Leaderboard

Seems to me you are looking for something to complain about since you are saying that the GFC500 has this horrible " limitation" by not being able to fly a coupled approach if something that pretty much never happens, happens. GPS outages almost never happen. Has one ever even happened to you? And if you knew GPS was going to be down would you ever even launch an IFR flight on standard equipement alone? With Vnav mode, envelope protection, a LVL button and ESP taking over even when the AP is not even engaged it's a bit of false advertising to claim it's a step backwards because it can't do something in a situation that pretty much never happens. Also remember that the AP still works if GPS is down. You just have to think more and use it in heading and VS mode. If the reason you are against it is because you think it's not worth ripping out a perfectly functioning auto pilot I would probably agree with you. But to say it's a step backwards is total hogwash.

Okay, the Trutrak will be approved any day. I jumped through all kinds of hoops and finally got my Positive Control working to get me by until the TT is certified, so it will now be any day.

I will say that while we don't have a date locked in yet, we are working very hard to get this wrapped up. Waiting on FAA feedback from our last batch of submitted docs. fingers crossed! Thanks, Andrew

I have it on good authority it is scheduled for April 1 for the Mooney M20B thru G.

Aren't ALL Airplanes made from this paper?

I’m not sure how to answer your question. Are you looking for better info than the A/FD? If the runway is less than good, call the airport and ask them. The worst runway I ever landed on was 27R at KELP back in the 90s. It had cracks in the asphalt that would swallow your wheels. The Mooney landing gear it tougher than you think and unless there is something sticking up about 6 inches, the prop isn’t going to hit it with the mains on the ground..

I appreciate your willingness to spend the money and time on your Positive Control so that I can get my TT sooner.

100% chance!

Yeah, but what year?

Seriously, are we all such rotten pilots that our autopilots have to fly coupled approaches or our whole day must go to crap? Lance, you could still use the GFC 500 to fly the ILS, but you might have to do it using Heading and Vertical Speed modes. Oh the Horror!

There have been lots of E5 / Aspen posts lately and just wanted to get an update out there. Aspen delivered an updated E5 ( with the new 2.11 software ) to my shop and was able to get it installed today. I have just 30 min on the new unit but no issues so far....Aspen has been responsive to the issue and feels like we are moving forward.

And then there was the time I was IMC vectored for the approach to Monterey CA with about a 30 kt cross wind at 2000'. The tower had just switched runways from 28L to 10R and forgot to change over the localizer. The unexpected reverse sensing made for an interesting intercept. So, stuff can happen with any system. I'm certainly not knocking the GFC 500. I'm sure it's a great autopilot. Garmin builds fine stuff and if it fit in with my current equipment and future plans I wouldn't hesitate to install it. My comments are mostly based on a concern that we are putting more and more eggs into the GPS basket and I've been around long enough to know that things happen. Just because something hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. Skip

Fun story full of self aggrandizement. We have an Origami convention in my one horse town we call CenterFold. Last year we had as one of our special invited guests as really awesome Swedish folder. He showed me his favorite paper airplane, which nicely flew across the room. I put together one of my better designs, which went across the room, out the door and down the hall. There are people who can make better paper airplanes than I, but not too damn many of them.

Ok, I’ll bite on this as well. I couldn’t agree more with this statement above. Here’s the real life of having a 30+ year old KFC150 AP vs the GFC500. In the 1.5 years I had my KFC150, I had: Random disconnects due to fluctuating voltage as sort of displayed by the ammeter (different root issue but still caused a disconnect). No disconnects when this same issue showed up with having the GFC500. KFC150 servo? issues in rough air causing disconnect. Never an issue with the GFC500 in some really rough stuff. DC electric remote directional gyro failed, rendering the KFC150 useless. Broken wire and old KFC150 tray connectors not connecting randomly upon reinstalls. Not exactly the KFC150’s fault, but the connector type and age are an important failure mode of any old AP. I’ll take my chances with the minuscule chances of hand flying (Or using VS/HDG mode AP) a working ILS if GPS goes out vs the above. In the one year I’ve had my GFC500, I’ve had: Over 110 hours of flight time, zero disconnects, malfunctions, or failures. Just one person’s real world experience.

