Yes. This to me is one of the few, but major problems with PPRuNe. The "P" does stand for professional, does it not?
It does, but few on this forum are "professionals" in the sense they make a living from flying, and few are "professionals" in the sense that they have enough experience to stand apart from the majority who are relatively low hours PPLs. Please, that is not meant in a condescending way, it is a statement of fact.
There is not a professional who does not change his attitude to his profession with experience. That rubs both ways - some start off cavalier, get away with it, and become more restrained, others "go by the book" when they start out, but with time take a few "risks".
Ah, I hear some say, a professional should never take risks. If you are in the first group I hear your voice louder than most, beause that is what the non risk takers would say.
However, lets for one moment be realistic. There is risk taking and there is using your best judgement.
I recall the first time I "saw" ice. My mate was a BA training captain , ex RAF fast jet instructor - enough pedigree for me. I said I had never experienced ice and wondered what it was all about. A smile hovered on the edges of his lips as he said "I have control". We headed for a small (and I mean small) CB, and literally as we entered the cloud the windscreen frozen over completely. We reamined in the cloud for a short while but long enough to accumulate a reasonable amount of rim on the wings. Out we came into bright sunshine and within a very short time the windscreen cleared and the ice vanished. It was a very good lesson for a yound and very inexperienced pilot.
So whats my point.
Ice is dangerous - very dangerous, and best avoided at all cost. However, if you fly often and if you fly in more challenging IMC conditions you will encounter ice - not you might, you will. You might even encoutner ice in VMC. I recall a flight last year at night in very good VMC. It was below freezing down to the gorund and the air had been very humid during the day. As we departed en route there were half a dozen aircraft in the area - they all reported icing and not being deiced returned. I was fly a deiced twin and we also started to accumulate a surprising amount of ice.
So coming back to the "P" and the opening post - its your first winter season. Treat winter flying with the up most caution - make sure you depart with a clean airframe and dont fly IMC (I am guessing you dont have an IMCr or IR anyway). The usual rule of avoiding IMC conditions at all costs remains as sound as ever. Leaving aside the exceptional conditions I recounted earlier you will not accumulate ice in good VMC. As to the "P" when you have your IMCr or IR you will need a good understanding of icing and you will encounter icing at some time however careful you are unless you dont use your rating in earnest. You will learn what to do, when to do it and how far you can "push" the limits - or you will kill yourself. Simple really. Best you learn slowly by experience with others who have been there and done it than by yourself. Being a professional means above all else knowing how to deal with the unexpected and knowing when the right thing to do is get the hell out and when the safe thing to do is something else.
So it is easy to say never fly a non deiced aircraft in icing conditions but if you have an instrument rating and fly IFR you will unexpectedly encounter ice and you will have to deal with it.