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Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/03/2024 in all areas

  1. I know some people here have much better machines, but my trip yesterday was an eye-opener to the capabilities of my E model. Took off from KRKS (Western WY) at 10am, and five and a half hours later landed at 91C in Eastern WI, crossing five states (WY, NE, SD, IA, WI). 993 miles non-stop at an average speed of 190 mph, burned 46 gallons of fuel at 13,500 feet. Of course tailwind helped (around 25kts), but I still feel amazing about it. I used oxygen all the way, and felt none of the fatigue I used to feel after flights above 10k. Here's a picture of one of the more spectacular buildups I had to dodge along the way.
    14 points
  2. He was absolutely correct in this statement. However, he should have also pointed out that there is a lot of WRONG information from maintainers. That's why we have to verify what anyone tells us. Good for you to delve into this.
    6 points
  3. I don’t want to infringe any laws!
    5 points
  4. What a pleasant time I had listening to all the details from the man himself. He is a new owner of a Mooney and took great care to tell me what an amazing plane it is. The plane had been flown 30-40 hrs / year for the last several years. He purchased the plane a few weeks ago and was getting instruction for his insurance. The engine is an IO360 with approximately 1000 hrs on it. He was flying with an instructor at approximately 3500 ft when the engine seized without warning. It is locked up. The propeller did not windmill at all. They found a nice place to set it down in a farmers field and there it sets. It is unharmed in any way except for the seized engine. They are waiting for it to dry out before pulling the engine.
    5 points
  5. Not that I am aware of, found the issue loose nut.
    4 points
  6. Thanks everyone. I agree 100% that the primary cylinder temp gauge is required equipment. My avionics installer disagreed after he threw out my functioning OEM temp probe with a supplemental EDM830 install. He also installed the crush temp probe I purchased for the EDM on the old gauge thinking it would read.He stated that if it is not in the TC it wasn't required. Said "there is a lot of WRONG information on forums". Now I have to fix his error to have a functioning cylinder temp indicator that is primary. Thanks again for replys. Hopefully they will help someone else someday. Scott
    4 points
  7. CAR 3.675 Cylinder head temperature indicating system for air-cooled engines. A cylinder head temperature indicator shall be provided for each engine on airplanes equipped with cowl flaps. In the case of airplanes which do not have cowl flaps, an indicator shall be provided if compliance with the provisions of CAR 3.581 is demonstrated at a speed in excess of the speed of best rate of climb.
    4 points
  8. The koch chart can also help where poh data doesn’t exist. This faa pamphlet is actually pretty useful: https://www.faasafety.gov/files/events/nm/nm09/2013/nm0951144/density_altitude.pdf
    3 points
  9. OK, as the OP I feel obliged to respond to some of the comments. In the end I had to go to Driggs -- I was not aware of the fact that Jackson Hole has extremely limited overnight parking, which must be reserved well ahead of time. (They said 5 tie-down spots total.) Takeoff from Driggs was absolutely a non-issue. Much easier than a takeoff I did years ago from Fremont County (1V6) in a fully loaded Piper Cherokee 180 on a hot (90+ degrees F) day. 1V6 stands at 5450 feet. My POH only shows information for 5000 pressure altitude and 80 degrees F. But @Shadrach's table for an F helped. Thanks to all who responded.
    3 points
  10. The OPP regulation is a very valuable path for owners like us in this situation. There is quite a bit of latitude on the "production" of said parts, and the owner does NOT have to literally make the part themselves. They only have to be involved with the specification and direction of the production, and only install them on their own plane. (ie don't make and sell them to get around PMA rules!) The specification can be as simple as "duplicate an existing part using the same materials and dimensions," and that is perfectly proper. In this case, the machinist friend can make a batch of them without worry and distribute to individuals. I would very much like to buy a set as well if you and the friend are willing. If he makes a batch, the price could be lower for everyone. If you want to create a paper trail, you could have anyone interested complete a simple form to create the specification and then everything is above-board. (This is how companies like MacFarlane handle making duplicate engine control cables or similar where they do not have a PMA!) If you need a scrap version for destructive test, I'd suggest talking to Maxwell or Top Gun or similar and see if they have any in their box of misc hardware that is used for show-n-tell.