I think those A&P/IAs are shrugging because your engine is pretty normal for a mid-time TSIO-360. Needing a turbo overhaul at mid-time is also not abnormal. You're starting to pick up some minor oil leaks and your cylinders are starting to get pretty oily, especially around your bottom spark plugs (such as the picture I included above). Certainly not abnormal behavior at mid-time as your oil control rings seem to be letting some oil past. Your compression rings are still in nice shape, which is why your compressions are still so good. Mike Busch would say the same as your mechanics, keep running it and feeding it oil until consumption gets greater than a quart every 4-6 hours, and keep borescoping the cylinders to see if one is getting considerably more oily than the others. Mike would be against more invasive maintenance than that unless you absolutely had to. If you really want to address the issue, then you'd be looking at a top overhaul, or at a minimum just putting in new rings. That would also get all of the pushrod tubes resealed so they'd stop leaking too. You might consider re-ringing the worst cylinders now, and then take another look at oil consumption in 6 months to a year and doing more, if necessary. Done in conjunction with your annual inspection would keep the costs down. I will admit that as an A&P myself, I'm better with Lycoming than Continentals. @M20Doc and @kortopates could probably add better advice here. I think you're lucky that you have so many mechanics that are looking out for you and not tying to screw you over.

This is my yearly bump to this thread, reminding you and your hanger neighbors to equip with a digital CO detector. 3 years ago right now I was in a medevac helicopter being airlifted to the Mayo Clinic as a result from my "off field" landing. Thanks to everyone here for the help spreading the word on CO. The response has been remarkable, but there is still a lot of unequipped airplanes and pilots out there. Sensorcon is still offering a 20% discount on their detectors for pilots. www.sensorcon.com 20% Code: flysafe2019 Cheers, Dan

I wish that would work! The truth is that there is just so much work to do and not enough FAA engineers to get it done, that is why a lot of our projects go through other pathways. The TT product line was done direct with the FAA and has stayed on that track since then. We surely appreciate the dedication and willingness to help out! ~Andrew

It's always a good idea to keep your Mooney, light on it's gear. Good soft field technique is always a good plan. But I wouldn't limit where I can go in the Mooney, within reason, of course. I've been in and out of gravel strips in Northern Canada, in and out of BurningMan several times, and to numerous other grass and less than "good" runways. I've never had a problem with my 252 or the M20C. The 252 has the extra low gear doors as well.

Why the negativity? I prefer optimism, so I’m predicting it will be certified before February 30th.

Wish to donate but no Paypal account. Any other way to send you some dough?

I agree with all of that, but that has to do with pilot skills which should be kept continually sharp. However, to build a GPS-required-for-a-coupled-ILS-approach into the autopilot seems like a design flaw or shortfall of the GFC500 to me, since that is not a limitation of the GFC600 or the STEC 3100. But again everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

As I mentioned . . . the GFC500 is a fine autopilot, but no box is perfect. They all have limitations. I was merely pointing out a limitation that I personally would not be willing to live with. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, including me. By the way I've never worked for anyone in my life but I'm not sure what that has to do with the limitations of various autopilots.

Hum maybe he meant feburary 2, 2020 ground hogs day where the days events keeps repeating Like product release dates Just kidding

Try this. Find lowest price at a non airport location. Take uber or lyft to go get it. See how that affects your total sl cost. Major airports have tons of surcharges.

I hear they fly much better when Benjamin Franklin is the pilot.

Doesn't Jewel do them for about 1/2 that amount?

Depends on what you are trying to do: If you want a really tight turn, you want to pull g's. If you want to accelerate you want to unload.

