It is getting to be that time of year again. We are heading into overnight frost season, so I am curious what everyone in the colder parts of the country is actually doing about it. I fly SRs out of the Duluth area and from October on there is almost always something on the wings at first light, usually just the thin layer that forms from sitting out overnight. Waiting for the sun costs an hour I do not always have, heated space is not always available or cheap, and I am not going near the plexi or the paint with a scraper. I have seen people use hot water, which just refreezes, and cheap isopropyl, which flashes off, cools the skin and leaves water behind that freezes anyway. I ended up building myself a small heated sprayer so I could put warm TKS on it and be done, and it has worked well enough that I keep wondering why there is not a better standard answer for this than wait for the sun. What are you all using? Full disclosure, I have started building these for other people too, so I have a dog in the fight, but I am genuinely more interested in what is already working for everyone else.
Garbage bag, fill with hot water from FBO bathroom, roll over the wing, wipe with cloth.
If you’re a member, use the search function for “frost” and you will find many posts on this subject.
Flight school in mountains of NC used hand sprayer with low temp windshield washer fluid
Garden sprayer with some de-icing agent!
Go to the fbo and ask for 1 gallon of type 1 fluid. (Bring a 1 gallon bottle with you!). Mix it 50/50 with water, put it in a spray bottle or garden sprayer. Works good on frost without being heated. Agree with the suggestion to join, best Cirrus money you’ll spend!
Thanks for the suggestion! Just curious what others do!
TKS fluid in a 1 gallon pump sprayer.
Keep it in back of the plane during season. Spray generously over the wings and tail, works like a charm and you don’t need to worry about keeping it warm as TKS fluid doesn’t freeze.
