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Showing content with the highest reputation on 12/28/2016 in all areas

  1. We enjoyed some wonderful flying on Christmas day. It's one of my favorite days to fly because there are so few planes in the sky and you have the air all to yourself. Anyone else go flying on xmas?
    11 points
  2. Justifying the plane to your wife... That's funny right there! [emoji3][emoji3]. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
    11 points
  3. I got this: 1979 M20K, with a -LB, Airflow intercooler, Merlyn, Aspen, TKS and several other toys (I'm pretty giddy!). It will be based at KEDC. Should suit my usual mission of Angel Flights and statewide search of the best BBQ in Texas. I'm new to the board, but I've been flying about 5 years and 400 hours. IR to get the most from this bird, and planning to knock out my commercial in the next few months. David
    8 points
  4. Hello all. I have worked in a VFR tower, the ARTCC (Center), and I currently work as a air traffic controller in a Tower/TRACON. Let me just start by saying, you don't know how many near mid-airs I see on the radar scope between 2 VFR (1200) targets. It happens more frequently than you think. Usually when I vector a VFR on FF it's because you are going to be really really close to converging or opposite direction traffic that you may not be able to see until it's too late. We don't do it for airspace unless it's restricted, prohibited, or a TFR is active. When you choose to not be on flight following, your mode C is not verified. This is why when we call traffic on an unverified target (1200) we always say "altitude indicates". I've had instances where non-verified mode C targets have been off by 1500-2000 feet. ADSB is nice, but if pilots aren't putting in the proper altimeter settings, that plane may be close than you think. As always, if you have any ATC questions, feel free to ask.
    6 points
  5. Took this picture yesterday flying home after Christmas in Asheville, NC. Flew from KAVL to KLYH and then KLYH to KOQN, pic was taken shortly after departing Lynchburg level at 7,000 ft. 22"MP and 2500 RPM. We maintained over 200kts for a good portion of the second leg.
    4 points
  6. This may well go down as one of those historically epic threads that old timers will talk about for years to come.
    4 points
  7. Finished my first page with the Mooney. Lots of "mosts". Most time logged with a single page, most landings in a page, most night time in a page, etc.
    4 points
  8. $400/mo for a T-hanger, electricity and heavy sliding doors. Untowered, friendly field. 5 miles away at Chino (Towered) they are $500 if you can get them. Go into Orange county and it goes up a lot more, and you have to deal with the marine layer. I'm lucky I live just 20 minutes from KAJO, unless it's rush hour and then I'm 90 minutes away... Oh, and I think I must have the best wife ever, she wanted the plane, and insisted that it live inside a hangar.
    4 points
  9. Hmmm . . . Hangars are great for protection from weather, storage, working and hanging out. But having a plane tied down on the ramp beats the heck out of not having a plane at all . . .
    4 points
  10. Nope, or maybe...depending on your definition of a newlywed. We've been married almost 7 years, but it's the second marriage for both of us. It's all a matter of perspective. Without getting into too many details I was in a terrible 15 year marriage and she was in a terrible 17 year marriage previously. Being married to a normal, stable person has a way of making the little things so much smaller and we both often say, "So this is what a marriage really is? I love it!" We're the modern day Brady Bunch, plus one. Between us we have 7 kids, three of which are married, three grandkids, and two more grandkids on the way. Thankfully we only have a couple left at home.
    3 points
  11. I am pretty sure the 1/32" stems from the 43.13.b data that allows up to 10% of wall thickness. Mooney could not exceed that. We see plenty of nose wheel trusses fail - presumably after being dented and ignored for sometime. But I don't have any first hand info on that but would not be ignoring it either. Why risk a $40k repair for less than a $1K? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    3 points
  12. 50'X 50' hangar in Georgia. Room for 4 planes + toys. $50k divided by number of years of use minus whatever it sells for when I vacate. Beer refrigerator is the high cost item.
    3 points
  13. We spent the first year outside and where we're located it's harder on the plane in summer than winter. I can't tell you how much nicer to have it indoors lots more advantages than just the weather. Not to mention our airport is not secured at all so theft and vandalism is also a threat. Definitely worth the rent. There is no way to justify any of the costs associated with owning an airplane. We do it out of passion and love of flight.
