Glad i'm not the only on that was caught off guard by carb ice the first time! It was in my first cross country in my plane (2nd flight since I bought her).
My biggest fear in that instant wasn't even my ability to find a place to set the plane down, but how I would get her towed from where ever that was and how expensive it would be! (wasn't the first or last time time I wondered if my bank account was up to airplane ownership).
I was so relieved when the engine hummed again without incident. While eating my $100 hamburger and mulling over my actions prior to the event, I figured out that carb ice was the culprit. Real forehead slapping moment, but then I don't remember ever learning about what was likely to happen as carb ice melts. To say the engine would run more rough momentarily after applying carb heat is an understatement!
On the subject of my bank account. I learned that there are many ways to make aircraft ownership more affordable. I learned to always look for many alternative solutions to problems. I also credit the experiences shared in this forum...and the wealth of technical information contained here with making the whole experience doable and more enjoyable.
