Boeing Tests New Jets in Icy Conditions

Boeing recently conducted natural ice testing for its newest passenger airplanes, the 777-9 and 737-10. The tests involved flying the jets into clouds above the western United States and Canada to verify their performance in icing conditions.

Capt. James Hanley, 737 chief pilot, explained that airlines typically try to avoid heavy icing conditions but Boeing intentionally flew the planes into these conditions to test their handling and systems.

The tests were conducted as part of the certification process for the new airplanes. Boeing's meteorologists tracked weather patterns for weeks to pinpoint the best locations to find supercooled water prime for ice formation.

The 777-9 completed an 8.5-hour flight, while the 737-10 flew for six hours. The pilots reported that the planes performed well in challenging conditions, with Capt. Heather Ross noting that she couldn't even tell there was icing on the 777-9 without looking at the instrumentation.

Boeing's natural ice testing is a crucial part of certifying new airplanes to ensure they can handle safely and systems perform as designed when ice accumulates on critical surfaces.