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Writer's pictureFlight Attendant Phrases

Freezing rain.

English: Freezing rain.

French: Pluie verglaçante.


Freezing rain is not as common as snow, but when it does fall, it becomes just as, if not more, disruptive than the heaviest of snowfalls.


Pluie (f)=Rain

Verglaçante=Freezing


In the word “verglaçante”, you can see the root word “glace (f)” “ice” in it.

You may also hear your colleagues and passengers refer to freezing rain as “verglas (m)”.


Under freezing rain conditions, airplanes can become completely covered in ice. Your airplane (if your flight is not already cancelled) will need to get de-iced to remove the ice. De-icing during freezing rain often takes more time per airplane than in other weather conditions. Not only does the ice from the wings and critical surfaces need to be removed, but essentially, all the ice from the entire fuselage needs to be removed before the plane can take off. If a piece of ice falls off the fuselage while the plane is flying, it can potentially fly into the engine, causing catastrophic damage, or it can fall onto the ground, causing severe damage or injury. De-icing centres work very slowly during freezing rain, which greatly reduces their capacity, and thus causes many flight cancellations and delays.

 

Want to learn to speak the French you need to work as a flight attendant? Learn even more with Canadian French for Flight Attendants.


 

Flight Attendant Souvenirs. Souvenirs d’un agent de bord. Macau 2014. On my trip to Asia in 2014, I hopped over to Macau for a day from Hong Kong. I remember getting quite seasick on the high-speed ferry ride there and back. Macau is known for its casinos, pictured here. Also pictured are the Ruins of St. Paul, formerly a catholic church built during Portuguese rule.



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