A deicing boot is a device installed on aircraft surfaces to permit a mechanical deicing in flight. Such boots are generally installed on the leading edges of wings and control surfaces (e.g. horizontal and vertical stabilizer) as these areas are most likely to accumulate ice and any contamination could severely affect the aircraft's performance. A deicing boot consists of a thick rubber membrane that is installed over the surface. As atmospheric icing occurs and ice builds up, a pneumatic system inflates the boot with compressed air. This expansion in size cracks any ice that has accumulated, and this ice is then blown away by the airflow. The boots are then deflated to return the wing or surface to its optimal shape. Airbus A380 An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ... An American Airlines MD-80 aircraft being de-iced at Syracuse Hancock International Airport De-icing is the process of removing ice from a surface. ... The word wing or wings has more than one use: In aeronautics a wing is an apparatus used to create lift. ... Aircraft flight controls allow a pilot to guide his plane to the destination. ... The tail of a Lufthansa airliner (Airbus A319) in flight, showing the horizontal and vertical stabilizer Mathematics: see Group action. ... The vertical stabilizer or fin of an aircraft is found on its tail, generally pointing straight upward. ... Atmospheric icing occurs when water droplets in the air freeze on objects they come in contact with. ...

Proper care for deicing boots is obviously critical. Any holes in the boot will create air leaks that will decrease, if not destroy, any effect that the boots may have. As such, boots must be carefully inspected before each flight and any holes or cuts must be patched.

While deicing boots have undoubtedly saved many lives and have permitted flight into known icing conditions, it is important to note that they are unable to handle extremely severe icing. In these cases, ice can accumulate faster than the boots can shed it or, ice can accumulate on non-booted surfaces to the point where it weighs the aircraft down until it is overweight and no longer flyable.

Deicing boots are most commonly seen on medium-sized utility aircraft. Larger airliners and military jets tend to use heating systems that are installed behind the body of the wing and keep it constantly warm to prevent ice from forming in the first place.