Yes, that's right, the leading edges of the tail and wing were both very clean. While I had flown in icing several times before, this was the first time I had landed with a significant accumulation on the non-protected parts allowing me to get a good look at everything to make sure it was working properly.klang wrote:Thanks Chris,
you are right; it is optical illusion. I downloaded and magnified the pic and, yes, clean leading edge.
I have learned that the longer it's been since the TKS system was last run, the longer it takes to prime the panels and it is very important to get the wings wet before getting in ice. The 'de-icing' capability of TKS is rather limited. For this particular flight, it had been about 2 months since the TKS was last run and since I knew I would hit ice immediately after departure, I made sure that I could see fluid on the entire leading edge before takeoff. I probably ran it on normal for a couple of minutes and then kicked it up to high for another minute or so before departure and then back to normal for takeoff.
Another thing I've learned, it's not unusual to get a 'DEICE PRESSURE LO' annunciation when starting the system for the first time in a flight. Usually, moving the switch to high for a minute or two clears that. I was told that warm TKS isn't viscous enough and can trigger the warning light. I keep my plane in a heated hanger and that probably contributes to the warning.
-Ron