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I bit the bullet and bought Ryoder's M20C last week. He'll still be flying it, but I have a house with a hangar on a strip, so it made more sense for me to own the plane. This morning I did my first solo in a complex, first solo in my new (to me) mooney, and first solo from my house. I really love this plane! Special shout out to Ryan, who, through his own quest to become an aviator inspired me to achieve my dream!

Yes he did. It's a pretty sweet ride. Only negative of the plane at all is the TSMOH, but it's still running good. I had a little trouble learning how to put the gear down and locked. I was trying to muscle it into the lock with a bad angle from the shoulder and I nearly ripped my measly muscles off the bones trying so hard. Once I figured out how to get the angle right I've had zero problems getting it locked in. Mastering the J bar comes with time and exercise.

Another thought. Landing is best done through understanding the aerodynamics of the situation and being able to use stick and rudder skills to FLY the landing. This isn't like a tennis serve or a golf swing where you rely on it to be consistently the same every time and the "muscle memory" is all you need. I think focusing too much on making every situation the same prevents the real skill which is all stick and rudder... IMHO Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, a corvette. LOL He's welcome to fly 79396 whenever he likes, but I suspect he will end up buying another plane eventually - there's still room in my hangar after all.

I agree..Before pulling the trigger on anything I really want to put my Brittain through the paces and make sure it is dead balls on accurate just following a heading. I use it often, but it does require correction occasionally with fuel imbalance and stronger winds. I cut it some slack because the precision was not required as it is with IFR. Just seems to take time to settle in before following a semi-tight course(and I understand that is how the system works). I sometimes wonder if it's just older technology. This is in contrast to my STEC 30 Alt Hold. It picks up solid and works perfect, no deviation. I've used the Brittian pretty regular over the past several years and I know all the servos etc are good. One was recently (last 6 mnths) serviced and the others checked. I guess I just have some apprehension about the older ( but still valuable and working) technology. If I was not pursuing more training and the opportunity was not there regarding the refinance of my bird I would leave well enough alone. I think my mistake was by flying with one of the other guys on the field and watching his AP couple up on the approaches making life easier. Made my system look kind of antiquated. We later tried a few approaches last week in mine and I was a flying train wreck trying to get lined up at my entries at the correct altitude while using my existing system...The fact he was not familiar with IFR procedure on my GTN750 and I'm still learning IFR procedure and data entry into it probably did not help, but it was pretty ugly regardless. Lots to think about.. Thanks for the suggestions [emoji4] -Tom If you want your accutrack to stay glued to the magenta line set your GPS to .3 mile full scale deflection of the CDI during all ops. This is a setting in your GPS. Set the accutrack to high sensitivity and it will follow a tight course glued to the magenta line making corrections at the slightest deviation from the track.

Btw this was not a bad p (ground) lead this was a bad mag. To clarify... In a bad P lead situation you do this: Both = normal rpm L or R = no drop in rpm for the selected mag with the bad p lead L or R = normal mag drop for the selected mag with functional p lead OFF = normal mag drop but engine won't shut off as engine is running (ungrounded) mag with non functional p lead For a dead mag you'd see this: Both = run up RPM will have lower RPM, higher MAP and higher EGT than normal. Important to note what your normal EGT is for a given RPM as this would be your first clue. L or R: good mag selected bad mag grounded = no drop. L or R: bad mag selected, good mag grounded = engine dies OFF = engine dies. Not a bendix guru, just ASEL. -B

After searching for years, I finally came across two articulating seat frames which came out of a M20K (don't worry, nobody died in them). I installed one of them in my J model and am offering up the second frame, which also comes with the back if needed. Imagine you or your passengers riding up high and seeing way over the panel with ease. No longer will your passenger reply with "where, where, I can't see anything". PM me with an offer for it. Keep in mind that the factory will custom build one for you at a cost of $3,500, and that they are impossible to find in salvage yards such as Wentworth.

Just returned from Longview with new paint by Aerosmith Aviation. Scheme was done by Scheme Designers and is a combination of the 2009 Acclaim and the 2009 Piper Mirage tail. Very professionally done and great customer service.

I look forward to being skeward for my various sins.

See map in link a few posts up

Let those without sin cast the first stone... Thanks for sharing, looks good.

I've got some more questions for you Bob but since this thread looks like this I'll start a new one when it's time.

Not familiar with Fly Bay Area but the deck of my house in Sausalito overlooks Seaplane Adventures' seaplane base. I'd go with them because of the seaplane aspect... very hard to find in CA (only 10 bases in the whole state, and this is the only saltwater base besides Catalina). Not to mention they fly a DeHavilland Beaver with a booming, badass radial engine. I've never flown with them but I would in a heartbeat if I didn't have my own plane. BTW, their website is http://www.seaplane.com/

Congrats! I remember these events for me like it was yesterday. Except the house one - which definitely makes your life cooler than mine.

