help give a better appreciation on how fast it can happen and the impact it has.

I also would like to see an add on for better icing in FSX.Icing is scary stuff:

I also would like to see an add on for better icing in FSX.Icing is scary stuff:

If they had been single pilot in that thing, he wouldn't have made it out.

I think the FSRealWX lite weather engine has an option to enable icing in clouds.But as long as planes do not properly show the effects of icing, it's not really fun to fly into icing conditions. I would like to see more addons like Marcel Felde's DA-20 or PMDG's J41 for that reason.I was quite disappointed when I saw that anti-ice in Carenado's C208 cannot effectively be turned off. That plane just screams to be flown in adverse weather conditions.

Didn't post #6 already point out that there is an addon for that? :(

But it doesn't give you any visual icing effects as I understand. I was thinking more of planes that do not have any ice detection systems.

But as long as planes do not properly show the effects of icing, it's not really fun to fly into icing conditions.

It wouldn't be fun to fly into those conditions anyway, whether it be FSX or real world! I'd avoid them if I had a program to simulate the ice.

But it doesn't give you any visual icing effects as I understand. I was thinking more of planes that do not have any ice detection systems.

Simulating the effects of icing is one thing, but advising the pilot of that is quite another. What visual cues are you looking for? Your wings and glass slowly turning white? An indicator gauge you'd place on a panel that lights up to say "Ice"?I'd say that the former is highly highly improbable to achieve across a wide variety of aircraft... likely only possible with aircraft that have an "icing look" which could be triggered externally. The latter would be easy to implement, but not realistic. That's why we went with having your FO call out something like "Cap, I'm seeing ice forming outside."

It wouldn't be fun to fly into those conditions anyway, whether it be FSX or real world! I'd avoid them if I had a program to simulate the ice.

Not fun, no. In testing our system last autumn I deliberately flew w/o anti-icing systems by default and into and out of user-specified icing conditions. I had one flameout on a takeoff roll that was caught by RTO, several flameouts on climbout that called for a turn-back to land. I also had a bit of sluggishness here and there as I flew through clouds and watched my "ice weight" accumulate. (Nothing that could be "broken naturally" like what happened with Jimmy Stewart in Spirit of St. Louis though. :( )The most "interesting" incident occurred as I was about 1000 AGL on approach to KSFO - I lost an engine and with no time to restart I turned off the autopliot and autothrottle and hand landed. It was rough, but all ended well and my pax broke out into applause as we slid down the runway.

It wouldn't be fun to fly into those conditions anyway, whether it be FSX or real world! I'd avoid them if I had a program to simulate the ice.

Yes, but it's not always possible. Or do you want your next holiday flight be cancelled just because there is a thick cloud layer in the skies?Therefore most commercial planes have anti-ice systems. And some GA planes also do.