    3 points
  11. It's easy to be fearless when you're doing the work in Dugosh's hangar. The stuff isn't actually all that complicated but, I knew if I did get completely lost I had the resources I needed to get it out back together. Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk
    3 points
  12. It's a type certificate, not an inventory of every legal requirement. The TC doesn't mention an altimeter or compass, either.
    3 points
  13. I totally agree with everything you’ve said. However (), you know all too well that technological advancement far outpaces regulatory evolution. We live in a day and age when one can buy inexpensive instruments and be assured they will deliver precise, reliable information that is easy to read, download and share. I think there is probably room for a lighter regulatory touch here (as well as in other areas). If the goal of the regulatory body is to maximize safety, then regulators should be seeking to create a regulatory environment that facilitates maximal adoption of any well understood, reliable technology that contributes to safety of flight. I am not so sure that they’re doing the best job of keeping the end goal in mind. Experimental aviation provides a means to analyze and showcase areas where the certified, regulatory, framework increases safety and to also showcase areas where it generates almost no statistical difference in safety. If an area of the regulatory framework isn’t increasing safety…what is it doing? It certainly isn’t increasing availability and decreasing costs. The fatal accident rate in experimental aviation is much higher than certified. The precise stats might be fuzzy but the delta is large enough to be undeniable. More freedom granted and less regulatory oversight increases risk/decreases safety. However, I’ve not found a single instance where an experimental operator’s uncertified nav lights, strobe system, landing light or engine monitor contributed to their or anyone else’s demise. Regulators should be seeking to maximize the safety ROI from regulatory activities, yet there seems to be little interest in analyzing the areas where the FAA/PMA/TSO certification has no statistical effect on safety. I applaud the FAA for loosening the regs around AOA indicators. I would like to see that type of consideration more broadly applied. It would also be nice to see data on how many AOA equipped aircraft have been involved in stall spin accidents since the regs were relaxed.
    2 points
  14. Did it look like this hat?
    2 points
  15. The list of required equipment is in the Owners Manual, and in the FARs. Yours should look something like this: There's another couple of pages that cover Night and Instrument flight, each of which includes everything listed above plus a few more.
    2 points
  16. I have an original gear and original worm gear, they are getting scanned and drawn up, will let everyone know when it is completed as I need to get the original part back to the owner who was nice enough to loan it to me...unfortunately I have been unsuccessful finding a set of old, out of tolerance, gears for the destructive testing for the metalurgist
    2 points
  17. You didn't say if you are replacing skins, but if you are, I'd check and see what they cost to get from the factory. I've found some of Mooney's parts prices pretty reasonable on parts it manufacturers. Some of those panels have stiffeners and by the time you cut up sheet metal and rivet stiffeners and drill all the holes in the right places, it might be easier to just get one from Mooney. Besides, making parts is about all that's keeping the factory in business these days and it's good if we try to support them when possible. Just a thought....
    2 points
  18. I redid my panel at my last annual, it was a huge job. I've got a great relationship with my A&P/IA and they were willing to sign it off. It's really not all that complicated once you understand how it all interconnects, assuming you've got good technical aptitude. I'm mostly retired and like doing my own work mostly because it usually gets done faster than if I have to schedule someone else to do it and when scope creep pops up, and it always does with me, it's not really affecting someone else's schedule. It's also nice to know how everything works, I trust the airplane more now because I understand it all. There are 2 issues though, the first is obviously finding someone willing to sign it off. The other issue though, is that some avionics are only available to authorized dealers. I put G5s and an GPS 175 in my plane, if I'd wanted to do GI275 or G500 and a GTN, it would have been more difficult to get the equipment and STCs. Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk
