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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/30/2020 in all areas

  1. Hi Folks - To those asking if Mooney is still a "Thing" I can assure you that we are unequivocally a "Thing." In fact, I would venture to say we are more than a "Thing," we are like a "Super Thing!" You'll continue to get your parts, you'll get customer service and I'm hopeful you'll get new planes one day. We're working on it and we're getting there. I'm running the place so I can say all this with confidence and I'm hopeful that in the near future, we'll graduate from being a "Thing" to being "An aviation company you can be proud of again!" Safe flying! More good things to come! Jonny
    8 points
  2. Good question, Jim, but it’s really not as cut-and-dried as you’d think. For me, on a 150+ mile trip, I’ll usually file IFR. Less than 150 miles, I’ll file if I need to file due to weather or weird airspace. But late fall in Michigan means icing in the clouds, so if the ceilings are less than 3000 feet, I’ll go VFR.
    5 points
  3. For the past 5 years or so I have had unlimited access (stored in my hangar) to both the Champion spark plug vibrator cleaner and a Champion tester and really got spoiled having them at my disposal 24/7, that all changed when my IA moved out of state and took his equipment with him (the nerve of some people). With an 0-300 (6 cyl.) and and IO-360 (4 cyl.) needing the plugs serviced during annuals or the occasional buddy dropping by to do his plugs I decided just to buy the right tool for the job, WRONG !! New was going to run me just south of 2700 so the search for used began, my search turned up some real junk and some pricey junk at that. Being a "Tinkerer" at heart and bored I decided to just make my own and combine them into one unit, after all how hard could it be. The Vibrating cleaner makes short work for cleaning really crapped up plugs, the Media Blast does a good job after that, once they're cleaned and gaped its time to do a Spark Test under a load, so my box needed to do only three things..... easy enough. This project actually started at the beginning of September working on a design, gathering material and parts (most I had either in the hangar or storage, engineering (me) was constantly coming up with revisions so I pecked at it a few hours at a time. Below is a photo of most of what is done. If there is any interest I'll shoot some more pixs during final assembly and try and explain/describe what is what
    4 points
  4. I don’t see how a comm radio could trigger the ELT. And, it is improbable that both radios would fail in the same way simultaneously. However, the comm antennas are close to the ELT antenna and if the ELT was transmitting, I could see the 121.5 MHz signal overloading the comm receivers. Skip
    3 points
  5. Interesting, the regional variations. Flying IFR locally usually adds very little to my trip, unless I need to fly the full approach. But, then, I live in the middle of an east coast swamp. Wash Center cuts me loose 20 miles out, as we have no radar coverage below 2500’. There are no big-city vectors or holds. It’s all RNAV direct. Passing Atlanta, you may as well plan to go way southeast by way of SINCA intersection, and yet over NY and CLT you’re pleasantly vectored right over the major airports at 6000- 8000. In New England, expect amendments no matter what you or your EFB guessed at. Victor airways clearances ziggy-zaggy at machine-gun speed. Ready to copy? Write fast!. The time I flew from NC to the middle of eastern Oregon, and then to the Sacramento-area, a couple of years ago, made me very happy to be rated, equipped and current. Due to extensive fires, the smoke out there was thick, viz was terrible, lots of TFRs, and there were rocks in that murk. Big ones. No rain, no clouds, no ice, just smoke, and mountains. What a comfort to get a pop-up clearance around busy Boise, and then a few days later, nice gentle but real IFR from there to nor-cal. It is good to have options.
    3 points
  6. Todays flight... Hobbs 1.6 Tailwheel Endorsement - signed off Log book rolls past 1400 hours.
    3 points
  7. In addition to relieving some trip anxiety, improving your dispatch rate, and giving you many more options along the way, getting your IFR rating will make you a better pilot and it will lower your insurance. Now before @bluehighwayflyerjumps on me, you can be an excellent vfr only pilot. Nothing wrong with that. However, getting the ifr rating will make you more precise, better with communication, and improve your situational awareness from wherever your starting point is. And don’t count on the insurance reduction paying for your training, but why do they give that discount?? Lower fatal accident rate for ifr pilots even though they can legally fly in worse weather? Maybe because they’ve shown some dedication to continued learning? I’m not sure, but the insurance companies don’t usually give discounts as a congratulatory gift!
