In a previous article, pamaway (Hobbes1157) said:
Hi there. I've got a question about the carb heat in a Cherokee. I was told
that you only need to apply it for a short while (5 seconds) while on downwind

I'd make it 10 seconds myself. I once got a big power loss taking off
because I'd only done the carb heat check for 5 seconds in the run-up.
I was a solo student at the time, and having what I considered an
"inflight emergency" (even if it was solved by the second item on the
power loss checklist) was enough to give me the shakes for a while.

to make sure the carb is clear of ice. She (CFI) said that Pipers don't need it
all the time as Cessnas do. Is this just a technique or proper procedure?
Comments appreciated.

The POH recommends occassional checks - I try and do it every 15-20
minutes in conditions conducive to icing. The difference in the
procedures between Piper and Cessna are that the carbs in the Pipers are
placed so that they get warmed by the engine better, so it's not as big a
problem.


--
Paul Tomblin , not speaking for anybody
"The thing you don't check is the thing that will kill you."
-- Rick Grant (quoting RCAF pilot training)