    2 points
  19. Or, you could tape a ketchup packet to the backside of the tube...
    2 points
  20. As part of the DVD package I send, I include a very important document that complements the video. I, also, send out an email that discusses how best to use the video. I have sent a number of copies of the video out by WeTransfer and separately send out the documentation along with the supporting email. It adds a separate step with regard to playing it. The .cdr file doesn't just automatically play like inserting it into a CD player. On the Mac it plays with "DVD Player" or on both a Mac or Windows machine it plays with a multimedia player such as "VLC". The video is not long (but each type of approach can be played over and over again), is not a polished production as many videos might be, but is different than any videos I have seen in that it was shot and composited to show in one picture the approach perspective from both the pilot's view and side view from the ground. Since it was made with tape, there is no prop interference and the unintentional but beneficial low alternator noise demonstrates the proper use of power in the approaches, ie, the less power changes the better. One other thing, I unapologetically included an unintended go around to show that, no matter what your experience level, when the unexpected happens, a go around can be started with a quick decision with no anxiety. Bottom line, the video can be sent out as a download.
    2 points
  21. It is all about certification/qualification to a known standard: proof that the device is trustworthy, if you will. The factory gauge system went through certification testing and was part of the Type Certificate issued for the aircraft. An aftermarket device monitoring all cylinders may well be a more accurate and better device but without proper testing and documentation the FAA says "no bueno". So, naturally, those companies that go through all the certification testing can advertise as "primary" and charge a hefty premium. Those that don't...well, you do get a better price! IOW, the FAA doesn't want you, the owner, to get to decide what is 'good enough' and I can't say I blame them. Welcome to aviation
    2 points
  22. Whatever you do, don’t spend the night! My wife and I were flying back from New Orleans a few years ago. The winds were howling in the wrong direction. I asked her if she would mind stopping and spending the night and we would fly home in the morning. She said “thank god, yes!”. So we stopped in Pecos and got the crew car and went into town. The only room we could find was in the Motel 6. The whole town was slammed with oil field workers. We quickly discovered that there are about 3 females in all of Pecos. Everywhere we went there were hundreds of eyes staring at her. Very bizarre.
    1 point
  23. In theory they will. I have an IFD550 + IFD440 now, and have a scheduled install for dual GI 275s and a GFC 500 this fall at a well known shop.
    1 point
  24. 1 point
  25. No and it was completely by happenstance. We had run it up a couple times. Tight EGT spread on all 4 no issues, push above 1800 it went bad. I am guessing like the 4th run in 3 days when we ramped up cylinder 1 went to 250 EGT almost instantly with the additional throttle. We checked plugs, wires, compression, bore scope, and injectors. Putting the injector back on wanted to loosen the spider to make it easier. We both said did you loosen that? Tightened it up and put and ran fine. About 14hrs over 3 days of head banging. The other nuts were finger tight (they got the wrench). New problem is the circuit board in the FBO’s gas pump fried, no gas. Tanks were safe but low when it went in but not feeling like ending a 8 month adventure in a field. Thus no test flight till I can get some gas in it. Probably will run out 10 gallons tomorrow and fly it 5 mins to another set of pumps.
    1 point
  26. 1 point
  27. They're like a pyrotechnic and once you start it you CANNOT stop it, and some of them run for quite a while. They can be difficult to start and need both hands to continue striking it until it ignites. They generate a lot of dust/smoke, too. I would not want to try one inside a small cabin in an already stressful situation. If you get the fire out you'll have a second emergency of what to do with the pyrotechnic and how to see and breathe. They've gotten fairly popular for track days, where they're not a bad option since you're outdoors. For confined spaces Halon and Halotron get recommended a lot, but still aren't very optimal. Many/most airline cabin extinguishers are CO2, mostly so the extinguisher doesn't cause more problems than it cures. There aren't any optimal extinguishers for a confined space like a Mooney cabin, but the Halon or Halotron are arguably better choices than most.
