"a number of advantages and uses of this new, distance-based format"

Public Domain figure from DOT/FAA/AR-00/30.

Dr. Richard Jeck ¹, retired from the FAA, passed away in January 2026 ².

Dr. Jeck had over 60 publications in the area of aircraft icing ³. Many of them have been cited numerous times, and are currently cited in 2026.

I knew Dr. Jeck professionally through industry organizations (AIAA, SAE) and meetings with the FAA.

I had the opportunity to have a drink with him one evening circa 1993 at an AIAA meeting. He was generous with his time to a junior engineer.

He was uniquely gifted in translating meteorological data into terms that could be understood and used by the diverse communities within aircraft icing (meteorologists, researchers, regulators, industry, pilots, academia, and others).

Here we will review and celebrate some of his numerous technical publications.

His obituary notes him as "A gifted physicist and innovator" and "he pursued truth with unwavering devotion ... in the precision of science". We will see examples of that in this series.

Reviews of Dr. Jeck's works

Readers will be rewarded by the depth of information and variety of topics addressed by Dr. Jeck:

"Icing Information Notes"

• "A Treasure Trove"
• "Modernized Appendix C - The Beauty & Benefits of Digitized Figures"

Supercooled Large Drop (SLD) Icing

• "Very limited amounts of data are presently available for variables associated with ZR and ZL conditions aloft." Dr. Jeck's Works on Supercooled Large Drops

Icing Intensity Definitions

• "AN ENGINEERING-ENABLED (MEASURABLE! AND CALCULABLE!) ICING SEVERITY SCALE" Aircraft Icing Intensities

28,000 Miles of Icing Data

• "Thanks are also due ... for their patience and support on this long project." Origins of The Supercooled Cloud Database
• "what is the probability of finding such a test exposure in nature?" Natural Probabilities
• "A number of potential uses are illustrated for the new format, particularly for comparing icing test exposures to ... natural probabilities of occurrence." Working with Natural Probabilities
• "The confidence in the curves is strongest where the data points are plentiful." Using the Supercooled Cloud Database

Conclusions of the series on Dr. Richard Jeck

• "... to illustrate the possibilities" Conclusions of the series on Dr. Richard Jeck

Previous mentions

It was essential to note Dr. Jeck's works when reviewing NACA-era works, particularly on how the NACA-era knowledge is still used today. Jeck often cited NACA works. An example is the figure at the top of this post, where NACA-era data is specifically noted.

Several works by Richard Jeck have already been noted:

• R. Jeck: "Icing Characteristics of Low Altitude, Supercooled Layer Clouds", FAA-RD-80-24, May, 1980. web.archive.org

  • Conclusions of the Cylinder Thread
  • NASA-CR-2004-212875

• Jeck, R.: "A new database of supercooled cloud variables for altitudes up to 10,000 feet AGL and the implications for low altitude aircraft icing. US Department of Transportation Rep." Transportation Rep. DOT/FAA/CT-83/21 137 (1983). ntrs.nasa.gov

  • Conclusions of the Instruments Thread
  • Conclusions of the Meteorology of Icing Clouds Thread

• Jeck, Richard K.: A History and Interpretation of Aircraft Icing Intensity Definitions and FAA Rules for Operating in Icing Conditions. DOT/FAA/AR-01/91, November 2001. faa.gov

  • 1969 Aircraft Ice Protection Report of Symposium

• Jeck, Richard K., Icing Design Envelopes (14 CFR Parts 25 and 29, Appendix C) Converted to a Distance-Based Format, DOT/FAA/AR-00/30, April 2002. faa.gov

  • Ludlam "The Heat Economy of a Rimed Cylinder"
  • Fraser "NOTE ON THE FLIGHT TESTING AND ASSESSMENT OF ICING PROTECTION SYSTEMS"

• Jeck, Richard: Cloud Sampling Instruments for Icing Flight Tests: (1) Icing Rate Indicators. US Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, DOT/FAA/AR-TN06/29, 2006. rosap.ntl.bts.gov

  • Conclusions of the Instruments Thread

• Jeck, Richard: Cloud Sampling Instruments for Icing Flight Tests: (2) Cloud Water Concentration Indicators. US Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, DOT/FAA/AR-TN06/30, 2006. rosap.ntl.bts.gov

  • Conclusions of the Instruments Thread

• Jeck, Richard: Cloud Sampling Instruments for Icing Flight Tests: (3) Cloud Droplet Sizers. US Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, DOT/FAA/AR-TN06/31, 2006. rosap.ntl.bts.gov

  • Conclusions of the Instruments Thread

• Jeck, Richard: Cloud Sampling Instruments for Icing Flight Tests: (4) Large Drop Sizers. US Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, DOT/FAA/AR-TN06/32, 2006. rosap.ntl.bts.gov

  • Conclusions of the Instruments Thread

• Jeck, Richard K.: Advances in the Characterization of Supercooled Clouds for Aircraft Icing Applications. DOT/FAA/AR-07/4, Appendix C, November, 2008. web.archive.org

  • NACA-TN-1904
  • Conclusions of the Meteorology of Icing Clouds Thread

Notes