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I was watching this TickTock the other day on walking. It was pretty fascinating in that it involved putting your right foot in front of your left foot and repeating. I was pretty thankful for this because I managed to get to the bar and pour myself another Tito’s rocks. My wife really likes it because now I don’t have to scream for her to bring me a drink anymore. Honestly I am not certain which method of getting a drink I will use long term. It is really great though to have an option. I mean without this TickTock where would I be?

Rear in and one of the fronts lamb covers on.

It’s great to see my little contribution to the great space that is Mooney with the continuation of the today’s flight threads starting each year. I can’t remember what year I started this but still take time to read about all the great stories of Mooney flying. Here is my contribution to sunset and the Mooney wing. Merry Christmas to you all

Not too shabby for a 61 year old C. I had 30+ knot tailwinds the entire trip from Kerrville to W Palm Beach. Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

Me, too. If I need to add oil, I pull the dipstick up until I can fit the funnel beside it. Almost never take it out, unlike automotive use, because I never check the oil immediately after shutdown like at a gas station--it's a preflight activity, usually on a cold engine.

I unscrew and lift the dipstick until I can read the level, and screw it back in. The level is always clear, so I see no reason to wipe with a rag or remove the dipstick. No muss, fuss, or mess

If we’re competing on the other end…I’ve got -6 knots in a 152 in Oklahoma (and I wasn’t really trying). I think I could have managed -10 or even -12 with some effort. Stalling with a 50 knot headwind probably not the best idea I’ve had, however. Personally I seem to have a knack for flying from point A to B with a headwind…then turning around and finding a headwind from B back to A. Just one of the many gifts I have. That and picking the slowest checkout register.

The G5 is in MPH to match the POH speeds. It's easier than converting it all to knots. Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

Where's the fun in that? I actually want to try this myself. I realize I may very well regret it but, I like to see if I think things are really as bad as people say they are. Sometimes, it turns out that everyone was 100% correct and I make a mistake. At least I learn something in the process. Everyone of us in this group disregard "common knowledge" to some extent or we wouldn't be flying cramped, difficult to land airplanes that will instantly go into an unrecoverable spin if stalled and mechanics hate to work on... Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

If the positions were swapped and we were being forced to switch from G100UL to 100LL right now, the whole pilot community would be up in arms, not even counting the TEL's health effects. Lead fowling in plugs? 100LL is a non-starter! 100LL's performance per volume? 100LL is a non-starter! Can't use modern oils? 100LL is a non-starter! Sure, G100UL isn't perfect and by switching we are trading some flaws for other flaws. (I don't want my paint stained!) But overall I think G100UL is a better solution than continuing to use 100LL. Mostly because of the perception of the health effects of the TEL in airplane exhaust. And we are unlikely to ever have as much data on G100UL as we do on 100LL in terms of engine performance and longevity. Piston powered aviation has passed its peak; even if we magically switched everybody to G100UL now, there will never be as much avgas burned in the future as there has already been burned. Unless someone can state a specific testing metric and threshold that would be sufficient that we have not met, and why the current testing is insufficient, I am not going believe any arguments that 'more testing' or 'more time' is needed. I think this is just resistance to any change. https://thelogicofscience.com/2016/06/20/the-nirvana-fallacy-an-imperfect-solution-is-often-better-than-no-solution/

Vacuum heading Maintenance Equipment.

^^^^ THIS ^^^^ But, it is Kalifornia where freedom is antithetical to the government's need to tell you how to live Not sure why I keep living here?

Having the government force-pick a winner is never a good idea. GAMI seems desparate here, I suspect because they feel they won't win otherwise.

Just be very careful here. WS is scientifically invalid especially as it relates to clouds. It uses a very rudimentary RH scheme for clouds using the GFS model which is not a convective-allowing model. In my app I used a concept called cloud fractions that does extremely well by blending together multiple forecast models (that are convective-allowing) to produce the vertical route profile that is scientifically valid.