Finally located it, thanks for the help Scott - you always give good insight!

Yes he did. It's a pretty sweet ride. Only negative of the plane at all is the TSMOH, but it's still running good. I had a little trouble learning how to put the gear down and locked. I was trying to muscle it into the lock with a bad angle from the shoulder and I nearly ripped my measly muscles off the bones trying so hard. Once I figured out how to get the angle right I've had zero problems getting it locked in.

The one piece of advice that made all the difference for me when I had a little landing slump (doing EXACTLY what you described above) was to make sure I was looking WAY WAY WAY down the runway after I round out. Hope this helps!

Its not a starter relay, it is a continuous duty type. Based on its location its likely the relay for an avionics bus. You should be able to follow the control wire back to a switch and see for sure.

Well,,, Aero Commander 100/Darter Commander Aero Commander 100 at Bendigo, Victoria, Australia in March 1988

$250.01 Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I would also highly recommend that you take the readings from skew-T between departure and destination and curve fit a polynomial equation to properly project cloud base/tops along your route [emoji3] if that's too much trouble just screw it and go!

It's a solenoid, a giant relay, likely for master power. That power wire tie wrapped to the cable, I recommend seperating them. When that cable chafes through the insulation on the power cable you will have a big problem on your hands. There is a lot going on in the photo, including a coax crossing over the solenoid. Sorry to pick at it, but I would hate for you to have problems later that are easily cleaned up now.

Yes, excerpt from an article from Left Seat below. I know....it's a little weak but it's all I've got. So, does putting both mags in a single unit and driving that unit with a single shaft from the engine offer the same redundancy as two independent mags? At first, the answer would appear to be no. If that common drive coupling to the engine fails, both mags cease to product spark and the engine quits. But if you think about that single-point failure potential a little more, the single drive dual mag doesn’t seem so bad. After all, there is only one gear train in the engine to drive mags no matter how many mags there are. If those gears fail, all mags on the engine do too. And essentially all magneto problems involve the components inside the mag, not the drive coupling to the engine. The dual mag has independent points, rotor, coil and so on making the operating components redundant.

Thanks! In Canada, there's a number of key phraseology differences... Instead of "climb and maintain..." or "descend and maintain..." you'll often hear "re-cleared..." Instead of "descend, pilot's discretion..." you'll hear "when ready, descend..." Instead of "line up and wait..." you'll hear "at the threshold, line up and wait..." Instead of "radar contact..." you'll hear "radar identified..." They like saying "check that" instead of "roger that" and of course decimal instead of point. I try to use their phraseology when flying there, but sometimes I forget... Thank you! Ugh, parking has become a nightmare at Springbank, I'm sorry to hear the pricing went up again... There aren't many good options near Calgary especially if you want a 5000ft runway and an ILS... Thanks! I can't help talking fast on the radio... far too much time spent flying into class B airports and busy airspace (SFO/LAX/NYC)... My first time flying into Hay River, NT, the CARS operator (basically a weather reporter and not ATC) asked me to speak slowly since he wasn't used to fast talking pilots... I should post that video actually. -Andrew

Just to be clear and I hope I'm not sounding defensive, I'm just trying to help these guys figure out the best way to clean their fuel tanks in preparation for applying sealant. When I stripped/resealed mine I used SR125A which is a polysulfide stripper similar to polygone. I don't know the chemical makeup of SR125A or polygone other than it appears to take longer to dissolve the sealant....and is very effective as a paint stripper. The Methylene Chloride was brought into question by Byron as to whether they could be doing more harm than good using it as a stripper inside the fuel tank environment. Now that we're to the point where the stripper has been used, what's the best method to mitigate any damage if there a chance the Methylene Chloride stripper could cause corrosion. The manufacturer states to clean with water. Your suggestion sounds like acetone would be better. I use MEK quite often in my work so I'm familiar with it, but my use of MEK is not to neutralize or remove dichloromethane. Simply to provide a good surface for substrate adhesion for the polysulfide. I had someone send me instructions for stripping and sealing Mooney fuel tanks. It came from an IA who gave his name and phone number at the end the document. I chose not to use a "store bought" stripper simply because I had more than enough of the good stuff due to minimum quantity ordering. Does this IA know if his methods are good? I don't know. I do know in researching stripping and resealing that a very prominent MSC suggests using MEK to thin the polysulfide if needed. Another well researched paper suggest MEK will chemically change polysulfide and toluene should be used to thin polysulfide. This go around I have opted to use 3M SR strippers and radial discs to remove the bulk of the sealant, but I haven't started yet so we'll see how things go. I know this.....the older I get, the more I realize how much I don't know and am always willing to listen to advice from someone who has experience or knowledge, but still take the time to research on my own.....just in case.

