FLT INTO FORECAST ICING CONDITIONS.

Narrative

FSS WAS CONTACTED SEVERAL TIMES DURING DAY. FORECAST WAS FOR LIGHT TO MODERATE ICE WITH ISOLATED SEVERE ICE IN FREEZING RAIN. PLT RPTS AND WX INFO INDICATED FLT COULD BE SAFELY MADE. CLOUDS WERE SOLID UP TO 8300 FT BUT THIS WAS WITHIN CAPABILITIES OF ACFT AND COULD BE REACHED IN 5-6 MINS. FLT PLAN ALT WAS 5000 FT. ICE WAS ENCOUNTERED AT 5000 FT; SO A CLB WAS MADE TO 7000 FT. NO FURTHER ICE ACCUMULATED AT 7000 FT; SO I REMAINED THERE. NO ICE FORMED FOR REST OF FLT UNTIL APCH. AIRPLANE SAFELY LANDED AT ICT WITHOUT ANY PROB. DEICE BOOTS ONLY HAD TO BE ACTIVATED 1 TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE CESSNA 402B FOR A SMALL MIDWEST AIR FREIGHT CARRIER. ANOTHER SMALL AIR FREIGHT ACR HAS RECENTLY LOST SEVERAL CONTRACTS CARRYING FREIGHT FOR A VERY LARGE ACR BECAUSE THE SMALL ACR COULD NOT FLY IN ICING CONDITIONS UNDER FAR 135.227 OR COMPLY WITH FAR 135 APPENDIX A; PARAGRAPH 34. THESE ARE THE GOVERNING REGS UNDER WHICH 135 ACRS ARE ALLOWED TO FLY IN FORECAST ICING CONDITIONS. THE RPTR'S ACFT DOES MEET ALL OF THESE CONDITIONS. THE RPTR FLIES MOSTLY IN THE OMAHA FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE AREA. HE HAS RECEIVED A LETTER OF INVESTIGATION FROM THE WICHITA FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE ABOUT THIS MATTER. THE WICHITA FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE HAS A MUCH STRICTER INTERP OF THE FARS THAN THE OMAHA OFFICE. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT HE HAS DONE NO WRONG; BUT WILL CONTINUE TO SEND ASRS RPTS UNTIL THIS SIT IS CLRED UP. THE RPTR HAS USED HIS DEICING EQUIP ONLY 3 TIMES ALL WINTER.