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In reply to the discussion: Things that will get me off a plane very quickly... [View all]The Velveteen Ocelot
(128,847 posts)Any time it's below a certain temperature and there's visible moisture or precipitation, they have to de-ice, because the airplane won't fly properly with ice on the wings. If the plane has been de-iced it's good to go, except that taking off is prohibited altogether during freezing rain. There's also something called "hold-over time," which is the amount of time an airplane can wait after being de-iced before it has to go back and get de-iced again. De-icing is a good thing. Once the airplane is in flight it's OK because it has anti-icing equipment that prevents ice from forming on the wings at all.
(A bit of trivia: aircraft de-icing fluid contains propylene glycol, which is also an ingredient in some soft drinks. It's not the same as ethylene glycol, which is used in automotive anti-freeze and is toxic.)