I guess there’s a video for everything. I don’t think of the oil dipstick as a gauge. It’s a rough estimate with far too many variables to yield an exact measurement. I personally use my 6 mark as my ‘ok’ mark. Below I add a quart, above I fly. Personally I always wipe the dipstick, insert but not screw in. Check. For grins years ago, I did a check and then drained the oil, let it drain overnight, then measured what came out. Lots of room for error with my bucket, the presumed 1/2 quart trapped in the filter, oil film left in the bucket etc.. My end result was 6 on the stick was actually just shy of 7 quarts. So that’s one of the reasons I don’t overthink it. As for the video - seems a good way to bugger up the threads…but if it works it works. Never experienced difficulties pouring oil into a funnel. I DO however agree most people over tighten the dipstick. Barely finger tight on my a/c. It does seem to tighten on its own. I’ve had to grab my Gerber on a number of occasions on student’s a/c…so there’s definitely a lot of folks hulking that thing closed.

I use weathermap+ for years! Love that it was a ONE TIME PURCHASE and doesn’t milk you dry with monthly subscription fees. Another app i like is weatherspork it’s weather for skew-t dummies as it will show cloud layers and freezing layer visually per altitude along your route and project it 3 days out. Unfortunately it does have a monthly fee though. You do get a 2 week free trial so there is that.

How about Vertical Measuring Equipment--companion to Distance Measuring Equipment?

One thing no one thinks of is- Can I physically do it? Can you work into tight places with your arms both from the top and then bottom holding them up over your head for long periods of time? I cant anymore. Used to do some Boeing tank repairs and won't consider it now, The stuff we used (in the enclosed tank) smelled like fresh dog crap!!!

I developed a rudimentary sounding about six years ago. I do a lot of litigation support and weather forensics for wrongful death law suits and needed a way to build soundings from archived model forecasts. So, I am pulling this into my app and adding a few features that you won't find anywhere else. I am not a fan of Windy. They have everything based on single models and that's just not the right approach in my opinion. My app blends multiple models and provides a much more consistent forecast. Also, their Skew-T (last time I looked at it) doesn't show the various indices that I normally use. They also only provide the surface-based parcel and don't give you any info about the most unstable or mixed layer parcel.

Very smooth formation flying!

If the covers are good, the foam inside can be replaced for about $150 in foam / materials and and two hours work.

Well, well, well. Look who the Mooney flew in!!!

It could be from many different places. My leaking is worse than yours and I have had at least four different shops try to find it, including an MSC. I have had all the pushrod seals replaced twice, a complete hose kit installed and the thru-bolt seal replaced. The hose kit did make a difference but not near enough. Hundreds of dollars later I just decided to replace the engine. Don’t panic, you don’t have to replace your engine. My engine was old and sat idle for six years, sort of like the current owner .

I didn't go back to read previous posts again, but first, the app is called "WeatherMap+" -- the "plus" is important because without it, you get a bunch of other things when you search. On my iPad, the meteogram view is the default when you open the app. If not, you get there by tapping the icon that looks like 3 layers, and that's exactly what is shown on that view--cloud cover, temperature, and wind speed. There is also an icon for each of those views individually if the combined view is too busy. At the top is a bar showing day of the week and time. The times are every 3 hours--3,6,9,12,15,18 etc. It's not the only thing I look at, but it has become the first thing I look at.

Winter trip to Colmar (LFGA), Mooney was doing 172kts ground speed on +1200fpm while on cruise climb at 120kias, it’s cold and windy, the air was crisp

Stripping the tank is doable. It just takes a lot of work. Applying the sealant should be done exactly as the maintenance manual says. Don’t use any “better” methods or material.

Don’t kick yourself. I had my throttle microswitch stick on takeoff last year and it’s very disconcerting and disorienting. I’ve had my airplane for 10 years (and have ~5000hrs) and it still wasn’t a fun 5 minutes departing the class d and c before i was like, dang pull that breaker! Ahh, then I could think it through (i knew the gear was up from the red “unsafe” light). Ahh, it’s just the throttle. I cycled through idle once, reset the breaker, and all was well! I also cleaned out that switch on the ground! So you being new to the airplane, it was a good way to learn about all your systems and it turned out fine! The more you’re involved in maintenance, the better you’ll be able to handle these little issues.

Well maybe. Maybe it’s the correct one? My io-360 wasn’t linear either. 4-6 was closer than 6-8. I think he should verify the part number and check it qt by qt while he fills before getting too worked up about it.

