Colin W Kingsbury wrote:
Just out of curiosity, if the system works well, what is the added
value of
being "known ice" certified?

Legal is one reason. Another is that there is more to "Known Ice" than
deicing equipment. Once classic example was a Mooney 201 with full TKS
that crashed because its fuel vent froze over. The Mooney 231 (the
first year of known-ice cert) has a different fuel vent system.

Now I can understand the downside of a system like that on the Cirrus
which
has only a 30-minute reservoir for the de-icing fluid, but if you
have a
4-hour tank, then why should you really care?

Even the guys flying Citations don't hang around in the ice for 4
hours. Its just enough to get you through that altitude to another one.
Many of the known-ice planes are turbo'd. The known-ice is just a good
way to climb up through the ice into CAVU air above. The FAA send out a
letter to ownes of known-ice planes a couple years ago telling them not
to hang out in icing conditions. Many known-ice owners (like Richard
Collins and Mac McMillon of "Flying" rag) though it was funny the FAA
even mentioned that.


-Robert