How do I determine icing conditions

[bookworm]

Here's yet another handy guide.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Originally Posted by Crash one

Airframe ice can make the thing unflyable long enough to kill you very quickly.

Overheard on the radio whilst lying in the bath one morning. A couple of local instructors talking to each other:

"OK, I've found the tops, they're at 4,500'"

"What's the icing like up there?"

"Yeah, well, I'm getting 50kt [or whatever it was] at full power [normal cruise 90ish], so I suppose I'd better head back down."

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME CHILDREN - these were test pilots.

[Droopystop]

There are various “definitions” of icing +5,+3, visible moisture 1000m vis and so on. Snow isn’t icing necessarily. Your first stopping point is the flight manual for the aircraft you are flying and specifically the limitations section. Icing is very localised and can go from nothing to heavy and back again in a few moments. If you’re doing your IR you’ve got enough on your plate without worrying about icing. If your flight will take you IMC below about +3 deg C then it’s probably not worth bothering unless your aircraft has an icing clearance of some form