Jim S. lives in New England and primarily flies throughout New England, the Upper Midwest and the Eastern Seaboard. He owns a 1997 Beechcraft A36 Bonanza equipped with inadvertent TKS Ice Protection, which he has been flying for over 4 years.
How did you get started in aviation?
I started flying around 20 years ago after a co-worker introduced me to the idea.
Why did you choose TKS?
TKS is a superior solution compared to pneumatic boots. I have greater confidence that TKS will not fail mid-flight when I need and ask it to perform. There are trade-offs when comparing TKS to boots or unprotected wings. For me, TKS hits the sweet spot on everything.
What does TKS do for your mission?
To be honest, having the system hasn’t improved my own dispatch rate significantly because I have no need to be at a particular place at a particular time. I’m still inclined to sit out weather where TKS would make the difference in dispatching versus not dispatching. Once I am airborne and encounter conditions en route that might have been unforecast or unavoidable, it’s confidence inducing to see the wet wing panels and no ice adherance whatsoever.