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Looking at this video on Youtube, I'm wondering if it is actually legal to take off with a windscreen iced like that?

For VFR this is a no go, but what about IFR and under what conditions?

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Krumelur
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    Related, although this question is more specific – Pondlife Jan 07 '14 at 15:57
  • Looks like the YouTube user removed his video. – abelenky Jan 07 '14 at 16:19
  • @abelenky Now I feel guilty. But I was just curious :-( – Krumelur Jan 07 '14 at 16:21
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    @krumelur: Not at all. The pilot did something stupid, dangerous and likely illegal, then posted video of himself doing! He never should've done that to begin with, and you properly called him out on it. Hopefully he'll learn, and be safer next time. – abelenky Jan 07 '14 at 16:23
  • @abelenky I presume somebody posted a comment on the video on YouTube and that made him remove it. If not, the pilot in question is part of the community here on Aviation.SE. – Krumelur Jan 07 '14 at 16:24
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    Related meta-question; this question (unfortunately) reinforces my answer – Pondlife Jan 07 '14 at 16:57
  • It's also relevant that when you are IFR, you are still responsible for see-and-avoid when in VMC. I think you'd have a heck of a time convincing the FAA that the windshield icing you didn't clear before takeoff constitutes IMC. – Wayne Conrad Jul 31 '18 at 01:09

1 Answers1

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When operating under Part 91, taking off with an iced windshield is not permitted. It does not differentiate between IFR and VFR operations.

§ 91.527 Operating in icing conditions.

(a) No pilot may take off an airplane that has frost, ice, or snow adhering to any propeller, windshield, stabilizing or control surface; to a powerplant installation; or to an airspeed, altimeter, rate of climb, or flight attitude instrument system or wing, except that takeoffs may be made with frost under the wing in the area of the fuel tanks if authorized by the FAA.

Now in the case that the winshield is simply covered in condensation (not ice), I'm not so sure about that, though it'd be pretty stupid to takeoff without heating the windshield and pretty much zero visibility for no particular reason. In that particular video though, that's definitely ice.

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