    1 point
  28. You should have opened with the limitations of your POH! I knew that some of the early owner's manuals are limited. Stopping at 5000' just is not sufficient for planning. We have airports here in Maryland that see DAs in that range in the summer time. Performance data can be interpolated, but it would be preferable in the event of an inquiry to have factory numbers to show as a reference. The truth is that a well sorted M20E is probably the best of the fleet for departing in the conditions that you have described. You're flying a light airframe that will be making >80% horsepower. I can't imagine anything other Mooney besting your E's runway performance with a 700lb payload.
    1 point
  29. As others said, don't beat yourself up. But this kind of thing is exactly what the often-disregarded after takeoff climb checklist is for.
    1 point
  30. I’m lucky David did this fix in the plane I bought from him. The doubler adds quite a bit of strength in that area… -Don
    1 point
  31. As I learned, if the gear leg has the stops, it's possible to break a stop clean off without denting a tube (or in my case, denting it so slightly that it wasn't easily felt.) If the steering is set up correctly, the first thing to limit travel is the rudder stops in the tail, followed by the steering stops on the nosewheel if you have them. At this point, there is still a gap of maybe 3/8" (I haven't measured it) between the leg tube (the weaker one that gets damaged) and the truss tube (the larger one that damages the leg). So, it's best to check out the stops if you have them. It's not too hard to kneel down and see them, or use a phone camera to photograph them. I also carry an inspection mirror that makes it easy to inspect such things and I carry a rubber knee pad like the kind gardeners use which also makes it easier to sump the tanks without grinding my knees on the tarmac.
    1 point
  32. When I was flying seaplanes in Ketchikan the company made new dock kids wear a special hat for the first week to warn the pilots to be be alert because anything could happen and often did.
    1 point
  33. You don't need to lay on the ground. Just reach under and run your fingers along the the back of the small tubes on the back of the nose gear truss - IF it was turned beyond limits, that is what contacts and either dents or bends. Us your iPhone reverse camera like a mirror and pan under the cowl and nose gear. You are making this harder than it is.
    1 point
  34. If there is a lesson to learn here, this is the lesson I want to learn. When I do a preflight, every preflight, I lie on my back on the ground under each main gear well and directly behind the nose gear well. I look very carefully for anything unusual, and I’m looking at every inch of the nose gear truss for any dents or missing paint. I assume that most of us do something similar. I’m not sure how this particular damage avoided discovery during preflight, but I’d like to understand how it was hard to see or how it might have been invisible to a pilot getting ready to turn the key - so I can try to catch something similar in the future. If there are photos of this or other incidents where someone knowledgeable can point out the areas of hidden damage, I’d like to learn.
    1 point
  35. I used 15% in my example of $112,500. First, this is not a typical "damage history" airplane. Most airplanes that disclose damage history have sheet metal replaced, wings reskinned, belly pans and antennas replaced, a lot of paint work, etc, etc, etc. He put a brand new engine on instead of a tear down on a 30 hour engine. The prop was replaced with brand new. The nose gear is brand new. It never was clear whether the nose gear doors were damaged - in the first post in 2019 it said they weren't, but in the end they may have been. If any $800,000 airplane with no damage was on the market a year later with 150+ hours, the market would have said this is, at most a $675,000 airplane. Since it was placed on the market the month after Covid hit, take another $50,000 - $75,000 off, since everything was at a standstill. Now we're at a market price of $600,000 - $625,000. This is assuming no damage history. Then figure out whatever you bought it for - the rest was damage history. It appears that he's trying to say that everything between what he bought it for and sold it for was loss of value due to the damage. Not a chance. (1)Part of that difference is "driving it off the showroom floor" depreciation. (2) part of it is 150+ hours of use on the airplane (3) part of it is trying to sell it in April 2020 and (4) yes, part of it is loss of value due to damage history. While it's true, airplanes with a story stay on the market longer, they also attract the people looking for a deal (you and me). On the above numbers ($600,000 - $625,000), if I got another 10-15% off vs. one that didn't get a new engine, prop, nose gear, I would have been all over it. I still have a lot to learn, and I'm learning every day, but on the fourteen airplanes I've owned, seven of which have been Mooneys, I've learned a few things about the market and how buying and selling works. This isn't just my opinion. The court must have decided that what he was asking was not warranted and that it wasn't gross negligence. We love airplanes and get emotional when an airplane gets damaged, especially if we own it. To the court it's a piece of metal that got bent unintentionally, something that can be replaced, very similar to every other civil lawsuit they deal with. If gross negligence was a common outcome of cases like this, that angle would be used in many auto accidents since people are doing stupid things when they are driving. While we as airplane owners may see it that way when a towing limit is exceeded, the courts don't. One thing I know for sure, the courts deal with these issues every day and I'm glad I don't. But they know a lot more about theses issues than I do.
