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Showing content with the highest reputation on 05/23/2017 in all areas

  1. Took off Friday and headed to Inyokern California KIYK for a cousins wedding. It was the first long cross country for my better half. She didn't like the bumps going over the mountains. But she enjoyed looking for traffic when atc would call it out begging on flight following. We lucked out the weather in Oregon held out so we could fly and didn't have to drive the 13 hours. We made our first stop due to dark at Oakdale O27. Other than fuel being 3.99 the night was a total mess. They were having a chocolate festival and there was not a hotel room available. So a $65 taxi ride to Modesto to the Double Tree. Then getting to Ridgecrest and it being 95 degrees was a big change from Oregon the day before... the flight back Sunday went great. We stopped at KSAC and had a great lunch with Thinwing, then a quick flight back home. The plane ran great, and this quick long cross country was the reason I bought a Mooney. I decided on the way home to use the auto pilot for the first time to for any amount of time. It was nice but I quickly got board. So I started doing busy work. It was a pretty great weekend filled with lots of miles yet I was nice and comfy in our bed early Sunday. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    5 points
  2. I must have misunderstood, I thought you said you moved up
    3 points
  3. We had a nice lunch Mooney Fly In at Lincoln Park for Alan's birthday. But Marauder decided not to show when he heard Alan was coming. And don't get me started about Sue W. She flew to a whole other state! Well, from the rest of us who showed up and endured, Happy Birthday Alan Fox!
    3 points
  4. Fair enough, but doughnuts have never leaked all over my tire. I haven't had to top them off with nitrogen. For the most part, you don't have to do anything.
    3 points
  5. I do something similar. I plan for an hour reserve based on the worst book cruise fuel burn. Can't really answer the poll since I think in terms of time not gallons and different aircraft have different burn rates.
    3 points
  6. Never EVER EVER let your passenger close the door in your Mooney. Not even if they're another pilot! I have never had a door pop when I closed it but the 2 times I've had a door pop, it was always when someone else closed it or had some sort of involvement in the process!
    3 points
  7. I know we've all seen the video clips but here is a long beautiful video from the photographer. There are some beautiful views of the Ultra over Canyon Lake and the Texas hill country. This is our usual practice area when @bucko, @"Chocks", I and others get together to fly formation. Enjoy
    2 points
  8. I put this in pre J model forum by mistake. This past Saturday was weathered out. Don Muncy is looking for at least five Mooniacs to commit to trying to be at Redbird airport Dallas. We would love to have you come join us Saturday. Don is a great host. The food is good and the people are great! All this and Mooneys too! let us know if you can make it.
    2 points
  9. My new-to-me E hasn't killed me yet. Picked it up at 0A7, flew to 24A for fuel (gorgeous), was trying to fly around a line of nasty weather when I realized I wasn't going to make it. Tried to put down at KLEX but I was the canary who discovered how "wildly variable" the winds has become (an American Airlines jet behind me also has to go around). Spent the night at Mount Sterling (KIOB). Flew IFR (considerable actual time) to Spirit of St. Louis the next day (yesterday). Today flew IFR to KFTW for fuel and BBQ (Cooper's), then on to El Paso - but headwinds, high climb (10,000'), fuel rate uncertainty, and a small but significant pocket of weather suggested KMAF (Odessa) instead, so that's where 4BE is parked for tonight. Tomorrow the plan is to hit AVQ around lunch. @KLRDMD, know it's short notice, but if you're a available can I buy you a sandwich? The plane: There are some squawks, but nothing more more than I'd expect in a $27,000 51 year old airplane... Developing.
    2 points
  10. 2 points
  11. District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott will offer a resolution in support of a proclamation honoring Paul and Shery Loewen on June 20 at the county courthouse. The matter is scheduled for 9 a.m. and it would be nice to have a great show of support from the LCAA membership. I’ve been asked to make some brief remarks to the board. The proclamation will be presented by Supervisor Scott to the Loewen’s at an LCAA event which will be scheduled upon their return from vacation. Paul and Shery want to schedule it in order to accommodate the schedules and travel needs of their children who want to attend. A copy of a letter sent to the LCAA LCAA is Lake County Airmans Association Anyway I just thought I would share this for those that might be interested. Nice to know the County is recognizing the Loewens for all the years they have been a part of our very small business comunity.