    3 points
  14. Apologies if someone else has already posted this: T'was the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp, Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ. The aircraft were fastened to tie downs with care, In hopes that -- come morning -- they all would be there. The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots, With gusts from two-forty at 39 knots. I slumped at the fuel desk, now finally caught up, And settled down comfortably, resting my butt. When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter, I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter. A voice clearly heard over static and snow, Called for clearance to land at the airport below. He barked his transmission so lively and quick, I'd have sworn that the call sign he used was "St. Nick." I ran to the panel to turn up the lights, The better to welcome this magical flight. He called his position, no room for denial, "St. Nicholas One, turnin' left onto final." And what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a Rutan-built sleigh, with eight Rotax Reindeer! With vectors to final, down the glideslope he came, As he passed all fixes, he called them by name: "Now Ringo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun! On Comet! On Cupid!" What pills was he takin'? While controllers were sittin', and scratchin' their heads, They phoned to my office, and I heard it with dread, The message they left was both urgent and dour: "When Santa pulls in, have him please call the tower." He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking, Then I heard, "Left at Charlie," and "Taxi to parking." He slowed to a taxi, turned off of three-oh, And stopped on the ramp with a "Ho, ho-ho-ho..." He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk, I ran out to meet him with my best set of chocks. His red helmet and goggles were covered with frost, And his beard was all blackened from Reindeer exhaust. His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale, And he puffed on a pipe, but he didn't inhale. His cheeks were all rosy and jiggled like jelly, His boots were as black as a cropduster's belly. He was chubby and plump, in his suit of bright red, And he asked me to "fill it, with hundred low-lead." He came dashing in from the snow-covered pump, I knew he was anxious for drainin' the sump. I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work, And I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk. He came out of the restroom, and sighed in relief, Then he picked up a phone for a Flight Service brief. And I thought as he silently scribed in his log, These reindeer could land in an eighth-mile fog. He completed his pre-flight, from the front to the rear, Then he put on his headset, and I heard him yell, "Clear!" And laying a finger on his push-to-talk, He called up the tower for clearance and squawk. "Take taxiway Charlie, the southbound direction, Turn right three-two-zero at pilot's discretion". He sped down the runway, the best of the best, "Your traffic's a Grumman, inbound from the west." Then I heard him proclaim, as he climbed through the night, "Merry Christmas to all! I have the traffic in sight."
    3 points
  15. Hi everyone, during the now quieter time of the year I used some resources of my office to investigate how a GoPro (or any other action cam) that is mounted to a wing, influences the flow field. Many pilots are afraid to mount a cam to their wings or other locations on the fuselage, because it may make the aircraft uncontrollable in some situations. I summed it all up in a short video. Please let me know what experiences you had with outside mounted cams. Thanks
    2 points
  16. Okay, I probably get the CB award for hangers, Old T-hanger with sliders, but on the end close to the ramp, and have 220V outlet. $70 per month, but i get a 10% discount for paying for the year in advance. Sure it leaks a little, and i have to blow the dust and grass clippings out once a month, but the doors are a good leg work out. Even got ground crew to knock down the snow drifts a little lower for the Mooney. Not by choice, but the nice hangers do not have any turnover. Supposed to be getting new ones this year, but I'm not complaining. Closer timewise than driving to Lincoln airport and much cheaper. Best of all, great service from the FBO.
    2 points
  17. The suction screen should be the next item to check if metal is found in the filter or pressure screen. Often neglected because of location. I have seen them full of carbon, which will restrict oil flow.
    2 points
  18. Welcome aboard Marcus. My Dad was at Fort Bragg training for his part in WWII (82nd Airborne). When you are ready to buy, let us know what you are looking at. We love spending other people's money. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    2 points
  19. My oldest son is a lefty. Best quote I have heard was another lefty, gentleman about 70 years old tell my son "Lefty's designed the world for right handed people because they need the extra help."
    2 points
  20. El capabilidad de MS es grande! Best regards, -a-
    2 points
  21. We flew, but unfortunately it was a balmy 75 outside and the view was of Tennessee cornfields. My house to my folks, a short 20 minute hop. -Tom
    2 points
  22. I've previously mentioned the high costs of hangars in the Bay Area. I pay $741 a month (plus county property tax that works out to be about $100 per month. (This doesn't include the annual Personal Property tax that is about 1% of the aircraft's value). On the other hand I have a relatively new hangar at a towered airport about 7 miles south of SFO. AV gas is about $4.00 per gallon, delivered by truck. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    2 points
  23. My hangar elf designed and installed an alarm system that is activated when the limit is reached. It sounds a piezo while the limit is in contact, but you probably could not hear it over a running tug. Better, though, it activates a quieter piezo in the cabin, which remains on until re-set. When parked out of town, if I open the door and hear the alarm, I know to go check the truss for damage.
