Deicing Boot

A deicing boot is an ice protection system for the leading edges of an aircraft's wings and control surfaces, built from a thick rubber membrane bonded to the surface it protects. A pneumatic pump inflates the boot with compressed air in a chosen pattern, and the resulting expansion cracks any ice that has built up on the surface so that the airflow over the wing carries the broken ice away, after which the boot deflates again to restore the wing's smooth aerodynamic shape. The B.F. Goodrich Corporation of Akron, Ohio developed the pneumatic deicing boot around 1929 and 1930, work begun by the retired chemist William C. Geer, and the company built a large indoor facility to simulate icing conditions on test wings while refining it. Because a hole or cut in the rubber membrane can defeat the system, deicing boots require inspection before every flight and prompt patching of any damage found.