    2 points
  12. Video played fine, awesome way to find it. Grabbed a little better frame from your video.
    2 points
  13. Well, It was the right magneto condenser/capacitor. We replaced it and no more noise. I was incorrect in what I wrote above; I thought the noise could be isolated by running on the L mag switch. Apparently such is not the case. My A&P surmised that even though the R mag is grounded, it is still spinning so the bad capacitor could still send out RF interference.
    2 points
  14. Great trip, and I love the pictures. My wife loves flying but is not a fan of the bumps. She hasn't flown with me in anything that I would call more than light chop yet, but she is getting more comfortable with it the more she flies with me. I don't think she will ever get to the point that she wouldn't be bothered by moderate chop, but she is getting closer to being okay with the light stuff.
    2 points
  15. I think the 3 logs, although not required, arose by tradition because it is likely an engine or prop my be replaced, and the log book for that unit can be disposed of. The goal being to reduce the amount of paperwork an owner has to keep.
    2 points
  16. As we all know VFR fuel reserves are 30 minutes day and 45 minutes night @normal cruise. Typically I want an hours reserve after I land and always assume an hour flight even if it is just around the pattern. At a conservative 15 GPH I would have 30 gals of useable on takeoff. Interestingly In my A/C I see empty tanks with 15 gals useable per side so no ability to use a dip stick. As a heads up here is a dip stick story. I recently flew in a helicopter and was concerned about the fuel on board as the pilot had been giving rides to friends at the local airport. I requested the pilot dip stick the fuel before climbing aboard which he did. I watched from the side as the rotor was still turning. He said it was OK but I did not trust the statement as I had been timing the flights. We agreeded he would hover taxi to the fuel pumps a foot or so off the tarmac. Once we reached the fuel area he inadvertently rose to about four feet and at that moment the helo ran out of fuel. He was unable to recover and we landed very hard on the right skid. The Main rotor just missed the tarmac as it tipped on its right side where I was sitting. Luckily it bounced to center and except for a very hard landing we walked away unscathed. When we reviewed the issues I asked about the dip stick which I could not see from outside the rotor area. He showed me the stick. What he saw was the years of fuel stain on the stick as opposed to actual wet fuel on the stick. He had intended to fly at 60 feet to the pumps which were at the other side of the airport. Thankfully we did not. Flying is not inherently dangerous but it is terribly unforgiving. I consider myself lucky in this instance and it reinforces the fact that you cannot be to careful regardless of what others may say. Trust your own judgement. Fly safe.
    2 points
  17. Great report! That's why we all bought Mooneys. It's nice when your wife wants to fly with you.
    2 points
  18. The Bravo should be leaned by TIT. At 75% power (29"/2400) you should lean to 125° rich of peak TIT. That should give 18.5 gal/hr for the 1st hour and then 18 gal/hr thereafter. Don't lean by EGT using Lean Find. LOP operation not really recommended in my opinion on the Bravo.
    2 points
  19. Just to close the loop on this, I had a very nice call with Robert Dutton, VP of Production Operations, this afternoon. He personally called me back within about two hours of me leaving a voice message to the factory. He acknowledged some of the recent controversy about giving tours, but said that had been a policy of the "prior administration" which had caused much consternation among employees. Now the factory gladly welcomes everyone from the "Mooney Family," which includes just about anyone who owns, has owned, works on, wants to buy or even just fantasizes about a Mooney. Ok, I made that last one up, but just barely! The point is, they are happy to have you in so you can see what's going on. They do ask for 48 hour notice and there is a short set of questions they ask you to answer in advance, just standard things like contact info and your prior experience with Mooneys, etc. And you do have to sign an NDA at the start, which is normal. Robert said he will likely be giving me the tour himself, so this will be fun. I'm planning on going Wed June 7 mid-morning. Should be fun!
    2 points
  20. Vinyl and one of them fancy rivet rollers and I can save $600,000 for avgas :-)
    2 points
  21. Do yourself a favor and tell them you want it done on 3m IJ180cv3, 3m IJ180mC-10, or Avery 1105EZRS. As a last resort (if it's FastSigns, they typically use cheap materials.. I know, I worked at one back in the day) ask for Arlon SLX. #1, it will be easier to install cleanly since it has a bubble free component to the adhesive. #2, you'll thank me when you have to remove it. It removes easily and cleanly, leaving no (or VERY little) adhesive residue. If you use one of the more inexpensive vinyls with a permanent acrylic adhesive, you'll be hating life when you try to remove it. If you're not having them printed, but rather cut out of a solid color, ask for 3m's 1080 series or Avery's SW900 series.
