I is for Icing
There was nothing quite as relaxing as the feeling of being cradled by warm water, the waves gently rocking you to sleep. It was the reason that Dipper had proudly taken a job in the Caribbean during her off season. Just the knowledge that she was soon going to be flying over white beaches and gliding in to land on turquoise waters gave her the mental fortitude to face the rapidly cooling temperatures that hit Piston Peaks National Park during the shoulder season.
By the time September arrived, Dipper was practically bouncing on her tires, counting down the days when she could finally fly the coop and head to a place without frost. The night of September 31st always kind of felt like Christmas because she knew it meant she was going to embark on a journey the following morning…but sometimes the weather had other plans for her. Starring at the sky on this October 1st, Dipper could feel her excitement deflate. The air was filled with a wet sleet which clearly spoke of colder air farther aloft. In short, it was clearly the perfect conditions for aviation icing.
It took everything in the plane's power to pout. She was looking forward to her winter on the beach and now that wonderful water and sand was going to have to wait just a little bit longer for her to finally get there to enjoy it.
"The storm will pass soon and the skies will be clear in about two hours." It was Cabbie who broke her pity party. "Why don't you join Maru and I for a last cup of coffee while you wait."
It was sleeting, Dipper was miserable, and coffee did sound like a good idea. When she rolled into the hanger she realized that Blackout had even left them with some cinnamon rolls that Maru had rewarmed in the oven. The gooey goodness finally allowed the flying boat to let go of her frustration and enjoy the moment. Yes, Dipper desperately wanted to be winging her way to warmer weather, but if mother nature insisted on throwing a monkey wrench into her plans she couldn't think of any vehicles she would rather spend that delay with.
Term- Icing- Aircraft icing is one of the most dangerous, easily preventable aviation hazard. It is credited with causing more fatal accidents than any other single hazard. Icing occurs when an aircraft comes into contact with supercooled water and that water sticks to the frame of the aircraft. The ice that forms on the aircraft increases the planes weight, decreases its lift, and significantly alters the aircraft's stall speed. While some aircraft (think Cabbie) have been specially designed to withstand icing conditions, most general aviation aircraft do not have ice prevention systems. For aircraft without ice prevention systems, avoidance of icing conditions is critical.