Cirrus Icing Explained: Rime vs Clear Ice, SLD, and When to Get Out Now

Icing remains one of the most misunderstood and dangerous hazards in general aviation. In this in depth Cirrus-focused discussion, we break down how aircraft icing actually forms, where you are most likely to encounter it, and how to make smart tactical decisions when conditions deteriorate. This video features expert instruction drawn from COPA University’s full icing program and focuses on real world decision making for Cirrus pilots. You will learn why supercooled liquid water is so dangerous, why icing often occurs near the freezing level, and why the wing you took off with is not the wing you are flying once ice begins to accumulate. Topics covered include: • How and where structural icing forms • Temperature ranges most associated with dangerous icing • Rime ice, clear ice, mixed ice, freezing rain, and supercooled large droplet icing • Why clear ice is often the most hazardous • How icing affects lift, drag, stall margin, and controllability • Differences between TKS and FIKI systems in Cirrus aircraft • Icing escape strategies including climb, descent, diversion, and turn around • When to declare an emergency and why pilots should not hesitate • Approach and landing techniques with ice contaminated wings • Forecasting tools including skew T log P diagrams, GFA, and AviationWeather.gov This presentation also addresses common pilot questions such as legality, reporting ice to ATC, wing and tailplane icing risks, AOA reliability, and preflight planning considerations. Whether you fly a normally aspirated SR20 or a turbocharged SR22 with FIKI, this video delivers practical guidance that can help you avoid making icing a life threatening mistake. This content is part of the ongoing safety mission of the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association to create better, safer pilots through education and real world operational insight. If you want the complete icing curriculum, advanced forecasting techniques, and scenario based training, consider attending a COPA Pilot Proficiency Program event or exploring COPA University.📍 📍 To become a better, safer pilot consider joining COPA https://www.cirruspilots.org 📍 For a one stop shop all the most critical Cirrus-related resources, check out https://copa.fyi 📍 For information about Cirrus Embark training: https://cirrusaircraft.com/embark/