Question

Why is an SICP critical to northern and mountainous parts of the United States? Include timing, procedures and deicing in your response.

Answer 1

The term SICP stands for Snow and Ice Control Plan

The importance of Snow and Ice Control Plan to northern parts of United States :

• The plan approval authority is Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) and to make sure than the plans made are in line with the safety standards
• If we talk about North America it is chilled most the months in an year moreover the snow fall or ice falls take place on regular places . This makes it unfit for flight as landing and taking off is not possible. To avoid this situation there is a need of proper design using proper safety standards.
• For this purpose there was formation of SICP and these area where there is regular snow falls or north America or Mountains area have to follow the procedure of SICP within a period of eight weeks before FAA issues the orders.
• The importance of SICP was felt as the climate is uncertain . The north America and mountains have similar snow belt climate zone. The mountain areas have more of ice fall or snow fall whereas the rest of the America noticed freezing rain events. Therefore the department has to make backup in advance for the climate change for which SICP forecast and regulates.
• The program has been formed to provide the best level of service with the available resources in the present environment.The monitor of level of service ( LOS) is from the winter weather event up to its end .
• The anti icing strategy is formed . The nature of snow falls in measured ,usually it is slow at first place and thereby increasing. As the time of cycle increases it becomes difficult to adopt the anti icing statregy.The cycle included accumulation of snow on the roads and the runways of north America
• For this there is creation of pavements and ice interference . These are designed on the basis of level of service need the risk is set on the parameter of high medium and low conditions.The anti - icing prevents the formation of snow on runways and roads
• Other strategies include Deicing that is breaking the snow using chemicals and Mechanical i.e. using plows to remove ice from the area.

The procedures and time frames : the Procedure is divided into two parts pre and post season activities

PRE SEASON ACTIVITIES

• Airport management meetings ( one month prior to season) : These meetings are formed to monitor the maintenance and service if need. The budget and staffing of SICP is planned at this stage.
• Training to remove snow : Prior to season the training has been given to airport personnel to remove snow using different different strategies.
• Thereafter there is equipment test ( 1-2 months prior to season) : The each and every equipment to remove snow is tested by the SICP department.
• SICP Meetings ( 15 days -30 days prior to season): The committee is formed to welcome the feedback by the members on various issues and to discuss the issues like
  • Priority area where more level of service is needed.
  • staffing and recruitment
  • training program to educate the airport personnel
  • Equipment inventory
  • Mitigation of storm and freezing rains
  • review and feedback on the plan
  • maximizing the level of service during extreme icing conditions.

DURING THE SEASON

• Whether Forecasting ( initial days of season)
• Commands and chain to be followed by each personnel
• Snow removal Strategies demo
• Implementation of these strategies

POST SEASON ACTIVITIES

• Airport Management meeting : After the season this meeting is help to discuss the issues arise at the time of the meeting and the reason of delay. The feedback form is served to members for the query and their duty
• The SICP meeting will be held after 30 days of ending of season to discuss te changes to be taken in next pre events

Points to be remembered:

• The removal of snow is done on the priority basis and the priority is designed by color coded map
• maintaining the clearing times on the runways
• Formation of tools required in removing snow
• making the runway dry throughout the season