Deicing at CYYZ

[st27]

When I was working, I was always curious the cost to deice an aircraft in the CDF…..never did find out the answer, as it was not to be a deterrent to get deiced….for “just a little frost” for example. It was also rumoured the deice crews were paid throughout the summer to keep them available and trained for the winter.

Does anybody have  info to share? Let’s say the cost for an A330, type I & IV.

The GTAA lists a facility charge of $2.41/1000 kg but I’m sure that is just the start of charges.

[conehead]

22 minutes ago, st27 said:

When I was working, I was always curious the cost to deice an aircraft in the CDF…..never did find out the answer, as it was not to be a deterrent to get deiced….for “just a little frost” for example. It was also rumoured the deice crews were paid throughout the summer to keep them available and trained for the winter.

Does anybody have  info to share? Let’s say the cost for an A330, type I & IV.

The GTAA lists a facility charge of $2.41/1000 kg but I’m sure that is just the start of charges.

Regarding the crews, I'm sure they are assigned other duties for the rest of the year.

[Seeker]

I had a family member who started the interview/hiring process to join the spray crew for the deicing provider in YYC and it was most definitely a seasonal job with layoff in the summer, there at least.

Doesn't sound too bad actually - relatively high paid semi-skilled work all winter and in the summer work landscaping or just go golfing and boating.  Nice mix.

[deicer]

While I'm no longer in the biz, it never is a cheap proposition to deice.

On top of the fee per departure charged through the year, it's also charged by the litre.

That's why back in the day we used to squeegee off the wings of as much snow as possible, and in light frost conditions mopping leading edges and spoiler panels.  All we could do to mitigate the expense while operating within the safety guidelines.

[Kip Powick]

I was told you guys got a bonus if you used excessive deice fluid.

[deicer]

5 minutes ago, Kip Powick said:

I was told you guys got a bonus if you used excessive deice fluid.

Maybe that's the policy at YYZ's CDF, I don't know and can't confirm that.

The company I worked for did give us a bonus for exceeding the savings they projected by us doing what we did.  Not money, but a few extra days off.

[Kip Powick]

 

Got cha !      

 

 

[deicer]

Kip...

Found that picture of you from years ago.......

[Kip Powick]

Back in '65 I was a brand new pilot at my first unit and flew the C-45, c-47, T-33 and htched rides in the CF100 and CF101.

I was on a "mission" in the C-47 with a real old timer as Captain  and we were over night in Yarmouth . The next morning we came out and there was ice on the wings...

What to do?? The Captain tried to find deicing equipment but there was none to be had and all the services they had at Yarmouth was a barrel of deicer and pump hose with a 6 foot hose on the end but......it was broken.

First we tried a rope, over and under the wing and tried to "saw" the ice off....did not work.

Then the  Captain gave me a garbage bag, said "Punch 3 holes through it, one for your head and two  for your  arms and put it on".

We then took the barrel of fluid and tilted it and poured deicer fluid into those silver lids that were on metal garbage cans. We then backed up to the leading edge of the wings and threw the fluid over our heads and onto the wings and finally the tail.

It worked and, as wet as we were, we fired up and flew back to home base.

 

PS...That Captain retired with the most hours on a C-47 than anyone in the RCAF, and as a parting gift, the RCAF gave him  a left seat out of a C-47.....(((A great guy and Iearned a lot about flying at 10,000ft  and below, from him and he was the same pilot I was flying with in the story of the "Gooney Bird Corkscrew".))) 

 

[J.O.]

On 1/13/2024 at 11:06 AM, st27 said:

When I was working, I was always curious the cost to deice an aircraft in the CDF…..never did find out the answer, as it was not to be a deterrent to get deiced….for “just a little frost” for example. It was also rumoured the deice crews were paid throughout the summer to keep them available and trained for the winter.

Does anybody have  info to share? Let’s say the cost for an A330, type I & IV.

The GTAA lists a facility charge of $2.41/1000 kg but I’m sure that is just the start of charges.

In the early 2000's, I saw a bill for deicing an A330 at YYZ that exceeded $10,000, but on that occasion the aircraft had been parked outside during a lengthy wet snow / freezing rain event. I recall the crew saying they were in the de-icing bay for over 45 minutes.

[deicer]

2 minutes ago, J.O. said:

In the early 2000's, I saw a bill for deicing an A330 at YYZ that exceeded $10,000, but on that occasion the aircraft had been parked outside during a lengthy wet snow / freezing rain event. I recall the crew saying they were in the de-icing bay for over 45 minutes.

Some 747 bills were even higher.

This article is generic and the price chart is roughly accurate.  Different airports and airlines negotiate their own deals.

https://www.aircharter.com/private-jet-de-icing/

Further to that, here is the list of GTAA costs including the fee charged for every arrival to support the CDF.  Actual deicing cost added afterwards.

https://cdn.torontopearson.com/-/media/project/pearson/content/corporate/partnering/pdfs/2024-aeronautical-fees.pdf