On 18 Dec 2003 05:32:20 -0800, (Snowbird)
wrote:

wrote in message ...
Hey all... just figured I'd try to gather some opinions on the feasiblity of a
cross-country flight (VA-WI-VA) this time of year. I'm primarily concerned with the
longevity of icing conditions. For those who fly in the area, how long would one expect to
get stuck for this problem in a typical light spam-can?

Not quite the same thing but we regularly fly MO-FL-MO at Xmas
and MO-MD-MO in spring and fall.

I think Snowbird has gotten most of it.
The only thing I'd add would be to pay attention to the weather
patterns to see which way they have been moving.

Although a good guide, that doesn't mean they won't turn around and go
the other way tomorrow.

This is the time of year where weather "up here in the Great Lakes
area" is quite often worse than forecast. Sometimes much worse.

Watch out for lake effect, or lake effect enhanced storms. What might
have been a half inch of snow can easily turn into a foot or more with
the help of the Great Lakes.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair?)
www.rogerhalstead.com
Return address modified due to dumb virus checkers
It's feasible. We allow 2 extra days, and we're prepared for
major strategic rerouting (ie sometimes it's better to fly
due W then shoot NE behind a weather system, or sometimes
it's better to fly due N then shoot W). So we carry extra
charts and plates (and major reason I don't find Aeroplanner
Tripticks too practical).

And of course, you takes your chances -- it hasn't happened
to us yet, but there certainly are wx systems which move in
and park for a week with low IFR and icing, not flyable IOO.

How much extra time you need to a certain extent depends on
your risk tolerance, of course.

Good luck,
Sydney