    2 points
  24. Being out in the weather does damage to more than just paint... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    2 points
  25. $155/month for a nice box hangar, wl electricity included.Will sublet until I have a Mooney to put back in it! ;D Airport and airport bums are both great. 6000', ILS, LPV, etc, Gorgeous town included, no extra cost. 100LL $4.26
    2 points
  26. Sorry about that Turtle, but now you also know what I have in my K and how it works. Information I'm sure you you were coveting!!!! Ron
    2 points
  27. Sounds like the regulators in NJ know what they are doing. Trusting their own citizens to do their own fueling would require a degree in physics, environmental science and mechanical engineering. Who knew?
    1 point
  28. Oh, I should mention how we came to look at Mooneys. Our family and extended family is spread out from Baltimore, Maryland as far south as Gainesville, Florida and as far west as Nashville, Tennessee. An airplane that would get us to Nashville in < 3 hours for as little avgas as possible means that we get to spend much more time with our grandchildren in Nashville, and our aging (and ailing) parents in Baltimore and Chattanooga. It also means that weekend trips to parts unknown are reasonable. I have an old paratrooper's back, that is to say, it doesn't work like it should, and the ten hour drive to Nashville lays me up for two days after we arrive. I had narrowed the field to these: Mooney M20C, E, or F - My wife and her sister can actually fit in the back seat of a C but the E's lower useful load could be an issue. The F models seem like a good overall fit for our mission though. J models typically cost more than we'd like to spend. Bellanca Super Viking - Finding someone who works on them is a challenge, and the fabric skin can be a problem, but they are sexy and very competent. Piper Comanche 250, 260 - Great planes, but have some very expensive and problematic ADs on the gear and such, plus, parts are an issue and finding someone who knows their way around them is a pain. Navion Rangemaster - Everything I said about the Comanche, but worse. Thirsty too. Beechcraft Bonanzas (through the J models at least) - These seem to have very short legs and their useful loads don't seem great. Cessna 210 - Expensive to operate and maintain.
    1 point
  29. Okay, fine.... I was paying $597 a month for this one at Reno before one of the smaller ones opened up. Could have parked a King Air in there... Cheers, Brian
    1 point
  30. It's still listed on Barnstormer's. It's the red 2013 with 102 hrs in Maryland. I'm planning when to fly it back to Texas as we speak!
    1 point
  31. You have to file an IFR or VFR (SFRA) plan and call for clearance before departure. With cell phone service available it is not hard even at little fields without a tower. I've found Potomac Departure is efficient & friendly--If you follow the basic procedures. If not, have your camera ready to get some great closeups of an F-16!
    1 point
  32. My 84k, 231, with less than 180 SMOH has been a good, reliable plane. Rarely do I have any oil leaks, and if I notice something small, it gets tightened so no more leaks. Two flights ago, I noticed a bit of oil on nose gear door so I did some snooping and it looked like it was coming from the turbo check valve. I talked to the mechanic and he thought it was coming from above there, on the accessory case (Not sure if that is the term, but right above the oil filter) and collecting on the check valve. He tightened the accessory case and the check valves and off I went. The next flight, about .4 hours, there was MUCH more oil on the nose gear doors, on the nose gear and all over the check valve/oil filter area (Accessory looked clean). So I parked it where it was and had a mechanic look at it Monday. It appears the adel clamps were loose, allowing movement and chaffing on the supply side turbo check valve, under the clamp. The chaffing causing two tiny pin size holes in the casing of the check valve. Hot oil squirting all over. Very little actual oil was lost, pressure and temperature never varied (Probably a couple of tablespoons of oil at most). So, 231 owners, check your adel clamps on the turbo check valves and make sure they're snug, there shouldn't be any play for the check valves to move around. I think there was a SB about Dukes check valves, but I'm pretty sure these are not them. $500 for a new check valve... Edit: I just called Top Gun (MSC) and they said those adel clamps should be inspected and changed every year...
