I have been in ice….three times. Once with the velocity and twice with my Lancair 4p.

The scariest was the time with the velocity, as I had my son sitting next to me, and I, dumbass, was thinking of rapidly climbing above the ice layer. My Velocity could climb easily with 2000fpm, so when I was IFR and getting ice I asked for a climb. Well…..that was scary as the ice was accumulating rapidly, and thick. So by the time I was out of the clouds (at 12000ft) I had a thick layer on the leading edge, and the climb was a merely 200fpm with full power.

So I promised myself that day ….never again…until I got my Lancair 4p with the RDD de-ice system on it (Thermal wing, electrical). Feeling good with this I encountered Ice, switched on the system and it was working…for about 15 minutes L

This happened twice….and that was it for me, I took the whole system out of my plane as I did not want to get seduced in this ‘fake’ safety, thinking that I could get out. Now the plane goes about 15kts faster, and I plan my flights also different now.

But this ‘fake’ feeling, thinking that you can escape when having a system on our little planes, is not something uncommon. I read on the Cirrus website how proud a pilot was with his FIKI-TKS plane, because it was shedding some ice, and that he knew he was getting into this…..now just think about it….he knew !!!!

Now I understand when you have a Turbine, you need it, and yes I think a turbine plane without de-ice is not smart. You MUST go up high, otherwise the fuel sucks the live out of your wallet….but it should not suck the life out of you J

I think this MUST go up HIGH to fly reasonable economical, is why I stayed away from Turbines, and this accident shows that even experienced pilots get suckered in…no vale la pena (it is not worth it).

== Ronald