I figure that over the past 50 years I've made close to 15,000 landings and I think that I've finally discovered the secret to making good landings, every time, in any airplane. In the beginning, I figured that it had to do with maintaining a stabilized approach and proper airspeed control; but obviously, that wasn't it. Then I worked up a theory that added planetary alignment and moon phases to the equation and I was getting closer. I finally put it all together when i figured out how to hold my mouth! You have to hold your mouth just right and the planets have to be in proper alignment and the moon has to be in the proper phase, all of that in addition to flying a nice smooth stabilized approach and maintaining the proper airspeed. If you get a greaser other than when you're doing all of that, you're just lucky. Seriously, when it comes to landings, it is all about a stabilized approach and proper airspeed control. As a long-time CFI, I note that it's not uncommon for little things to creep in to our personal techniques and SOPs over time - things that we might not even realize that we're doing. Frequently, it's flying too fast. 1.2Vso to 1.3Vso is plenty fast as you're crossing the proverbial fence. A lot of us habitually approach on the fast side then we as a knot or two for the wife and kids and a knot or two for this and another couple of knots for that. I don't care what you're flying - that's sloppy airspeed control and will screw up your landings in just about any airplane. The other thing I see quite a bit of is pilots using poor techniques to compensate for bad techniques. I've seen pilots who fly their approach too fast resort to things like only using partial flaps and/or bleeding off the flaps in the flare. The best recommendation I can give you is to find a Mooney savvy CFI and go spend an hour with him. It's something that we all really ought to do more often. The obligatory BFR is really too long to go between recurrent training sessions.

Happens to all of us! Don't worry... Just go up there and do several landings and everything comes back into play. No magic lotion available... only repetition.

Yeah been happening to me too. For about the last 16 years.

The only thing I can add to the conversation is for you to note your control positions after you touch down. Scenario 5 could be you have your left rudder or brake engaged a bit. Also don't disregard a hanging brake. I have had that happen. As for scenario 1 & 2, a lot of times pilots neutralize all controls after landing. In any wind, you may still need to compensate for the wind. My first instructor used to say "fly it until it is tied down". Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Hi All, I am based at KMRH. My hanger #49 is serving as a meet/rest area for the Carolina Aero Club. Mooneys are welcome too. The FBO situation has improved and is now in line with most "for profit" FBOs. The ramp fee is waved for this event. If you wish to contact me or have questions use my cell 919.819.3451. Eddie

I'm arriving Friday afternoon with my A&P and will help at the booth. George, I'll look you up, we met at the booth at SSI. Bill

Yesterday I was talking to a Comanche owner with a similar addiction. We agreed it can no longer be called an investment. It is the price that we are willing to pay for the enjoyment.

5 or 6 hrs a quart isn't bad. Oil is cheaper than cylinders.

I'm planning to be there Friday PM and leave Saturday PM. I'll be volunteering Saturday morning.

Bob you have a dirty sump. For cleaner oil on the stick this is what I do at every oil change: 1. Drain the oil one week after last shutdown. This assure all the old oil in the upper parts of the engine is drained down to the sump. 2. After all the oil has drained I close the drain valve 3. I pour one gallon AVGAS into the sump. And leave it stand for at least half hour. AVGAS will mix with the residues in the sump. Meanwhile I replace the oil filter. 4. Using a clear drain hose I drain the AVGAS completely. At first the color of the drain is black (residue) and then turns clear. 5. After AVGAS is drained I pour in 8qts of Aeroshell 15W50. Using the above procedure the oil remains clear up to about 40 hours. Above 40hrs it turns light brown but you can easily see the dipstick marks. One minor problem I have is that during the first 20 hours the oil is so clear that is hard to see the actual level on the dipstick. On my IO-360 with the M20 oil separator it burns 1qt every 10 hours when filled to 8 qts, and no belly mess. I have done the above procedure on three engines. All made it to TBO with high compressions and low oil consumption. José

That sounds like a pretty accurate synopsis of the events. My recollection is limited to what I could hear while lying on my back waiting for people to get to me. I'm very thankful for all of the rescue personnel and individuals involved in my care. I'm remarkably uninjured for what I've been through. Robb

I use SkewTLogPro. I used to have a bunch of apps on my iPad but once the weather all got collected on Foreflight I just use that. The other thing I refer to during icing season is the icing reports on aviationweather.gov and sometimes the route tool for that. Foreflight has icing but it is not as nice a tool as aviationweather.gov. Sometimes I use the infrared graphs in aviationweather.gov to figure out tops. I still call for a weather briefing most times. I find the briefings are better and more route accurate than they were say 5 years ago. Lockheed gets better weather now as do we. The main reason for calling Lockheed is to make sure I get TFRs, especially with election season approaching. I have XM Weather on the panel. I find that even with all the weather tools available, I often feel better just getting aloft, using the XM and the best of all of them, the Mk I eyeball and the v. 10.2 Judgment Tool. Once outside icing season, getting to 12k and actually seeing what is there is the best. Of course, you have to look first to make sure you don't launch into something. That is when the Mattress on the Floor regression tool comes in handy.

