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Anti-Ice, Rain
B737 · Chapter 3

Anti-Ice, Rain

Flight-deck window heat and rain protection

13 min read
Written from737-800 Flight Crew Operations Manual, Chapter 3, Window Heat and Rain Protection

Electrical window heat keeps the principal flight-deck panes clear and brings them to the strength intended for bird impact. Windscreen air and wipers provide separate help with fogging and rain.

Check your own aircraftThe heated-window arrangement varies between registration groups. This page describes the configuration selected for this course; confirm the applicable manual entry before relying on the same arrangement in another aircraft.

Which windows are heated

Each No. 1 and No. 2 window has glass laminates around a vinyl core. A conductive film on the outer glass receives electrical power to resist icing and fogging. Each No. 3 window uses two acrylic panes with an air gap and is not electrically heated on this configuration.

The FWD WINDOW HEAT switches serve the No. 1 panes. The SIDE WINDOW HEAT switches serve the No. 2 panes. Temperature controllers regulate both pairs. Their controlled heating also conditions the glass for its designed impact strength. An overheat causes automatic removal of electrical power from the affected No. 1 or No. 2 pane.

Panel itemIndication or action
Green ON light illuminatedElectrical heating is being delivered to the selected pane.
Green ON light extinguishedThe switch can be OFF, the correct temperature may have been reached, or an overheat or system fault may be present.
Amber OVERHEAT lightAn overtemperature is detected. The same light can also illuminate if the pane loses electrical power.
OVHT testChecks the overheat response by creating a simulated hot condition.
PWR TESTRuns a confidence check of window-heat operation.
System schematic Window-heat control paths
Window-heat schematic with controllers, forward and side switches, heated No. 1 and No. 2 panes, and unheated No. 3 panes
Separate controllers serve the forward and side heated panes. Windscreen-air outlets are supplied by conditioned air and remain independent of the electrical heating circuits.

Windscreen air and wipers

Pulling either WINDSHIELD AIR control directs conditioned air towards its No. 1 pane for defogging. The nearby FOOT AIR control supplies the pilot's leg area. Each wiper selector has PARK, INT, LOW and HIGH. INT produces one sweep cycle about every seven seconds, while PARK stops the motor and returns the blade to its stowed position.

A permanent rain-repellent surface treatment complements the wipers. There is no separate liquid-repellent selection in this system description. Wipers must not be run on a dry windscreen because the blade action can scratch it.

One light, two possibilitiesAn amber window OVERHEAT light does not prove that the pane is too hot. Interrupted electrical supply can illuminate it as well, so interpret it with the green ON light and the rest of the system indications.

Probe and sensor heat

11 min read
Written from737-800 Flight Crew Operations Manual, Chapter 3, Probe and Sensor Heat

Air-data and angle-of-attack sensors need reliable heating because ice at a sensing surface can corrupt the information used by instruments and warning systems.

Installation status mattersThe probe-panel switch labels can change with modification status. The AUTO and ON installation described here belongs to this configuration; check the panel and the applicable manual for another aircraft.

Heated and unheated sensing points

Electrical heat is installed at the Captain, First Officer, auxiliary and elevator pitot probes. It also protects the temperature sensor and both alpha vanes. The static ports are not heated. Individual amber panel lights identify a related probe or vane that is not receiving effective heat during normal powered operation.

The A and B PROBE HEAT switches divide the sensing elements between two channels. ON supplies the associated channel directly. In AUTO, both channels receive heat automatically once either engine is running. This removes reliance on a separate manual selection after engine start while preserving an explicit ON selection.

Standby-power behaviour

On standby electrical power, only the Captain's pitot probe remains heated. The Captain's pitot warning light does not then provide a trustworthy failure indication, and the standby-airspeed pitot source has no heat in that condition. The general amber-light rule therefore cannot be applied unchanged during standby-power operation.

The total-air-temperature probe is normally heated in flight as part of the sensor system. A TAT TEST switch, where fitted to the panel variant, energises the temperature probe on the ground for its prescribed test.

ItemNormal heatingStandby-power note
Pitot probesElectrically heatedCaptain's pitot only remains heated.
Total-air-temperature probeElectrically heatedNot part of the reduced standby heating supply.
Alpha vanesElectrically heatedNot part of the reduced standby heating supply.
Static portsNot heatedNo change.
Standby-airspeed pitot sourceHeated with the normal systemNot heated on standby power.
Read the power condition firstA probe-heat light means the related item is not heated only when the normal indication logic is available. Standby power changes both the heating supply and the usefulness of the lights.