    2 points
  22. I submit an oil seasoned cast iron skillet to the "does metal soak up oil?" question
    2 points
  23. Hope the winds are in you favour Bryan! Did an 1100nm leg last week (crossing a low pressure system, so headwinds all the way) : 7.5 hours airborne - really enjoyed getting out at the end
    2 points
  24. In case others do not know about this...If the latch over your manual gear extension pump handle gets knocked off the handle, raising your gear handle will result in your gear circuit breaker popping, and the gear remaining in the down-and-locked position. (I thought that was going to be the lesson from this thread.) Put the latch in the proper position, reset the CB, and the gear will function normally. One other thing to be cognizant, is that flying with a known malfunction can get you in trouble with the FAA. This includes flying with malfunctioning gear. As soon as you realize you have a malfunction and complete troubleshooting it, you are expected to take the safest, most expeditious route to land As Soon As Practical. I am sure this is exactly what wishboneash did, and everyone else will do the same. Both of these bits of knowledge come to me from experience.
    2 points
  25. I'm interested. I reached out to a few wrapping companies, even some that showed wrapped aircraft on their websites, for a quote to wrap my F... and not one of them responded. Eventually I found it was because no one wanted to go through the hassle of dealing with the FAA with a certificated plane. If you figure out all the legalities and are interested then I need to get a quote from you.
    2 points
  26. Things to consider... 1) overall weight... 2) what happens if it releases in parts or in whole. 3) probably a weight and balance challenge to add to any control surface. Flaps, rudder, ailerons, elevator... 4) the best way to handle this is probably work with an aviation paint shop who has the legal expertise and ability to sign off on the decorative work being done. 5) there are many vinyl stripes and fancy decals in the aviation world. 6) take a look at race planes loaded with sponsorships and fancy graphics. 7) how expensive is it to do up a motor home? The surface area might be quite similar. 8) expect a lot of experience to make it as nice as you expect. Every bump and access hole may want to be maintained... 9) Ms has a paint shop guru around here somewhere. They do high end helicopters along with their Mooney experience. Probably can get some help with the technical issue through them..? 10) Review other Mooney paint layouts. There have been a few Eagles and flags and other interesting things.... 11) rough surfaces are a tough add-on to the laminar wing. It can add challenges similar to frost. Read up on frost to see how that challenge is a bit surprising for some... Things that come to a PP's mind. Not a paint guru... Best regards, -a-
    2 points
  27. Finally decided to go after my nuisance fuel leak. Hooked up shop vac and used soapy water to locate it in less than 30 seconds. IMG_5846.MOV
    1 point
  28. I don't have a fixed reserve in gallons or time. I start with the 45 minutes IFR minimum. To that I add a reserve factor based on arrival and departure delay possibility. For example, coming into Chicago or D.C. areas I can count on ATC assigning lower altitudes than I want far from my destination. If weather is low enough that no visual approaches are in use I expect vectors to here, out there and every which way, except direct. Heading for a major metro area airport in general IMC I want to have 2+ hours fuel aboard at my scheduled landing time. Compare that going into Rawlings WY where 45 minutes reserve may be plenty even in IMC. Enroute diversions due to weather have added 50% to some of my recent X-C trips: A planned two hour leg took 3 hours. Nice to have that fuel in the tanks. Don't forget the fuel has to be there to take you to your alternate, too, even if you don't divert. I recall the old aviation saying, "the only time I have too much fuel aboard is if the airplane is on fire."
    1 point
  29. Donuts are fine on the short, lighter bodies, they seem to last for 20+ years, on the heavy long bodies, not so much. I'm pretty sure if Al designed the Acclaim and Ovation today, they wouldn't have donuts.
    1 point
  30. In the three years I've been on MooneySpace, I've made a list of seven members who found a "great buy" on a Mooney only to spend ridiculous dollars immediately after the sale to get the plane airworthy or within the first year of ownership. Try not to join this group. The "great deals", "steals", "barn finds", are rarely as good in the end as they look in the beginning.