Interesting similarity

Woohoo road trip!!!!,, no air trip , better Here is an idea. Maybe this is old info . WELCOME TO SPRINGBANK! Located just 45 minutes from the town of Banff, and only 15 minutes from downtown Calgary, your crew and passengers will feel at home in our comfortable flight lounge with digital satellite television, complimentary coffee, snacks and cold drinks. We also provide Rental cars by Budget available by reservation or by calling ahead. Upon arrival at our full Service FBO, your crew, passengers and aircraft will be looked after by trained staff here to assist you in any way possible. We provide overnight, and extended aircraft storage for aircraft under 45,000lbs, as well as both Avgas 100LL and Jet A1+FSII Fuel. Located near by is a full service maintenance facility which is able to accommodate all your aircraft maintenance needs. http://www.springbankaero.com/home.html Ramp & Hanger Fee's over night on ramp 15 dollars over night on grass 10 dollars PLUS THEY HAVE Rental cars 100LL about 1.83 per liters,,, I don't know what that means. (3.7 l =1 gal, 1.83 x3.7= 6.77 CD /gal MAYbe I did that wrong , ) skyvectors says gas is $ 4.75 What about calling to see of you can use a private airport; De Winton South Calgary (CEH4)

give me a call around 9 or 9:30 your time at 226-203-4332 Lee

MyRadar Pro has good radar coverage..One of my favorites.

And as a bonus are within walking distance of Vietnamese take out! You noticed! mmm

I always get a chuckle when I hear owners selectively indicate some costs are not in their run rate. [emoji86][emoji85][emoji87] I look at it as a full disclosure activity. If you didn't own a plane, the money wouldn't be spent. All those "extras" are material when you look at overall ownership cost. I once calculated how much I spent on aviation. I could have retired 2 years ago...

So today while I'm at work my wife texts and says it's such a nice day how bout I meet you at the hangar after work and we go flying. How cool is that. With nowhere in particular to go we just decide to make a lap around our lake. Got a BFR to do so I slow it down to level flight at 90mph and do a couple 30 degree 360's thought about a stall but not with my wife she wouldn't like that. The wind was 10 plus knots on the approach swinging from down the runway to 90 degrees really liked my pattern and landing. Sometimes the best place to fly is nowhere

Good morning, yes I am an IA. In my experience, I do not expect a fuel servo to last till TBO. I have pulled one at 500, 800, and 1200 hrs that I know of. Age is also a factor. Some make it to TBO, some don't. Some of my points were vague. I should have been more clear with my point. If an owner is running on condition and replacing things that need it along the way that's the best way to go. If it needs to be fixed fix it. Oil coolers tend to collect sediment. But if the oil cooler is overhauled and its original that's great! Most of the time the tabs will develop cracks and need to be repaired. The vernotherm will be checked or replaced as needed too. As for the generator, I wouldn't replace it just to replace it. However, if a guy is complaining about lack of voltage, the belt is super loose or tight, the front pulley is worn, can't keep a battery charged, and everything dims when the landing light comes on then I'd look at the generator. As for the mags keep up on the 500hr inspections, and the mags should last a long time. But if a guy flys 150hrs a year, and he has 450 on the mags I would pull the mags for the inspection during the annual. At least it would be open for discussion with the owner. However, you are providing a service. Educating the owner can help everyone. I agree that a lot of techs now days are parts changers. I try to see what the issues are before I remove parts. All im saying, is I use more than just the airframe checklist and 43.13 when I sign the annual. I think this should be encouraged to prevent failures and improve reliability to the owner. Thanks, -Matt

Kelly, Clarence was being facetious to make a point. He owns and operates a MSC in Canada. I think he most certainly understands the regs. He was trying to help Robert understand.

In my opinion Dave is the exception. I personally want to fly my plane, not work on it. In too many instances items were found by my experienced MSC that I don't think the non Mooney mechanic would have found. Also, while some like to get into the nitty gritty of maintenance, time is all we have in life and there are other things I would rather be doing like flying and teaching in airplanes.