Plain English Meaning

Equipment fitted to an aircraft that either stops ice from forming on it or knocks ice off once it has formed. Anti-icing keeps ice from sticking in the first place; deicing gets rid of ice already there.

Full Definition

Aircraft systems designed either to prevent the formation of ice on critical surfaces (anti-icing) or to remove ice that has already formed (deicing). Anti-icing systems are activated before ice accumulates and work continuously to keep surfaces clean, while deicing systems are activated after ice has built up and act to break it off. Common installations include heated leading edges, pneumatic boots on wings and tail, heated pitot tubes, heated propellers or , and -based systems.