Jump to content

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/03/2016 in all areas

  1. I'm the new owner of 231WH, a longtime Mooneyspace lurker; new to posting to the site and new to Mooneys. Jake did a really great job with this airplane - it has an amazing avionics package which made flying it home to Utah from Florida a dream. Very capable cross-country machine!
    9 points
  2. 1500 RPM difference? You might want to get those adjusted.
    4 points
  3. I think if a couple of people are serious about buying a plane under a partnership they should go ahead and form the partnership/LLC/Bank Account and place some amount of money in it. This commits everyone. Then go look for a plane/hanger.
    3 points
  4. That's correct...Perspective is unique to Cirrus aircraft with some touch key entry pads and things like that. As to my "perspective" on the G1000/STEC-55x combo, I like mine and it's always performed well. We are of course waiting for Garmin/Mooney to deliver a reasonable WAAS solution but I am still optimistic it will happen. And yes, the prices for these birds do reflect that current situation, compared to later models with the GFC700 and WAAS. But I can tell you, if you have Synthetic Vision on that G1000, even flying LNAV approaches is pretty solid. From FAF to touchdown you can see the runway right on the screen, and as long as you don't descend below MDA prior to the MAP there's not much practical difference than flying a glide slope, other than that the LPV will give you 150-200 feet of extra descent. If you're really flying in LIFR then I do agree WAAS would be critical.
    3 points
  5. I had the same partner on 3 different planes and we never once had a cross word about the partnership.....it's all about communication and expectations being clear....and realizing nobody is perfect. Our setup.... All fixed expenses were split. Initial money down, loan, insurance, hanger rent, and a reasonable fund for annuals. Then we paid a set amount for each hour flown which went into a kitty to pay for an overhaul and unexpected expenses.....which really are expected.....it's a matter of when, not if. When you flew the plane, it was refueled, all personal items removed, leading edges and windshield cleaned. Notepad logging hours and any squawks or concerns, kept in the same spot and reviewed before each flight. It worked for us.
    3 points
  6. Good Day, Florida Mooniacs! Anyone in Florida looking for transition training, recurrent or re-fam training, or even a simple BFR in type should give Mike Elliott of Tarpon Springs a call. I recently took delivery of an M20K from Daytona Aircraft Services, and selected Mike for my transition training; my selection was truly a blind selection, having found Mike from LASAR's list of Mooney instructors from halfway across the country (I'm in Utah). I'm glad Mike was closest to Daytona, as the only basis for my selection was geographic proximity. Hopefully this review will give Florida Mooney pilots something to consider aside from geographical proximity alone in fulfilling their instruction needs. Mike is professional and very experienced, with invaluable perspective in all things flying and Mooney. At the same time, I also found him to be jovial and of very positive personality, which helped ease of the pressure to learn flying a 231 in a completely new place prior to flying my new-to-me airplane home. He will travel; based out of the greater Tampa area, Daytona was a trek but no sweat for Mike, and he was in Pensacola prior to training with me. I enjoyed my transition training and feel I made a friend in the Mooney community. I had a great experience with Mike Elliott and strongly advise anyone looking for instruction in Mooney aircraft to consider him. He's a frequent poster here on Mooney Space, I'm sure most if not all have seen posts from him, and is easy to contact at mike@aviating.com Fly and Be Safe, James Lee 'One Whiskey Hotel'
    2 points
  7. ACK-406. Affordable, supports a GPS interface to your panel GPS (thus no extra GPS antenna) and is dual band (121.5 and 406). You would like to think that with a 406 GPS provided coordinates that the 121.5 is of no value. But they still use 121.5 as a homing signal till they've found you. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    2 points
  8. At work, everyone wears the foam earplugs. I really don't like them, and was able to get the long three-flange silicone ones; they feel a lot better, don't require rolling and don't expand over time and push themselves out of my ear. Kind of like what I used to wear many moons ago. I've been using Halos since I flew from WV down to FXE to have my tanks resealed (2009? 2010?). My clamp-o-matic headset used to give me headaches, as well as let in a lot of sound around my sunglasses. When it got dark and I removed the sunglasses, it was much quieter! Didn't want to think about flying 6+ hours each way in those, so I didn't. I was a Halo convert well before the Florida line! The silicone plugs work well for me, too. I gave the foamies to someone else who liked them. I still occasionally try to get out of the plane without removing them, but no damage done yet.
