Posted for "Ron Galbraith" <cfi@instructor.net>:

 I'd like to relate what I saw last Thursday night.   I was working the
midnight shift at the ARTCC,  and about 1:00am, along came a BE36 at FL180.
 The weather had been IFR all
 day in the area, with lot's of icing reports.  Suddenly he reported moderate
clear ice, and requested a climb.   I cleared him to FL200, then 220, then
240.   I had asked him if he
 had de-ice equipment, and he said he did not.  He climbed very very slowly
(ground speed was only about 90KTS).   Finally I convinced him to turn off
course towards reported
 clear weather, but not without a bunch of suggestions.  He did get into clear
weather after another 20 minutes of flight, and shed the ice.  Might seem as
though no big deal
 right?   Well, the kicker was that he was over some of the most rugged rocky
terrain in the country, with at least a dozen 14000' plus peaks all around
him.   (The minimum IFR
 altitude was 17000' in that area) What is it with that "got to get there"
attitude, and feel so invincible in the big bad bonanza.   Guys, single engine
IFR, at night, over the
 mountains is stupid, and every year several people die here in Colorado
because of this.   I will do everything in my power to help save you, but I
should not have to be put into
 that situation.   Now the guy in the bonanza feels like he's superman, and of
course will do it again, and will probably die in the process.   Just posted
this to at least make you
 think twice.   I see this kind of thing way too often.
 Bill's story is a scary one too, and he handled the situation well, but Bill
is a very experienced airline pilot, and also has several hundred hours in his
Lancair.  Do you think YOU
 could handle it?
 
 Ron Galbraith
 LNCE - N5ES