Weather related travel delays are commonplace in the winter. Knowing how conditions impact your flight plan may help alleviate some headaches. We spoke with Ginny Boyle, Acting Vice President of Systems Operations Services for the Federal Aviation Administration, to give us some insights in how weather across the country can impact air traffic.

IMPACTS OF ICE

DEICING BEFORE TAKE OFF

Even the smallest amount of ice can change a plane’s aerodynamics, creating more drag and less lift. Watch below to see more on the research FAA researchers are doing to make sure every plane stays aerodynamically clean before take off:

IN-FLIGHT ICING

Precipitation isn’t the only thing that may slow you down. As a plane is flying, small cloud droplets can have big impacts. When these tiny water drops hit and freeze on the front surfaces of planes, it can affect the aerodynamics. To better understand these hazards, FAA researchers have worked with multiple agencies to create a high-quality database of 3D ice shapes. By studying the impacts of these shapes under various icing conditions, they can better evaluate aircraft certification and flight rules. This could have implications during freezing drizzle and freezing rain events at the surface and in the air.

COURTESY: Federal Aviation Administration 
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