    1 point
  33. Better use an explosion proof vacuum! "Do not try this yourself!!"
    1 point
  34. I'm reluctant to try to give an opinion without having seen the filter contents for myself or the suction screen, and Clarence makes an excellent point about the damage that metal can wreak inside an engine. But therein lies the question: How much metal? The report said a "minor amount" of metal and "some flakes". As Matt pointed out above, that could describe nearly anyone's filter, depending upon how many flakes were actually there. And the oil analysis said that your Fe was high. As Dev noted above, so what. Now we're talking about iron at the molecular and microscopic level. The suction screen is the biggest unknown at this point. If there are pieces of metal (primarily iron/steel) in the suction screen, I'd begin work on the engine very soon. If not, putting your engine on an oil/filter change and inspection at a reduced interval (10 -15 hours or so) is a good idea, and it sounds like that is what you're doing. Mike Busch always advises to not perform unwarranted maintenance and he notoriously dislikes cylinder removals. I wonder what he would say in this case?
    1 point
  35. Thats a good idea. But not many people will bypass a thread about famous boobs, so his question will eventually be read here.
    1 point
  36. But such are the perils of moving . . . Mine sat outside for six weeks before finding a hangar. I got lucky! At my WV airport, in the seven years I was there, exactly one hangar changed hands. But in the three years I've been gone, five have opened up. Timing . . . it's all timing.
    1 point
  37. I took my nephew up on Christmas Eve to do some flightseeing. Sorry, can't rotate the photo on my phone.
    1 point
  38. Very nice. I would kill for the flooring alone. I have priced it, and can't bring the CB in me to spring for it.
    1 point
  39. The LASAR rebuild is better than new and really the better option. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    1 point
  40. Welcome djm you must have been very good. Tell us more about yourself and your new Mooney
    1 point
  41. Happened to me at Oshkosh 2016. First time I had experienced this. Kept sticking my fuel tester in there hoping to dislodge whatever got stuck. Someone came over with a bucket but thank goodness after about 30 actuation it stopped. Replaced both when I got home. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    1 point
  42. I have been flying since 1993. My only "real" hold was December 30, 2004. Returning to Dallas late at night. ATC said they were having "end of the year" problems, that they were not letting anyone into Class B, and I should hold over Glen Rose (VOR) at a specified altitude. If my memory is correct, he didn't even give me any direction from the VOR, and gave me some strange leg length. When I quizzed him about he leg length, he told me to use any leg length I wanted. I could see planes above me at what appeared to be every 1000 feet or so. After only about one lap around Glen Rose, he cleared me on in.
    1 point
  43. I find the concept of "holding hostage" interesting I bring my airplane to you and tell you I will pay for an INSPECTION ONLY and I pay you for same then you say- "I won't give you back your airplane unless I repair all that I found wrong"? What's wrong with this picture? To the OP- your procedure should be defined with the MSC first for their concurrence and any and all sales contract items HAVE to be written into a formal sales contract, Nothing is ever done by good faith gestures when buying an airplane. AOPA can help here. Trust NO ONE selling an airplane to tell all or even know all that could be wrong with the airplane. Most owners haven't a clue as to the true mechanical condition of their airplane and many, if not most, are willing to have items not correct or working properly and not think anything of it. There was an airplane on here a while back that was sold with the stall warning inop and the cabin heat couldn't be turned off and the previous owner didn't think anything was terribly wrong. What's the first item on the engine fire check list? Turn the damn cabin heat off to keep the fire out of the cabin! What is more basic to safety than a stall warning system? You see what I mean? Trust no one selling an airplane. Get it all in writing and your procedure for inspection coordinated with the shop ahead of time so there are no surprises. Good shops deal with this all the time.
    1 point
  44. Gotta beat Marauder to the punch! Besides, we're on a new page, need a photo. Cyber warfare, keeping the thread on track. Sometimes prophylactic action is the best option. May this re-inoculation work as desired . . . . .
    1 point
  45. Bob i suspect you are between oil changes, but if you still have the oil drained, I would check the oil screen just to be sure there is nothing bigger there. I suspect there is not, but it helps feeling better about things. Ultimately it is your choice on what to do, but it seems that flying 6 hours in cruise is probably less stress on an engine than the typical 6 hours we might do in local flying. So, if your plan is to fly aff another 10-25 hours to check your oil anyways, then doing in cruise might be a nice test to see what things look like. It might make you feel better to plan your flight using airports as waypoints. I've done that on occasion...mainly weather, but it works for mechanical feel good too....you always know where you can land if something just doesn't feel right. As Alan said, we don't see the full trend here or what your filters looked like....so hard for us to make a recommendation.
    1 point
  46. But the VK 172 is still plugged into the Stratux in the plane. Doesn't it require power to transmit to the IPad. Can I just plug it into a USB port on my computer, make sure I am near a window, etc. and then do the checking.
    1 point
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