Icing conditions

"Jim Macklin" writes:

Exactly what is turned ON depends on the airplane and the
type of ice protection installed.

In the Baron (simulated), I have Pitot Heat, Fuel Vent Heat, Stall
Warn Heat, Prop, Windshield, and Surface. I can figure out what they
all do except "Surface" (leading edge heat or something?), but I'm not
sure which ones can be left on under what conditions.

The manual only mentions "Ice Protection Systems - as required" in a
checklist, but does not explain what they are for (the sim manual is
presumably more limited than the real one, although some portions are
taken directly out of the real one).

I've only experienced icing once in the sim, when the pitot tube froze
up. I haven't really figured out how to configure the sim to
guarantee that I have ice. It's on my list of things to practice.

Pitot and windshield heat, are OK to run all the time in
flight, but if pitot heat is used on the ground for a long
period, the chrome will turn a pretty purple, so test it on
the ground [don't burn your hand] and then turn it on before
take-off.

Is there a thermostat or something in ice protection hardware to keep
it from overheating if it isn't really that cold outside?

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