FAR 91.157 Operating in icing conditions

Matthew S. Whiting wrote:
O. Sami Saydjari wrote:

...snip...

It says "...no pilot may fly--
(1) Under IFR into konwn or forecast moderate icing conditions; or
(2) Under VFR into known light or moderate icing conditions..."

This seems odd. Why do you suppose the standards are different for
IFR and VFR ("moderate" vs "light or moderate)? Icing affects a
pilots ability to control the aircraft, so I do not see how instrument
training allows one to venture into worse conditions.


Well, I make no claim to understand that minds of the FAR writers, but
here's my opinion. It is more likely to inadvertantly encounter icing
when flying IFR in IMC. Pretty hard to accumulate ice if you aren't
flying in visible moisture (clouds or precip), so if you are VFR you
really have no excuse to get into even light icing conditions. ... snip...


You can easily be in VMC, ceiling 2000 feet, visibility 3 miles, and be
flying in freezing rain.