Engine thermal anti-ice

13 min read
Written from737-800 Flight Crew Operations Manual, Chapter 3, Engine Anti-Ice System

Each engine uses its own bleed-air supply to warm the cowl lip. The flight crew can use engine anti-ice on the ground or in flight, and each side has independent valve monitoring.

Air path and valve operation

Selecting an ENG ANTI-ICE switch ON electrically commands its pressure-operated cowl valve. Hot bleed air then passes into the cowl-lip duct and is later discharged. Because the system consumes compressor air, its operating effects connect directly to engine performance and pneumatic-system awareness.

The selection also changes stall-warning calculations for icing. Stick-shaker scheduling and the minimum-manoeuvre-speed bars on the airspeed display are adjusted, but the VREF presented by the flight-management computer is not changed automatically.

System schematic Engine cowl anti-ice airflow
Engine cowl anti-ice schematic showing fifth-stage and ninth-stage bleed air, valves, cowl lip duct and cockpit indications
Engine bleed air is regulated through the engine bleed system, then admitted by the cowl anti-ice valve to heat the inlet lip.

Indications and protection

IndicationWhat it tells the crew
Blue COWL VALVE OPEN, dimThe related valve is open with its switch selected ON.
Blue COWL VALVE OPEN, brightThe valve is travelling or its sensed position disagrees with the switch.
Green TAI on the engine displayThe valve is open and the corresponding engine anti-ice switch is ON.
Amber TAIThe cowl valve does not match the commanded position after a brief validation delay.
Amber COWL ANTI-ICEPressure is excessive in the duct downstream of the cowl valve.

With both engine anti-ice switches OFF, normal stall-warning logic returns only if wing anti-ice has not already been used during the flight. Once wing anti-ice has been selected airborne, the icing bias follows a separate remainder-of-flight rule explained on the next page.

VREF is separateThe anti-ice selection alters stick-shaker logic and minimum-manoeuvre-speed bars. It does not automatically revise the VREF shown by the flight-management computer.

Wing thermal anti-ice

14 min read
Written from737-800 Flight Crew Operations Manual, Chapter 3, Wing Anti-Ice System

Wing anti-ice directs bleed air to selected leading-edge surfaces. Its ground logic protects the ducts and takeoff thrust, while its airborne logic prioritises continuous valve command.

Heated surfaces and hardware

Each wing supplies its three inboard leading-edge slats. The outboard leading-edge slats and the leading-edge flaps are not heated by this system. An AC motor drives each wing anti-ice control valve. When open, the valve sends bleed air along the heated slats, after which the air vents overboard. Protection is available at every slat position.

System schematic Wing anti-ice valve logic
Wing anti-ice schematic showing heated inboard slats, two control valves, thrust logic, duct temperature switches and air-ground sensing
On the ground, thrust position and duct temperature govern the two valves. In flight, air-ground logic removes those ground interlocks from valve operation.

Ground operation

With WING ANTI-ICE selected ON on the ground, both valves can open only while both engines remain below the takeoff-warning thrust setting and both duct-temperature switches remain cool. Either engine reaching the takeoff-warning setting closes both valves. An overtemperature sensed in either wing duct also closes both. The switch itself stays ON, so the valves can reopen automatically after both thrust levers are reduced and both ducts cool.

At lift-off, changing to the air mode causes the WING ANTI-ICE switch to trip to OFF. That action prevents an unnoticed ground selection from carrying into airborne operation.

Airborne operation

Selecting WING ANTI-ICE ON in flight commands both valves open. Ground thrust and duct-temperature interlocks no longer influence them. The blue VALVE OPEN lights are dim when the valves agree in the open position, bright while travelling or disagreeing, and extinguished when closed.

An airborne wing anti-ice selection sets the stall-warning system for icing and keeps that bias for the rest of the flight, even if the switch is later turned OFF. Stick-shaker and minimum-manoeuvre-speed indications reflect the icing schedule; flight-management-computer VREF still requires the applicable crew action rather than an automatic anti-ice correction.

Ground and flight logic differOn the ground, valve movement depends on thrust and duct temperature, and the switch trips OFF at lift-off. Airborne, switch ON directly commands both valves and establishes the remainder-of-flight icing bias.