De Ice Boots Preventative Care

If you have de-ice boots on your aircraft you realize that for them to last you will need to keep them in new condition. In days gone buy aviators and aircraft mechanics have used all sorts of things to keep them in mint condition. This is especially serious if you park your aircraft out doors for any length of time. Like tires the rubber in de-ice boots gets old and checks. I can remember as a young man cleaning aircraft in trade for flight time often using floor wax on the de-ice boots. It worked well indeed.

I distinctly remember one day using floor wax and then having to climb onto the aircraft and sat on the well saturated de-ice boots I had just coated with lots of Floor Wax. The floor wax soaked thru my Levis and underwear and crinkled by rear end to the point of a horribly painful experience. Floor wax as it dries on skin is not a pretty thing, boy did it hurt and I never did that again.

Today there are special chemically engineered product you can use to keep the de-ice boots in new condition and make sure they work when you need them most. As ice is forming on the leading edge of the wing as your depart IFR from an airport a gross weight. One product I recommend is "PBS Boot Sealant" which is available at many Fixed Base Operators (FBOs). PBS stands for Pneumatic Boot Sealant and you can also order it online at; www.JetStreamProducts.com .

It is fairly expensive in price about $40 for a one quart bottle or $33.00 each for a case of twelve, which will run you $400.00; but it is well worth it and you can only imagine how costly it will be if the A and P Mechanic at your next annual inspection tells you that those de-ice boots need to be replaced. Being that de-ice boots are a safety item many AI Mechanics will not sign off the annual if the boots look checked or old. You may have noticed your de-ice boots with a grungy, yellowed tint or white'ish gray from being waxed over; the PBS product can take care of all that indeed. Light Plane Magazine stated in one of their articles; "Make no mistake, the PBS Boot system is the best boot treatment we've ever seen." I concur having been in the aircraft cleaning business for over 25 years; www.AircraftWashGuys.com (currently not taking on new clientele). I remember an article in AOPA Magazine also touting the PBS product.

If your de-ice boots look too far gone already try some floor wax and then PBS prep and then the sealant. The prep runs about $16.00 per quart and is a good first step. Save you de-ice boots as they may save your life. Think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

---

Flying As A Hobby

Ask a room full of people what hobby they have... Read More

International Corporate Catering Guide

One of the more challenging aspects of being a flight... Read More

New Airbus A-380 Beats Out 747

The A-380 has beat out the Boeing 747 as a... Read More

Mexico to Manufacture Aircraft

It appears Mexico with its 120 million population is considering... Read More

Fuel Costs and Air Fares Set To Rocket After Hurricane Katrina Punishes The US

It now looks certain that Hurricane Katrina will push fuel... Read More

Entering Business Aviation, Part V: Tips on Finding Work

I will not pretend that this is the easiest topic... Read More

Jet Lag - 7 Steps To A Successful Trip

Don't let jet lag spoil that much needed holiday trip... Read More

Inflatable Slots for STOL

Short Take Off and Landing Aircraft are extremely valuable in... Read More

Find Cheap Tickets From all the Major Airlines

All of the major airlines are now associated with different... Read More

Helicopters Outfitted With Airbags

You know those airbags in your car? Did you know... Read More

Starting an Aircraft Washing Business

So you love airplanes and you want to start an... Read More

Business Aviation Networking Notes

The process of finding out about a job, getting interviewed,... Read More

How to Get a Free Airline Upgrade on Your Flight

Everyone wants to buy a cheap economy ticket and get... Read More

Is your air traffic control person real?

Have you ever been flying around in your private plane... Read More

Point to Point VS Spoke and Hub? Air Taxi

Boeing it is said took a big gamble in predicting... Read More

Overcoming Jet Lag

Jet lag can be one of the worst, and certainly... Read More

Making a Mechanical Manta with Material Memory Manufacturing Methods

I propose building a mechanical manta ray as a Underwater... Read More

Sex in a Cessna, Part III

So far we have learned the safety aspect of setting... Read More

Static Electricity to Flap UAV Material Memory Wings

How can we keep aircraft and UAVs aloft longer and... Read More

De Ice Boots Preventative Care

If you have de-ice boots on your aircraft you realize... Read More

Tactile Strip Sensors on Leading Edge of Material Memory Airfoils

Aircraft designers have always tried to figure out the best... Read More

I Am Afraid Of Flying; You Are Not Getting Me A Light Plane

Boy I have heard it all from my friends. I... Read More

Increasing TAS in Modern Day Fighters with Expandable Wing Tips

As fighter aircraft get faster and faster there is a... Read More

Travel Tips For Getting Through the Airport Easier and Quicker

Traveling is different now than it was before 9/11. Arriving... Read More

Airbus A-380 is Pretty Big

You know the Airbus A-380 is so huge it takes... Read More

AWACS Automated Flight Following System for Nuke Bunker Buster Accuracy

The Aerial Fire Fighting Industry uses a system called AFF... Read More

Secrets to Finding Really Cheap Airline Tickets Online

Knowing where to find really cheap airline tickets is the... Read More

Jet Lag ? 5 In-flight Tips

The secret to combating jet lag, and arriving at your... Read More

Boeing is Really Flying Now

The Boeing Company has completely blown past projections for aircraft... Read More

Airbus to Build $600 Million Aircraft Manufacturing Plant in US

Airbus has announced that it will build a $600 million... Read More

Diamond Twinstar

Probably one of the coolest experimental aircraft twin-engine aircraft is... Read More

Private Jet Ownership Indeed

Wouldn't you like to own your own private jet? Have... Read More

Really Cheap Plane Tickets

To begin with, the best place to buy really cheap... Read More