    2 points
  9. The engine is finally going back together and should be hanging on the airplane this month. Very excited! While I have been waiting for the engine I have been taking care of some simple housekeeping issues on the aircraft. Cleaning and touchup paint primarily. I noticed the other day that the rubber gasket on the ram air door was cracked so I just ordered a replacement gasket from LASER. Looks like it secured to the door by flush mount rivets. Anyone ever change one of these and can offer a few pointers? Thanks
    2 points
  10. I used to use and still have the Lightspeed Zulu2. Almost two years ago I bought the QT Halo's and handed the Zulu2's over to my wife. On last year's trip to Oshkosh, my wife was complaining about the clamping of the Zulu's against her sunglasses and her temples. I switched headsets with her and let her try the Halo's. I never got them back. So upon arriving at Oshkosh, we immediately went to see Phil at his booth and buy another set of Halo's. Both of us now use the Halos's exclusively and the Zulu's are for friends or backseat passengers.
    2 points
  11. Only in maximum performance climb does gear retraction matter so much. With the observations that this aircraft may have struck the wingtip (which was later proven to not be the case), you might hypothesize that he was slow in ground effect trying to get the airplane to climb but there's not really evidence presented to support that. I've found that flap position much more than gear position has an effect on climb performance. Full flaps and the Mooney climbs like an absolute dog. Moderately loaded in any density altitude and you eek out climb performance. I know this from incorrectly adjusted flap motor stops that resulted in binding in the extended position. I only noticed it on a go-around because landing would bump them loose. I found that there was not so much climb gradient. Once airspeed was sufficient to push the flaps back up, then they retracted. A simple adjustment fixed the problem, but since then I've formed the habit that in any condition where landing is not assured, I tend towards takeoff flaps for landing so I'm already set up for a go around. This will also keep your trim position reasonably close to that needed for takeoff. I've started to assume shit will break at the most inopportune of times, because that's when shit tends to break. The critical question in this particular scenario is whether max performance was necessary or not. If not necessary and sufficient safety margin time can be taken to clean up the bird. The author has something to the statement that this is a non emergency situation that was converted to an accident in part because it may have been treated as an emergency. I can only imagine that control primacy may have been compromised if there were a lot of whole body movements to retrim manually and pull the gear in manually in a rushed fashion. Pity. Every once in a while I try to practice a go around. It's good for the soul.
    2 points
  12. I would put one Avidyne transponder in just so it could envy the other Garmin transponder
    2 points
  13. Just my 2 Cents worth...many of my students leave the gear down for pattern work, plane doesn't care and there is plenty of power even in my C. Of course I am not flying out of Leadville Colorado in the summer!!, but in most cases if you forget or can't get the gear up, first climb to a safe altitude, than slooow down (80), and than retract the gear. I think wrestling with the gear at low altitude is a set up for an accident. Mike
    2 points
  14. Your CFII says your ready and has certified you as such. The DPE will now verify his recommendation to PTS standards. Your flight plan he asked you to prep is the beginning of the scenario based test he will administer. You will talk thru the decision processes, the weather briefing you have obtained and bought with you, You will be asked all kinds of things about the route, symbology on charts, Departure procedures, runway lighting, runway markings, fuel reserves, etc. His job is to ensure you are within the PTS, so a review of the PTS now is in order. There will be no surprises this way. The flight typically will consist of you beginning your planned route, where he will have you break off and you will do a bit of partial panel airwork, Unusual attitude recovery and possibly demonstrate a departure or accelerated stall under the hood., You will fly a precision approach to minimums, a non precision partial panel and a circle to land. Tips here are to make sure you brief the approach, know your power settings for 500' decent dirty at 90 Kts, and straight and level at 90 kts. Verbalize your minimum callouts so the DPE knows your paying attention to them."500 ' to minimums" etc. DONT try to fly the approaches too fast., stay on the correct speeds, slow the plane down before the IAF. Don't do anything abruptly, instrument flying is precision flying. If you see a needle drifting off, fix it immediately, but with small corrections when it first happens. Keep the needles all lined up with small corrections as one first starts to wander off. If the DPE sees you are on top of things, all will be well. Good luck, you will do fine!