    1 point
  31. PIREP. We finally got the Cies floats installed and connected to our Aerospace Logic FL202 (resistance) gauge. 1. Install. Took quite some time and it's a good thing I have small hands and arms so could reach in through the inspection ports to run the power wire to the outboard senders. Had to make a call to Scott to confirm a couple things. a). In the Mooney the float is installed upside down because of the bolt pattern. b.) Even though it is upside down, the resistance increases with increasing fuel because Scott makes adjustments to the float to make that happen. c) The manual does not show the wiring diagram for a 'resistance' gauge, only frequency and volts based. Scott confirmed that I wanted the green volts output signal going to the gauge even though it was not a volts gauge. Again, he had made changes to the unit to make it function properly. So for me it went blue signal wire from the outboard connected to the gray input on the inboard and the green output from the inboard to the gauge. Also, when installing the floats, pay attention to where the float will rest. If you aren't careful, it might wedge itself against the side of a stiffener and stick. I had to slightly bend the arm on the right wing outboard unit to keep it from doing that. 2. Calibration. Had one false start because the left inboard float apparently got stuck on the bottom of the tank. After that it went pretty smoothly. While adding the first 10 gallons or so, be sure to allow plenty of time to let the fuel you've added run through the weep holes to get all the way to the float. It will take quite some time for the readings to stabilize. Goes much quicker once you have more than about 10 gallons on board. There is still a little dithering even when stable. I just tried to figure out where the middle of the dithering was and push the button at that point. Dithering was only about +/- 2 millivolts though. 3. Ground reading to actual fuel conversion chart. During this operation we noticed that the gauge did not change in .1 gallon increments, but rather in about .3 gallon increments. Bottom line on the conversion chart, we didn't bother. When all was said and done, on our J, for most fuel levels, actual fuel was usually within .5 gallon of indicated on the ground. So we assume we have .5 gallon less than indicated for each tank. 4. Flight. Finally flew it yesterday, S50 (Auburn, WA) to BFI (Boeing Field) to ALW (Walla Walla, Washington), to S50. In smooth air, rock steady. Confirmed that it does in fact change in about .3 gallon increments. At 9 GPH, that should be a change every 2 minutes or so. Sure enough, that's what happened +/- 30 seconds or so. In light turbulence, the readings stayed within one increment of actual. That is, if the actual was 20.4 gallon, it might vary from 20.1 to 20.7. 5. After landing, fuel movement during turns will give false indications, but that is to be expected. However, once taxiing straight on level ground for about 30 - 60 seconds, I looked at the gauge. It indicated 16.2 in the left and 18.8 in the right (35 total). After parking I stuck the wings and found 16.8 in the left and 19.0 in the right (35.8 total). I'm a happy camper. Bob
    1 point
  32. My magic number is 10. If I ever reach a destination with anything under 10 gallons fuel on board I will refuse to land! I just wont do it! On a more serious note Yogi Berra said "when you come to a fork in the road, take it." My airplane having two tanks is sort of like a fork in the road! So I fill them! I figure both were meant to carry fuel...not air!
    1 point
  33. Clean it up, and watch to see how long it takes to reappear. Then you'll know if it's a real problem and how hard to chase it down.
    1 point
  34. Ground running is actually worse than letting the plane sit--it creates moisture without getting the oil hot enough to boil it off. If the plane sat in a dry climate, it may be okay. I bought a plane that flew almost none for 4 years that sat in NM, and when we borescoped the cylinders, only trace corrosion, and oil analyses have been reassuring. Make sure they borescope the cylinders and check the steel frame on the PPI. I'd want to make sure everything works when the plane is FLYING, not when it is on the ground. As such, the lack of completed annual would make me nervous. Remember, nobody can flight test it if it is out of annual.
    1 point
  35. I removed a lot of things from the one in my Owners Manual. I think "Radio--ON and Set" a couple of times is no longer applicable now that there is an Avionics Master Switch that has been added. Same for turning the radios off before shutdown. And I moved some things around to suit me. Etc., etc.
    1 point
  36. I have read things on the checklist and then missed them. I like flows better. Start between the seats then up and right and then across to the left. I think you can check more things with less distraction. You can spend visual time on each gauge or switch and ensure it is where it is supposed to be. Kind of like the line in the check list of "check flight instruments"
    1 point
  37. Everything was off that could be turned off. My 231 is a 14V, 28V may do better but when I did my friend's T182RG that's 28V I had the external power source on it too. But then again, my maintenance guys just let me keep an APU for the weekend.
    1 point
  38. Generally it is full tanks or 10 gallons to go buy fuel which is 30 mins away. When you are buying 55+ gallons a $1 a gallon adds up. If it is borderline I will put in 5 gallons of expensive gas just to be safe.