Almost 9 years ago, not sure you’ll get an answer... -Don

So here's the answer to the original question...given this forecast sounding, what precip type would you expect *at the surface*? I am not asking about what might be lurking 1000 feet or more above the surface. Second, this is a forecast sounding, not an observational sounding from a radiosonde. The answer is...there isn't a definitive answer except to say, it's definitely NOT freezing rain and it's very likely a mixed precipitation scenario. Freezing rain *at the surface* would require that the surface temperature be less than 0°C. In this forecast sounding, it is not. There is a deep isothermal layer (temperature remaining constant with height) from just above the surface to about 7000 feet MSL. This isothermal layer is hugging the 0°C isotherm. I know that this will have snow as a mixture since this is a deep system with cold cloud top temperatures (<< -20°C). The variable is, what will it be mixed with. The two choices are rain and/or ice pellets. The isothermal layer isn't warm enough to entirely melt the snow. However there will likely be some snow that does partially melt and may re-freeze into ice pellets or stay liquid as rain. All of this depends on just how much the actual temperature swings to the warmer or colder side of the 0°C isotherm. This was in Charlotte and I can say for sure that it started out as some wet snowflakes and then mixed with ice pellets and then switched to a mixture of snow and rain. Initially, the TAF for KCLT was showing light rain. KCLT 311409Z 3114/0118 03005KT P6SM BKN080 OVC200 FM311600 04005KT P6SM SCT040 BKN070 TEMPO 3116/3118 4SM -RA BR SCT025 BKN040 FM311800 01005KT 4SM -RA BR OVC023 FM312000 04006KT 3SM -RA BR OVC012 FM312200 02006KT 4SM -RA BR OVC007 FM011200 34004KT 3SM BR BKN015= Then they amended the TAF to include a mixture of snow and ice pellets. Likely after KCLT began reporting PL mixed with rain around 1535Z and later at 1552Z it was mixed snow and rain. KCLT 311559Z 3116/0118 03005KT 6SM -RA OVC060 TEMPO 3116/3117 2SM -SNPL BR BKN025 OVC040 FM311700 01005KT 4SM -RA BR OVC023 FM312000 04006KT 3SM -RA BR OVC012 FM312200 02006KT 4SM -RA BR OVC007 FM011200 34004KT 3SM BR BKN015= SPECI KCLT 311535Z 27004KT 8SM -PLRA OVC060 04/M02 A3028 RMK AO2 RAB08PLB34 PRESRR P0000 T00391017= SPECI KCLT 311543Z 28005KT 8SM -RA OVC055 04/M01 A3029 RMK AO2 RAB08PLB34E42 P0000 T00391011= METAR KCLT 311552Z 29005KT 9SM -SNRA BKN045 OVC055 03/M01 A3029 RMK AO2 RAB08PLB34E42SNB51 SLP259 P0000 T00331011=

Roundtrip flight from home to KFSO, Swanton, VT (where an extended downwind yields a "Welcome to Canada" Verizon text) to retrieve Moondance from the paint shop on Wednesday. Then flew to Bar Harbor, ME on Thursday before dropping it off for its Annual just before sundown. Two absolutely spectacular days of flying sandwiched between months of downtime. Mt. Mansfield area - Very appreciative for the flight up in a friend's SR22. ...and even happier when I arrived... ....and ecstatic to have a gorgeous second day to fly up the Maine coast and back. Now back to flying the simulator for another month or two while waiting again. Dave

Took my wife flying for the first time in 252AD, finally. We did a rescue flight for Pilot N Paws yesterday (1/24/202). Two Rottie “puppies” were rescued from a facility in Amarillo, TX and are in Denver to be placed with new families. Bruce and Mila are two very sweet pups and they were a delight to have along. Bruce was in a harness and got to be in all the photos.

I sit in one of these seats in the back of one of our corporate planes. We just had one of our GIV-SPs' interiors redone by Duncan Aviation in Battle Creek. Makes the trip from Birmingham to Cartagena very pleasant for 14 of us. I know we have some Gulfstream pilots here on MS, but I will never be that good or qualified, so I sit in the back and relax. How/What do you fly, if not in your Mooney?

I am trying to see if I can make that work, now that I finally have my IFR rating, I have some time back in my life, I’ll look at the email again, and hopefully able to make the call in the next week or two, I’ll need to be in the newbie class, beginner class i registered, see ya there

I'm officially afraid of what's coming next . . . . . Please pass the eye bleach!!

Who among us didn't see this coming....

Great follow-up 95R. Thanks for sharing the details. Best regards, -a-

This is my favorite paper airplane book. Can you fold a few and send them to me?

Im following what everyone is saying and this is my take. When considering something expensive like an AP install, for an airplane with none, then anything is better than none. When considering removing a working autopilot to add a different one, it is natural to lament functionality lost even if it is a backup remote chance functionality. On the other hand, something like lost GPS signal can happen, either due to global lost availability, or otherwise due to a local hardware failure (broken GTN?), but that happens rarely so we would hope - but it should not be a critical emergency but rather just a convenience emergency assuming we know how to hand fly our airplanes on an ILS. So if it is convenience, consider the convenience of a superb ride like rails autopilot for most of the time like the GFC500 vs the rare inconvenience of having to hand fly if GPS signal, versus the less precise but still good KFC200 but always there even if GPS signal fails - but then...KFC200 is old stuff so how reliable is it in the first place versus how reliable is the complete system GFC500...I would say my KFC200 is more likely to go belly up in say 100 hours worth of flying and force me to hand fly rather than a GFC500 to loose GPS signal and force me to handily my ILS, total risks all in - made up numbers so your mileage may vary. Not to mention the cost of install of a new GFC500 r&r vs the continuing cost of maintaining KFC200. Now the discussion of GFC600 keeps bubbling up, but I find this no more relevant than bringing up the cost of a G3000 with a GFC700 autopilot - these are not available for my airplane, so cost is not part of that story - it aint available at any cost.