    2 points
  15. I've yet to see a range that I couldn't pull in with the Stratus, and if there was one it is certainly nothing I could reach in a timely manner, even in a Mooney. The resolution isn't as good admittedly, but I really haven't found it to be a problem. And I can dial in wx from a weather station just about anywhere. I found XM to be one of the most dysfunctional companies I have dealt with. It was a singular pleasure ending my business with them. ADSB would have to be spectacularly less useful before I would go back.
    2 points
  16. No question that XM is better, as it should be for the money. Pay to have the work done to be able to keep it. If you have or get the Flight Stream 210 you will be able to get XM weather on the iPad, too, for no additional cost. Edit: To get XM on the iPad you need the GDL 69 or GDL 69A
    2 points
  17. I aim for 85 mph with my E model for gear retraction. I agree with the leaving gear down if staying VFR. For those with the 180 hp engine, try powering up with throttle before eliminating carb heat. The engine produces a lot more heat with power, to eliminate chance of stumble with carb ice after long low power approach. Also reduces the acceleration where you really don't need much if you are going around from IFR minimums.
    2 points
  18. I haven't heard of any real issues yet, other than the fear of the hinge breaking on the battery access door, and that is just fear, not reality yet. That said, I am sure in a few years they will have the Tango II, and you will be able as always to upgrade to it. Full disclosure, Lightspeed is donating a set of PFX's for the Mooney Summit again this year. Last year, the set was won by Aaron Krueger. I spoke to Phil about donating a set of Halo's, but he said he was way too far behind in production to be able to. Come On, Phil, its for a great cause!
    1 point
  19. I was trying find a partnership to buy into a couple of years ago. After failing to find one, I went ahead and bought an airplane thinking I'd find a partner after the fact. I quickly decided I could afford the plane by myself and then didn't want any partners. I've thought it would be nice to have a faster Mooney like a Bravo but would need a partner to help with the expense. And I just don't want a partner in my primary airplane. I've been thinking lately of buying a second airplane just for fun. I'm thinking something cheap, aerobatic, and fun. And I believe in this situation a couple of partners would be fun. Not just for the cost savings, but for the camaraderie. So if anyone in Austin or San Marcos would like in on the fun, let me know.
    1 point
  20. Well since my Mooney has been gear checked by tying down the tail for almost 35 years and I am in imminent danger of the empenage falling off, a control column bent by a seat belt just doesn't worry me very much. With the tail gone, who cares about control rods!
    1 point
  21. Headrest method. Safe and...well...very cool... Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk and 100% recycled electrons!
    1 point
  22. To follow up this question, I've only had mine for a couple of years so my track record isn't well established. Here are the maintenance items I addressed that weren't expected...this is over two years: 1) Replaced the MFD unit with a Garmin swap due to faulty range knob: $1400 for the swap plus $200 in shop hours 2) Overhauled exhaust stack: $2500 or so 3) Overhauled speed brakes: $800 as I recall Also bear in mind that the annual will generally be a big more because it's a 6-cylinder engine compared to a 4-banger on C through J models. The database subscriptions for the G1000 were actually cheaper than for the GNS480 I had in the J. This year especially, since I won a year's subscription as a door prize at the Mooney Summit last October (Thanks Mike Elliott!)
    1 point
  23. I have a set of Halos that have been confiscated by the wife as well. Will get another set at some point. I initially did not like them because of the ear plugs available. After Phil starting carrying the black ones, they have been great. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    1 point
  24. If the ADF is labeled as INOP, make sure there is a corresponding logbook entry for that. He (examiner) specifically brought that up with me when we spoke on the phone. I assume you have an IFR GPS. Make sure you can show the DE where in the logbooks that it is actually signed off for IFR flight. If you get a chance to go fly at the airport where the DE is, you could always go shoot the approaches there for practice-never hurts especially if there's a DME arc or something else unusual. I think Mike summed it up really well. Good luck and keep us posted!
    1 point
  25. My wife wears the QT Halo's as well. She's really happy with the lack of head pressure after a few hours that she would get with pretty much all other headsets she tried. The Halo's come with both foam and rubber (multiple sizes) ear inserts. Took a little while for her to figure out what she likes but she's happy. She thinks they don't block quite as much noise as our ANR DC's (I don't think this is univeral though). No they are not electric noise cancelling.