That's a big part of it, I'm basically retired myself so I've got the time, I'd rather be doing something than nothing. I'm going to have Dugosh do the sealing part, David and I have already talked about it. I know he'll do a good job and I won't have any leaks when he's done so I'm not really worried about that part. I just need to do the mindless grunt work and there's something cathartic about just zoning out and doing manual labor for me. Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

@bcg Sounds like you're a DIY guy like myself. Don't let all these naysayers talk you out of some honest HARD work. Frankly, I've considered doing the same when my tanks get bad. I fully realize it's going to be an arduous job but honestly doubt it's going to take more than a few solid 8 hour days to strip a tank (20-30 hours); I'll be most interested in your feedback should you accept the mission! Use the proper sealants and carefully apply and I don't think the 'skill' level is some 'off the charts' expertise that some here would have you believe. A top heart surgeon is probably not the guy to do a good job cleaning your pool, for example What are the materials going to run, 1 AMU? And, what's a tank reseal these days $8,000? I'll work pretty hard to save $7,000...the old 'what's your time worth' always falls on deaf ears to me...it's not like I'm getting paid when I'm sitting on the couch. Even more so now that I'm retired! Good luck! I'm rooting for you, anyway

Welcome back! Long time no see!

Windy continues to impress me. Just tried the right click/right hold for a simulated sounding (SADAT? You can also then scroll the time slider to see the curves change. Another great feature is the "meteogram"view that shows a pretty good estimation of the cloud stack (good for figuring out likely ceilings). Would of course also look forward to anything that Scott builds!

Scott is this something you plan to offer or just doing for yourself? I will say that Windy does everything I need. All I’m looking for is data that shows where I’ll likely find between layers - and so far it’s been spot on (actually I’m pretty stunned how accurate the models are). But, I’m always open to better tools.

The reason the NOAA site was retired was not because of any accessibility issues or even because the agency that manages the site is a research organization and does not want people to rely on it for making decisions. If that were true, they would have shut this site down as well which is the same organization (GSL) that hosted the runsoundings site. Even this other site does say, "PLEASE NOTE: The information on this website is for RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY. No data from this site should be used to make decisions related to the safety of life and property. There is no guarantee that data will be updated or that any product will continue to be available." Recently, I have seen at least five or six other gov't weather sites that I use regularly get shut down as well (for similar reasons). There are definitive plans to shut down even more gov't weather sites as we move into the next administration. The rucsoundings site was simply low-hanging fruit and much easier to be "retired" as they suggest. So I decided to take the opportunity to develop my own Skew-T diagrams that have features that are more robust than you can find on windy or most any other site...that's assuming they don't remove access to the data that I am using to populate the diagram.

Hmm, I wonder ho much for a 252? Not a complicated piece.

It says a lot about the ability for your average Mooney owner to manage maintainence on these airplanes when the only two M22s which will probably ever be flown somewhat reliably are owned by the Pietsch family who have been a Mooney Service Center in North Dakota for over 70 years (https://minotaerocenter.com/about-us/) and the Maxwell family who have had a Mooney Service Center for decades. (It's my understanding that Pietsch has owned the airplane since new and Maxwells took on their project just because they can.) Much of the rest of the small M22 fleet are rotting away on the ramp or are endless projects in hangars with little hope of ever flying again. Support for the engines is virtually non-existent. The parts to keep the airframe pressurized didn't work very well to begin with and have been out of production for decades. There is a reason this airplane didn't make it. Although it was FAA approved it was really more of a prototype which got shelved by the many changes in Mooney ownership in the late 60's-early 70's. The lessons learned called for a completely new design in the 80's with the M30 301 prototype, which still never got produced. Some of the lessons learned in the M30 301 ended up in the TBM 700, mainly the wing. If you want a pressurized piston airplane, save a ton of money, and actually have an airplane you can fly - buy a Piper Malibu, Mirage or M350. It's a proven design and has support. Be prepared for $10,000-$15,000 annuals regularly and some more expensive ones once in awhile.

Ok. In foreflight you can enter a flight including an altitude. You can then send the flight to Map. In Map, activate Profile and you will see a static but not very detailed graphic of your route, including where and at what altitudes icing is likely. You can also hit the Globe button in the lower left and “fly” the flight which will show where icing is likely. Still works. I didn’t try convection because none would show up this time of year. Lacks the detail of a skew t though, doesn’t show cape and other measures of potential in the atmosphere. Might depend on what level of foreflight you have.

