"noah" wrote in message
om...
Basically - is it bad for the aircraft (C172) to float around at
around 85kts with the power somewhere below the green arc (say
1800rpm) and the Carb-Heat on?

Just remember to lean the engine. Technically, at that altitude you
theoretically wouldn't need to, based on the POH. But in reality, even
without the carb heat, leaning in cruise regardless of altitude is a fine
thing, and especially with the enrichened mixture caused by the carb heat,
it's nice for the engine.

Pete