    1 point
  26. Raising the gear at higher speeds will put more strain on the system than lowering it. The mechanism is basically the same on the manual J bar planes, If you were to fly one of them, you would find the gear lowers very easily at higher speeds and is a bi*ch to retract at higher speeds. The gear speed lowering limitation is in part for the gear doors, especially in transit.
    1 point
  27. I believe there are 4 versions (not counting helicopter variants) GDL 69 GDL69A GDL69 SXM GDL69A SXM first two receive XM data, latter two add SiriusXM channels and came out in 2014 "A" versions have audio / music channel capability in addition to weather data i sold a GDL69 with rack, personality module and connectors on eBay last fall. It brought $639.00.
    1 point
  28. There's a lot of truth to that, otherwise even though it might be 50/50 the one who owned 100% of the airplane to begin seems to always feel like it's their airplane that they are letting the other person fly.
    1 point
  29. Any chance it's a 69A?
    1 point
  30. Seems to me like the best way would be to find partners first, then buy it together.
    1 point
  31. I put the shoulder harness of the seat belt around the yoke, and once secure I slide the seat back in its tracks to pull tension on the yoke. This immobilizes the elevator. I have used this in some pretty wild weather when the plane lived outside in Boston and worked very well. The other benefit is that I will never have a gust lock accident. It is impossible to sit in the seat without removing the seatbelt gust lock. Brad
    1 point
  32. Unfortunately I've noticed they have been listed at $500-700 and not moving very fast. Sad really that most people paid $3.5k to get one installed and they are worth so little now.
    1 point
  33. Seems like having a bunch of moving parts at the outboard end of a critical control surface is a bad idea. Just saying
    1 point
  34. When you get ready to sell send me a pm if I don't come back to this thread please Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    1 point
  35. Totally agreed., I think Tesla should get into the aviation business. How many companies out there that makes automobiles and birds? Honda , RR?
    1 point
  36. With the GDL88/GTN750 weather and traffic are automatic - only dependent upon which info you choose to display. There are dedicated traffic and weather pages for taking a close/uncluttered look at either but the info is a layer on the map page as well. And if you want to drag the map screen 500 miles away to zoom in on the weather around your destination it's a simple matter to touch the screen drag the map to center the distant area and zoom in or out.
    1 point
  37. back to the DC motor; I think you are more likely to see it used in a hybrid system than with any batteries. Batteries, even the best ones have a very low energy density per lb. Putting hydrogen in a plane just sounds like a bad idea; especially when you factor in the weight required for a proper containment vessel. Im imagining something similar to the volt where you have a generator and a small battery bank. For a plane i can see where the batteries would only be used for 'boost' scenarios such as take off or climbing; maybe no more than 20mins of power before you have to dial it back. The problem with that motor is that its something like 280kw to get that 350hp. My volt i think only has a 63kw motor (1.4L); the new volt uses a 1.5L all al block which gave it a 75kw output at 100lbs less. Im not sure how much it weighs; but i imagine its well over 300lbs. So when you combine the weight of the 300lb generator, the 130lb motor, you are already over 400lb that most current NA engines weigh. The good news is there is a ton of RnD going into generator technology right now. Most notably is the resurgence of rotary engines which are much more efficient at being a generator than the current 4cl NA engines they are using today at a much lower weight.
    1 point
  38. You can't just open a file that's low resolution and save it in a higher one (exception being SVG, but that's because everything is vector based.) and have it look right. Your printer did you a favor by telling you this rather than running the job and having it look bad and being out the money. When you take a smaller resolution (e.g. 100x100 pixels) and save it in a larger resolution (e.g. 1000x1000) the size will be bigger but the quality will be terrible. Below is an image to help demonstrate my point. Both are the same 'resolution', but the one on right is what you get if you try to take a source photo of a lower resolution and try to make it bigger. I've attached a couple files for you. One is the Mooney logo in SVG format. Because it's SVG it can be scaled as large as you want it with no penalty. Notice it's a paltry 44kB (The logo is pretty simple all things considered). I've also attached a copy of the SVG scaled to 2000 pixels and saved as a non-SVG format. Notice it's 304kB and further up-scaling would produce degradation if done based on this file because it's no longer in a vectorized format. If possible, try to make your additions in SVG format so that too can scale with ease. Otherwise you'll need to scale up the SVG to the resolution you want an add your additions to that non-vectorized format. I'll take a sticker for N6020Q Kidding, best of luck. Mooney_Logo.svg
    1 point
  39. My plane is hangared except for a total of about 3 weeks per year when I'm traveling with it. I have a good cover so I have little concern parking it on the ramp when necessary. Bigger FBOs are religious about chocking but are unlikely to tie down. I was at KGGG four nights last month. Even in TX no tie down. I suppose the plane takes far more abuse flying through moisture and turbulence that it does for a night or two parked on a ramp.
