What is this worksheet for?
A useful winter plan answers one practical question: When frost or snow shows up, who does what, with which equipment, fluid, and checks?
The answer cannot live only in one person’s head. A small operation needs named owners, known aircraft, trained people, suitable equipment, usable fluid, clear stop rules, and a simple way to record what happened.
Use this worksheet to find missing decisions before winter. It is a planning tool, not a how-to for spraying a specific aircraft.
Who should complete it?
Bring together the people who handle flight operations, maintenance, ground work, training, and purchasing. A small team may wear several hats, but each decision still needs one named owner and a backup.
Use the worksheet when the process lives in memory, roles are split across groups, aircraft or products changed, or you are adding deicing capability for the first time.
What seven questions should the plan answer?
Who owns each decision?
Name who watches the weather, starts the process, confirms aircraft info, manages fluid, releases equipment, assigns people, and keeps records. Name backups too.
What starts, changes, or stops the plan?
Write down how you watch weather and when work pauses for reassessment. Do not invent a one-line weather rule that hides real judgment.
Which aircraft are in scope?
List each make and model you support, plus any important limits or sensitive areas you already know about. Decide when a visiting aircraft needs a pause or a no.
Do the equipment and fluid fit?
Record exact equipment models, capacity, power, hose setup, and condition. Record the exact fluid, type, RTU or concentrate status, quantity, and storage. Fluid color or cart model alone is not enough.
How will people communicate and stop?
Define how ground people, the operator, pilots, and airport contacts talk during an event. Stop when fluid is uncertain, equipment fails, the work area is unsafe, or the right people are not available.
What training and records are needed?
List each role and the basic training it needs. Note what you want recorded for people, equipment, fluid, weather, work done, and problems found.
What happens after an event and before winter?
End every event with equipment, fluid, records, and open issues in a known state. Before winter, review changes to aircraft, products, staffing, inventory, and storage.
Ground-icing plan starter worksheet
“Open” is an acceptable status; an unnamed gap is not. Use the table for the first review meeting.
| Plan area | Question to answer | Owner | Notes / reference | Status | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | Which aircraft, sites, and winter jobs are in this plan? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Responsibility | Who owns the plan, each duty, and each backup? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Activation | What starts, changes, or stops the plan? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Aircraft | Which aircraft are supported, and what limits matter? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Weather | How will weather be watched and shared? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Equipment | Which exact units are ready and documented? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Fluid | Which exact products are on hand and usable? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Work area | How are access, traffic, lighting, surfaces, and runoff handled? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Process | Where do people find the basic steps for equipment and aircraft? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Inspection | Who inspects, when, and how is that reported? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Communication | What is confirmed, escalated, and recorded? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Training | Who needs which training before the season starts? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Records | What is recorded and easy to find later? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Stop-work | What triggers a pause or a call for help? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Environment | How are fluid, runoff, spills, and waste managed? | Open / reviewed | |||
| Review | Who reviews the plan and keeps it current? | Open / reviewed |
How should you use the worksheet?
- Write where the answer lives.
Point to a manual, product sheet, person, or note instead of leaving a blank. - Name the owner and status.
Give each open item a person, due date, and status. - Treat gaps as work, not permission.
Do not rely on an empty answer when winter arrives.
When should you stop and get help?
Pause when you cannot name the aircraft in scope, the equipment or fluid does not match the job, a key role or training item is missing, communication is unclear, or the team is relying on memory instead of a written plan.
What can ADI help determine?
After you define the aircraft, typical conditions, work area, staffing, storage, and power, ADI can help compare currently available equipment, fluid, capacity, heating, reach, mobility, and accessories.
Beginner FAQ
Is this a finished winter program?
No. It is a starter worksheet for organizing questions and gaps before the season.
Can one person own every role?
A small team may combine roles, but each duty still needs a named owner and a backup.
Does buying a deicing cart complete the plan?
No. Equipment is one part of the system. Aircraft, fluid, trained people, inspections, communications, the work area, and records must also fit.
Can ADI write our full operating procedure?
No. ADI can help compare available equipment and fluid against your planning needs. Your operation still owns the final process.
How often should the plan be reviewed?
Review it before every winter and whenever aircraft, equipment, fluid, locations, people, or basic steps change.