    1 point
  36. Agree with both of you, but in this instance I ordered Don's video back when I bought my Mooney and am glad I did. It is very well done and was helpful. I shared it with a hangar neighbor when he sold his Cherokee and bought a Mooney and he said he found it extremely helpful too.
    1 point
  37. I know people like to toss around high heat and humidity numbers to make a point, but 100° and 80% RH requires a dew point higher than any dew point ever recorded in the US. I’m just sayin’…
    1 point
  38. What they did to this plane was absolutely gross negligence. it may not seem that way to people outside of aviation, but when your only job is to move planes around, it would be expected they understand the limits, especially when they are clearly marked on the plane where the tow bar is attached. these “agreements”, are like the Apple user agreement. You don’t really have a choice, and they could say anything they want in there, you don’t have an alternative. one thing I can guarantee you, they spent at least 3x what the OP was asking for fighting the case for five years. I avoid signature whenever possible.
    1 point
  39. I think I might be confusing you. I apologize. AEROLaw at all times felt we could breach the GROSS negligence threshold. So that fact + my rule of life to fight evil whether is $.10 cents of $xxxx applies. As stated, that part is personal. But I am flying a Turbo fan, so there's the whole proof and pudding thing. LOL. $235k was repairs $50-$60k on loss of use was mechanical (e.g. receipts, mortgage etc...) $213k was expert witness. On the loss of value to an airplane with <20 hours on it. There were many many many more costs I incurred which did not claim. I was simply trying to get to zero. Hopefully I've explained the facts a little better for you. My ONLY aim here is to help the Mooney Community, not trying to win petty arguments of lean of peak or rich, I've got ZERO interest in that.
    1 point
  40. After @Marauder and his passengers visit they will set a limit.
    1 point
  41. Check out airnav.com, will help plan out your fuel stops. This time of year, fly early, plan on landing early to avoid thunderstorms and turbulence. Stop at airports that have maintenance facilities, just in case you need it.
    1 point
  42. The new owner was getting transition training from a very experienced CFI. Engine just stopped mid flight.
    1 point
  43. Over Big Horn Canyon dam and national recreation area, SE of Billings (great local sight seeing route on the way to Cody WY). My wife's first flight in the new plane:
    1 point
  44. On our last flight down to Spruce Creek we took a little trip from Port Orange (Daytona Beach area) down to Punta Gorda to visit with some friends. We departed a bit before sunset and captured this sunset over Tampa Bay that evening. Clearly one of the most colorful ones I've ever seen.
    1 point
  45. I had an extra pair of holes put in my seat rails of the pilot seat. The long bodies are the same in the seating area. They are longer behind the seats.
    1 point
  46. The shim(s) can go on either end depending on whethere there's binding in the steering axis or which end the play is on when it's static. The entire assembly isn't exactly an exercise in close tolerances in most places, so you mostly just deal with what you have. They're all pretty much hand-made, so uniformity isn't really expected, either. I think that's why the shims exist in the first place, and in so many sizes. It's easiest to just put them under the collar since that requires very little disassembly.
    1 point
  47. Most Mooneys, most GA airplanes, actually, use a bolt to keep the door closed. If you unlatch the door, open it a little bit, and then latch it again, the bolt will come out and prevent the door from closing. This is part of my pre-start passenger briefing, to show a new passenger how to do this.
    1 point
  48. When it's not doing it's duty as a jar holder, it has little miniature Lego air traffic controllers up on top keeping things safe.
    1 point
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