    1 point
  40. Anyone know where the MAP point is on this plate if you're flying to LNAV mins? My guess would be the VDP, but the dotted missed line occurs after VDP and before the RWY. On the Y version of this approach, the MAP is the end of the RWY. globalair_00668rz17.pdf
    1 point
  41. I doubt that our push pull rod system is very susceptible to being damaged by winds on the ramp. I dutifully tie the plane down when it overnights out of the hangar but a Mooney is not a butterfly. In < 50 kt winds it's going to behave more like a Cessna Citation than a Skyhawk. Mooneys might get damaged at Oshkosh when some othee brand gets blown on top of them. Flame on.
    1 point
  42. The data I've seen is that most (if not all) spring failures occurred from the single bad batch where the ends were bent after heat treating instead of before. As well, those failures were all in the down position. I have also seen anecdotal evidence of cases were the spring was replaced improperly and a gear up landing subsequently happened. This is unlikely though, for those of using a reputable MSC. If an aircraft is using for flight training and doing touch and go's all day, I'd agree that 1000 hour replacement is probably a good idea, but I think it's a hard case to argue that waiting to 2000 hours is a greater risk especially with the risk of maintenance-induced failure. Also, a gear up landing properly executed rarely results in any injury. In a Mooney, that's a new prop, engine goes back to Lycoming/Continental, new step and a new smooth belly. Not much of a big deal so long as the aircraft is properly insured. Why's that? I've seen Don Maxwell's work repairing geared up airplanes and there is no difference as far as I can tell.
    1 point
  43. Each person chooses the level of risk with which they are comfortable. A back spring failure is a single point of failure and the gear won't come down or go up with ANY procedure. It's going to be a gear up landing. Do you really want to risk family or innocent friends who don't know any better when they go flying with you over a 1 AMU cost? My answer is an emphatic NO.
    1 point
  44. Not rude at all. The budget probably tops out around 200 AMU. The Cub is paid for and the kids are out if the house and in a nice, inexpensive state school. While I'd like to keep the note payment low, I feel like there's a tipping point between having a really nice airplane I don't have to spend money upgrading, and having a lower note where I'm shelling out money every month for the goodies I want. Stormscope, drum altimeter, radar altimeter, new paint, blah, blah, blah.
    1 point
  45. I've been there a few times since my reply way back from 2011. Curfew from 2300 to 0645. Landing fee doubles from 2200 to 2300. Ferry runs from 0515 to 0007. Landing fee for pistons is $14.70 (they'll send you a bill in the mail): https://www.portstoronto.com/Airport/For-Pilots/Landing-Fees.aspx Porter FBO was $35/night last I was there. That may have changed, so call to check: https://www.flyporter.com/About/Porter-FBO?culture=en-CA If you're staying longer, you may want to consider Buttonville airport and renting a car, it's much cheaper: http://www.torontoairways.com/private-jet-aircraft/ Let me know if you have any other questions. -Andrew
    1 point
  46. I was on top of the CN tower overlooking the airport last Sunday. Here is a picture. Yves
    1 point
  47. As for practicing touch and goes, I agree with you. I do stop and goes. But as to going around because something isn't right; bounce or coyote on the runway not seen till touch down, I will do what has to be done. Pick your risks.
    1 point
  48. Just power up, pitch up to below 80mph (15 degrees ANU), then put the gear up. The plane won't stall power on until around 60 MPH and that takes some effort. since you do a normal gear retraction at 80, do it then. Or climb at 80 to pattern altitude and forget about the gear. A VFR go around is followed by a close pattern and an immediate landing anyway.
    1 point
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.