    1 point
  39. Sorry to keep dragging up this thread, but my rough air confidence in the Mooney just continues to improve. Had a little bit of a challenge for a trip I took today. There were some various and constantly changing cloud layers which made things a little interesting, but the afternoon rough air was an interesting experience. The years I have spent in the Taildragger have made me into someone that dreads rough air to a point of avoiding it unless there is a real need to fly in it. Today, I went to Mount Pleasant and got in the air about 1:00 to give Sandy her first Mooney flight. The air was rough enough that it made her slightly queasy. This was surprising because she is a tough, action packed kind of girl. She has done lots of skiing and other adrenaline activities over the years, so there isn't much that bothers her. After giving her a flight in the rough air, I headed back to put Joyce away. It was pretty darn rough, pitching me all over the place, but it really didn't bother me. I feel vastly more confident with the Mooney in rough air, than even my very best day ever in the taildragger. I believe that the wing and the positive control linkage is what makes the Mooney different. Whatever it is, it is making aviation more useful for me.
    1 point
  40. Generally I would always fly with fuel in both tanks. But towards the end of a long trip, I believe 10 gallons in one tank is safer, more useable, etc, then 5 gal Left and 5 gal Right. The tank is less likely to suck air in a turn, I've got more margin for error of quantity calculation, etc. Bottom line is that if I'm down to my last 10 gallons, I'd like it to be all in one tank rather than some in one tank and some in the other.
    1 point
  41. Congrats on the sale. Where did you get those yokes, they look great? Did you buy them new, or just have the old ones wrapped? Been looking at some older C's and the yokes tend to be extremely beat up. That seems like a relatively inexpensive way to liven it up.
    1 point
  42. Can't wait for him to beat this record (previously set by a Bonanza). Fly safe, fly fast Pinky! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    1 point
  43. All the graphics on the new Cessnas are vinyl, as are the tail numbers, as well as the graphics on a lot of other current production planes. I did a partial wrap to cover the 70's brown and gold stripes on my C. Still looks as good as the day I did it roughly a year and several hundred flight hours later. I've had it through an annual and several different A&P's. They all commented positively on the results. It sits outside on a tie down too.
    1 point
  44. As mine is still in the shop, I'm living vicariously through others who get to fly. Brian Lloyd launched today on his circumnavigation of the globe in his 231. This is his first leg from San Marcos, TX (KHYI) to Long Island, NY (KFRG). This was done non-stop in 7:46, most of it at FL230. Next he'll go NYC to Paris recreating Lindbergh's flight and hoping to set a speed record for single engine piston, on this route. And then on around the globe. You can follow along on Flight Aware, he is N916BL.
    1 point
  45. Based on @carusoam note above that this is actually an E... a 1963 E no less... I'll adjust my estimate. Add $45K of avionics work and you'll have a $55K E. I know there are buyers that will be happy with a basic VFR airplane. But I do think it's a poor investment to buy a plane with an antique panel. Sellers never get the money back they spend upgrading vintage Mooneys. But plenty have upgraded them anyway. And they do come up for sale. And they can be had for reasonable prices. As @"Chocks" says, a fully upgraded and well maintained C will not fetch more than $50K. And the same fully upgraded E will not likely fetch more than $65K. Full glass panels might bump the value another $10K, but it would have to be @Marauder level quality. There's already a waiting list for @Bob_Belville M20E, longer than the wait list for a hangar at most airports. And @Marauder is too young to even think of selling his. I hope to put my 252 out of reach as well and fly it forever. But good ones do come up for sale regularly. You just have to wait and then be ready to buy.
    1 point
  46. You should. Alan was so upset you weren't there.
    1 point
  47. I would not wrap the wings or control surfaces. Only the fuselage. I've been wrapping vehicles for coming up on 15 years. I've never had a piece 'rip' off, and I've wrapped NASCAR and Formula 1 cars. Remember, many of the passenger jets flying around today have vinyl applied to them. With the amount I am considering applying, we're looking at FAR less than 10lbs. Less than 5 almost assuredly. I can pretty easily calculate a per square foot weight. I'll have to do that at the shop next week. Yes, you can wax it and it is actually recommended to do so You don't want to hit it with an electric buffer as it's easy to 'burn' the UV lamination, but a hand wax is great.
    1 point
  48. Simple arithmetic. A new one does not equate to an additional 2/3 in value or utility of a used one costing 1/3 as much.
    1 point
  49. This is a great video of the 2014 Mooney Caravan arrival into Oshkosh. We landed 13 elements spaced about 30 seconds between elements. By the time the final 3 or 4 elements were landing, it was raining and quite gusty. Look at about 20 or 22 minutes into the video to see some good shots of Mooney's landing side by side on the runway and handling the gusty crosswinds just fine.
    1 point
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