After waiting over a year for this unit to become available, I finally had the KI-300 installed a few days ago, plus the KA-310 adapter to go with my KFC-200 flight director. Once one flight with it so far, but it's very precise and handles course tracking and approaches smoothly. I'll report again once I've had some time to play with it. Mechanic who installed it said it a real chore... so many wires. Not anywhere near "plug and play" as they advertise. I was a little disappointed to see Garmin come out with their GI-275 AFTER I bought the KI-300 (a little cheaper). Guess technology will always stay ahead of us. PS - I drive a 1980 M20J.

Above +30kts winds your may surprisingly notice that ground speed is no longer true airspeed + wind speed, unless everything is smooth like silk The obvious reasons are turbulence, wind-sheer and vertical updrafts/waves air movements (how to "efficiently" fly along these: same pitch? same IAS? same AoA? but rule of thumbs are slow in turbulence, fast in sink, slow in updraft) Less obvious relates to aircraft aerodynamics: drag/power are non-linear (convex curves of speed): speed you get grows with power but not as much as one thinks, so when power vary around some average value, average speed is less than the speed at that average power (or when speed vary around some value, average drag is higher than drag at average speed, something you can blame on a Danish guy named Johan Jensen...) My worst was 20kts GS in a C172 ! In a Mooney, I recall around 50kts but I had to slow down not to lose my teeth

Do you send your oil in for analysis? That can be really useful when consumption starts changing, but it is most useful if you have a history of oil analysis against which to check trends.

Thanks David for another good experience with a fellow mooneyspacer!

Thank you all. Leaving it alone. It’s working great as is.

I had an interesting spook yesterday. I flew to Burlington, VT on an absolutely gorgeous bluebird-cold-crisp day for a work meeting. ~5F on departure. Maybe 12kts of wind. I put on the cowl covers hoping to hold in the heat for my departure in about 3 hrs but it ended up being closer to 5 hours and the engine was stone cold soaked when I took of the covers, considering it was maybe 20F not to mention wind. So I called for the line guys with the pre-heater thing which blows hot air into the cowl nose holes. Its pretty effective. In 10 min it was reasonably toasty in the engine area - climbed in - and oil was about 60F as I fired up. But then while I was getting weather on the ATIS I heard alarms and looked up and saw my CO monitor was alarming already at 60ppm, and climbing to 80ppm, and I figured uh-oh-problem houston. So I opened the door (on the ground remember) opened the window and about to shut down when I saw it was already decreasing quickly. Within 2 min it was down to 10. Before I taxied it was down to 5 and it was 2 by the time I was on take off roll. And back to the usual 0 during cruise. (Oh and I had closed the door by the time it was down to 10 - remember its cold too). So you see what happened - that heater had been blowing some heavy duty CO hot air into the engine area and since I started up almost immediately before it dissipated on its own, it came right into the cabin. Anyone ever have that?

They typically don't leave if they are making money. Three underwriting companies left in about a 15 month timeframe.

@M20C_AV8R here's our May formation clinic -- come join! Odds are good @amillet will make it :-)

201QH got to visit @jetdriven and @Beccas 201EQ Sunday. Went up to pick up a tug I bought from Byron but missed its owners, unfortunately. Great flight up and back. I did pick up some light icing on the decent to the east of Dulles. There was an airmet over the mountains but no reports for the Dulles arrivals (total air temp differences between me at 150kts and the jets at 230-250). Picked up probably 1/8 in in 1000 ft of cloud in a few minutes. Outs were stay above the layer or descend below, just don’t hang out in it. Wouldn’t have been able to turn East (FRZ) if another exit was required, however. Reported to ATC. Airmet Zulu addended and a couple of other light GA reported as the soggy airmass moved East. 201EQ is absolutely gorgeous. Hopefully next time I’ll get to meet it’s caretakers. ... which brings up a good learning point - I turned pitot heat off after exiting clouds. Might have been a better idea to leave it on if any moisture had the potential to Re freeze.

I think it sucks less than a jack through the wing.