That's pretty normal, and is sometimes just oil that was spilled during the last oil change making it's way out the bottom of the cowl. If it ever suddenly gets worse than normal, then that's something to pay attention to.

How about a Glory over Central Indiana today? https://youtu.be/Mu2DM89zq6M

This was my eagle at 16500. If I knew I was living in Colorado, I would’ve probably considered an acclaim, but this will have to do. I’d agree flying them over 12 doesn’t really get you anything except not hitting a mountain.

If you want the icicle display to work, or to get degrees lean of peak, you have to start the lean find process when you are on the rich side of peak and then lean over to the lean side. You don’t do the big pull first, you put the engine monitor in lean find first. I don’t bother with the LOP lean find function anymore, in my aircraft, the 231, the manifold pressure changes when you bring the fuel flow back so you are changing the whole power setting and the “peak” you find is not valid. But in an NA the MP should stay constant at ambient pressure provided you are not changing altitude, so you are only changing fuel flow. The engine monitors don’t somehow “know” you are rich or lean of peak. They do not have a way to measure the air/fuel ratio as it changes. Rather, they assume that you start on the rich side and that you are changing fuel flow while manifold pressure remains constant. That applies whether you are using LOP mode or ROP mode. There is a trick you can use to do the big pull and still get an accurate reading. You could put the unit in LOP mode and then use the big pull and use the degrees LOP that is then displayed, but the monitor manufacturers want you to make small moves, not big ones, so their units can give you an accurate reading. What the monitor is trying to do, whether in rich or lean mode, is to find the cylinder that is nearest to peak and then use that cylinder to determine how many degrees rich or lean that cylinder is operating. It assumes, as I said, that you start the process on the rich side. In ROP mode it will find the first cylinder to reach peak and use that cylinder to determine how many degrees rich of peak. In LOP mode, it assumes you started on the rich side and leaned over, so it uses the last cylinder to peak to determine how many degrees rich of peak. As I said, it does not actually know whether you are rich or lean of peak, it makes assumptions. ROP mode simply means it finds the first cylinder to peak. LOP mode simply means it finds the last cylinder to peak. Sooooo…if you use the big pull first, before you put the monitor in any leaning mode, and then you put the monitor in Rich of Peak mode (you read that right), and then enrich back towards peak, the monitor will find the first cylinder that hits peak and when you then lean back again the result will be a fairly accurate reading of the degrees lean of peak the cylinder closest to peak is operating. It will display that as degrees rich of peak, but it is not, it will be degrees lean of peak. And you will have made the reading by making small moves once the monitor was put into ROP mode so the reading will be accurate.

The adjustable tabs will make it harder to damage. I have seen one with the tabs completely smashed and it was still dented.

I just flew N436PS, a 2008 3GX Ovation from KMHK to KJWN a few weeks ago at 15K. I was able to get slightly over 60% power (based on the 310hp tables), LOP, 13.5gph, WOT, 2,600RPM and 183kts TAS.

@bonal I think you raise very valid points. Sadly, while UL fuel will take away 'one item' it will only be a small bump in the road for the faction that wants to chase GA out of existence. And, to your last sentence, you should see the Taj Mahal the SCAQMD built for themselves a few miles from my house; I retch at the money spent on it and the hundreds of minions that swarm its halls exercising their unchecked authority.

I was simply posing this as a question because I don’t know all the answers to this issue. I have been reading all that I can find about this as IMO it’s kind of important and can have a real impact on our ability to fly. If I am going to be required to obtain an STC to use UL is it poweplant or airframe, I don’t know. What I have read indicates that not all piston aircraft will be able to use the fuel. I think the o360 in my D will be ok but I don’t know that for certain. Granted, there has been and are still tests being done but the valve recession issue is still not resolved. I’m not looking forward to beta testing how my particular engine is going to handle the unleaded gas. How many different cylinder and valve manufacturers are there. Best case nothing negative happens medium case I have to replace my cylinders all four plus labor well that’s at least 10AMU’s worst case my engine fails in flight and am forced into an off field landing. I know the prospects for the fuel look good but I don’t think my concerns are unreasonable. How many actual flight hours using the UL have been logged. I hope the new fuels will be successful because it will take away one item that the anti aviation politics can use to restrict our ability to fly. As I am from California there are many that would love nothing more than to ban GA completely our Air resources board has an almost unchecked authority to make policy.