Making the safe decision (AKA "I hate AIRMET ZULU")

wrote:

Matt Whiting wrote:
: slogging through the soup waiting for ice to start accumulating and have to choose an
: "out"

: Except 200' below the clouds doesn't meet the VFR minimums in most
: classes of airspace.

So fly at 2200'. The east/west rules aren't required if below 5000 AGL IIRC.
If you want to call it MVFR, great. I'm just saying I'll take MVFR to icy soup in my
spamcan. Once you're IMC you're "committed" and things like altitude and heading
deviations take (possibly lots of) time, unless you declare an emergency.

Yes, I'd call that MVFR. I believe the cutoff for east/west altitude
rules is 3000 AGL, but that wasn't my point. The point is that the
original suggestion was illegal in most airspace.

I'd rather fly IFR at a safe altitude and get around the ice, than scud
run in mountainous terrain just below the cloud bases and wonder when
the mountains and the bases will become one.

I flew in an area of icing potential just last weekend and had little
problem finding an ice-free altitude. I had to change altitude several
times to stay between layers, but in weather like that, there is very
little traffic below 10,000 feet, even in the northeast. I found new
altitudes to take less than 30 seconds toget, and it took that long only
because the controller volunteered to talk to a few other aircraft to
find the most promising altitude for me. I've found the controllers to
be extremely helpful on days like that. Just ask for their help BEFORE
you get in trouble, don't do something stupid and then drop the problem
in their lap.

Matt