Ronald,

I certainly would not argue with your cautious approach to flight
planning.  I flew for 35 years without de-ice and never had significant
ice accumulation.  Those were unpressurized aircraft so I stayed low and
slow and often on the ground.  I missed a few trips but never had to
change my shorts or chip my way out of a frozen cockpit.  Now with my
ES-P I have the option to get above the typical Midwestern low deck and
into the sunshine above.  No, I would not launch into a several hour
flight in suspect clouds, so planning is imperative.  However 4,000 ft
of suspicious cloud between me and the sun is not an issue with the RDD
system.  
           
A de-ice system is a lot like weather avoidance equipment.  I use
'spherics and satellite radar in conjunction with long discussions with
flight service.  Blue skies and VFR is perhaps the best weather, but
with proper planning and state-of-the-art equipment I get greater use of
the plane with no sacrifice in safety.  

Equipped with de-ice and weather avoidance I still cancel flights - just
not as many.  Like you I check the weather before I take off and I do
not push the envelope.  But I would not pitch the de-ice gear for a
possible 2% increase in speed any more than I would discard my weather
avoidance equipment to save on maintenance cost.  They are there if I
need them when the FSS weather gurus and I  guess wrong.

Robert M. Simon
ES-P N301ES


-----Original Message-----
From: Ronald STEVENS [mailto:Ronald@sdc.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2013 7:59 AM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: For sale, rdd de-ice system without heaters

Hello guys

I decided to take out my de-ice system in leu of some extra speed and
different flight planning. I know it was an expensive piece of gear in
my plane but, I rather plan just not to go when ice is a possibility or
just stay under the clouds when need be. I flew 4 years to NC in a
cirrus without getting into Ice, but when I got my plane I actual had
ice twice in 1 year just because i got suckered into it, with the
thoughts i have de-icing.

Well...its better not to count and fly differently, more defensive and
more careful planning. So I took it out, and if someone is interested
then let me know.

Ronald Stevens Lancair 4p, > 250 in type hours and counting
786-338 1678