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Yep. My C flies great on 2 psi; the green arc is 0.5 to 4, while typical fuel injected pressure is > 30 psi. Other than cold starts, I rarely use my electric fuel pump. Same for carb heat, flip on after start, check for drop, turn off. Then again, it's ready whenever the Carb Temp gage gets in the orange stripe, usually only a concern inside some clouds.

The reason for taking off and landing with the boost pump On is so that if the mechanical pump fails, the engine continues to run. Another possible failure is where the line from the tank to the engine driven fuel pump start leaking. The pump will draw air and not fuel. The boost pump is down low and is gravity feed. The engine fuel pump is up higher and has to suck the fuel up to it. Many high wing aircraft don't even have an electric fuel pump. If you UL was gravity feed, it most likely had a carburetor, which does not require the higher fuel pressure that fuel injection does.

Check the wheel bushing for lack of sufficient grease.

You must read very slowly, as it takes at least 3 - 5 seconds, head down, to go from full flaps to takeoff in my M20K. It does NOT have the flap position pre-select. It does take maybe a second to select gear up.

Did you ask about the overly expensive Mooney factory rollers? I was waiting on them, and seat rails, for a few months. I spoke to Heather at LASAR and I thought she mentioned that they had put in a big order of Mooney manufactured rollers and were expecting them soon. That was probably over a month ago, though.

Since we went EFK at the night job, I repurposed my 1” Jepp Binder as an QRH (Quick Reference) and am putting my custom stuff in there along with the emergency checklists, and the 2” will hold the complete POH. Both mine are Leather. Should be able to pickup some on eBay if you want a longer term solution. You will also need a 7 hole punch for that.

The ad says JUST SOLD.

“Nothing good happens after midnight” - my good friend Lando from the USAF

I would grease the lubrication points on the landing gear assembly with a grease gun.

Not that I’m doubting your statement… when do you hear this squeaking? Have you hit all the zerks on the gear to make sure it’s not a dry bushing? Probably some version of silicone spray would not damage the donuts. Read the label before application. Someone with better perspective will be along shortly…

My left main is squeaking a lot. Will someone recommend a safe lubricant to use that will not damage the elastomer please?

the most amazing thing about this accident is that the plane didn’t go down on the first failed approach. So much poor ADM including attempting flying an RNAV approach to minimums with a portable VFR GPS and even failing to track an ILS on a subsequent approach showed get-there-itis enabled the pilot to get in way over his capabilities that night. I’d be surprised if there weren’t some large law suits from the pax’s surviving families. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don’t want to talk about it any more….

I'm packed and loaded for Leg #1 in the morning: dropping my wife off to visit her mother, then Friday down to Tampa solo. See everyone soon!

Did he inquire as to what you wanted the vice grips for?

On the note of fuel pumps: I know most handbooks say to use the boost pump on take off and landing, but I used to fly an ultralight that made me challenge that assumption. The ultralight had gravity feed, and a mechanical pump, and also an electric pump. The electric one was good for priming but it could flood the carburetor, especially if taxiing on bumpy ground. So it made me think: we start our engines, warm up and run-ups all without the fuel pump. So that, to me, is a known safe state. So then, just before takeoff we turn it back on? To a state we haven't tested? Even worse on landing. Whats more likely: a plane that ran for 3 hours will continue to do so for 5 minutes, or that the electric fuel pump will have a catastrophic failure when switched on? Its just been vibrating for 3 hours after all. I'm all for people doing what they consider is safe, but personally I use the electric pump very little although I have memorised its switch and can get there very quickly at the first sign of trouble. Have also never needed it when changing tanks. Although I do need it on a hot day 3 seconds after start to clear out vapour in the fuel lines. Anyway, everyone makes their own risk calculation. I've always had a rule that you are allowed one sub-optimal thing at a time. Weather/night/tired/annoying passengers/minor mechanical issue. NEVER fly (or drive, etc) with more than one.

We certainly do!!!

Ed did my kx155 a few years ago - and same thing - looked new and sent me a video of the testing.

Seems like a lot less hassle to just fly regularly…

Having the refiners and distributors on board means that they had the opportunity to verify materials compatibility with their equipment. Since engine and airframe manufacturers were also involved, you can bet materials compatibility was addressed for them as well. So for those still wondering what the difference between the STC and ASTM processes might entail, this is a big one that the STC process can obviously get very wrong that is much more likely to not be an issue with an ASTM-compliant fuel. I'm a little surprised that it seems like this is still not recognized by some.

What’s wrong with snailmail or online (with digital signatures. Or let an escrow company take care of it (avoid errors)?

That would work too. It was a long time ago. My memory isn’t as sharp as it once was. I think what happened I asked for the tool and the guy came up, opened the door and handed it to me. And they let me fly planes……

I think Rick has the right idea about going in through the top. If internal moisture is an issue, an exhaust ball might help.

Vice grips? Wouldn’t you just have them open the door from the outside?

You are perhaps either overthinking this, or not understanding what each step in the sequence is trying to achieve. The plane won’t climb very well with full flaps. They do create a little bit of lift, but that is outweighed by the amount of drag they induce. The gear does nothing but create drag when trying to climb. In Mooney’s testing, they’ve obviously determined that the primary objective is to get the wing cleaner first, and then bring up the gear, then flaps up once the drag is gone and you’re safely climbing away and accelerating. The application of full power, flaps T/O, positive rate gear up, happens about as fast as you can read that. Probably why in a practical sense, the order doesn’t seem to matter. But there is a reason it’s specified to do it one way, and I’m inclined to follow it, even if that reason is as simple as the nose up pitch moment when retracting flaps. Not all planes have electric trim, and departure stalls are common.