    3 points
  8. I was VFR for a year and it was anxiety ridden. It is hard to fly 700 nm and not run over weather *somewhere*. Its so much less stressful to file and fly IFR. I routinely go through a cloud layer somewhere along the way but haven't actually needed to fly that many approaches. That said, I do do short (maybe 150 nm or less) trips VFR somewhat regularly because the routing I get from ATC on the east cost can double the length of the trip. I have on more than one occasion called for my clearance, received a ridiculous route, and cancelled opting for flight following instead.
    3 points
  9. About 600 feet. He turned 45 degrees and landed on the other runway.
    3 points
  10. I've tried this in a number of airplanes (including a very draggy Beaver on floats) and they can all do it from 1000'. Success below that depends on a lot of variables. My technique is to retract the gear at positive rate, retract the flaps when clear of obstacles and continue accelerating to cruise climb. https://www.advancedpilot.com/articles.php?action=article&articleid=1842 Skip
    3 points
  11. At 69 years old, I discovered I have another brother confirmed by Ancestry DNA. We spoke on the phone and agreed to meet in his city. Enter the Mooney. It was an IFR wind aided flight from San Antonio to Wichita Falls where he and his wife met my wife and I for lunch. We had a great first meeting and hope to have many more in the future. A very special day.
    3 points
  12. Got a new laptop! I tried it out by making this very short video, regretfully I had only one GoPro and no audio. But I tried to make it nice with some local color!
    2 points
  13. My answer is missing entirely, it depends! I file IFR just in case and plan to go whichever way gets me there faster or more easily. When it’s VMC and I’m going to be given a long zigzag route IFR, I’ll cancel and go VFR direct. If the weather is sketchy I’ll go IFR. If I have to traverse airspace, IFR. If I get cleared as filed for IFR direct, why go VFR!? On the other hand, when I do go VFR I’m always getting advisories so it’s almost the same but gives me freedom over routing. When the weather is good, go VFR. When the weather is bad, go IFR. When the weather is terrible (icing, tstorms), go VFR. When it’s extreme, don’t go at all. International, I usually go IFR because it works better for border crossings and some VFR rules can be different or unknown to me.
    2 points
  14. She doesn’t look happy [emoji38]
    2 points
  15. Can the weather be bad for flying in the winter time, sure. But there are also plenty of beautiful flying days as well. I'll grant I don't have nearly your years of experience in the Rockys but in the 5 or 6 years I've been flying in the mountains, I've had plenty of good luck in the winter. There are certainly days I wouldn't fly but that goes for winter and summer. I've been into Montrose, Granby, Steamboat, Moab, Durango, Pagosa, Santa Fe, Rawlins, Rock Springs, and Evanston, all in the winter. Check the sky and check the winds. Fly on the good days. But I wouldn't write off the whole season. Here's my wife in our M20C, somewhere over the western slope, in the winter.
    2 points
  16. Looks wore out. Got your use out of it.
    2 points
  17. Joe, you can do that flight easily in your F. I'd say that high pressure days are actually pretty common out here or at least that's been my experience. And in the winter you'll get more turbulence free hours in the day as opposed to summer time in the mountains where we don't fly after noon. I'd add one more stop at KCYN. Coming into Moab is spectacular and in the wintertime you'll have no problem with density altitude. Pick some things to see from the air on this trip and enjoy it. Look for Horseshoe Bend, Arches National Park and all the formations there. Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, etc, etc. I think this is an easy trip for you in the F. Have fun.
    2 points
  18. I'm just getting into the ground school stuff to start my IFR. I'm 4 years into owning our Mooney and have over 400 hours in it all VFR. Our regular trips are SoCal to Phoenix and Salt Lake, but we have been to Oregon, Idaho, and last summer the East Coast. In fact I'll be wheels up in about 4 hours to spend the weekend in Salt Lake with the grandkids, looks to be a beautiful weekend to fly. I think part of the dispatch rate comes into where you live, as @larryb mentioned above. In the 400+ hours we have only scrubbed a couple of trips because of the weather, more often we are adjusting a departure/arrival by a few hours or a day. Once we were going from SoCal to Idaho Falls area and had to divert about 60 miles to the west to go around thunderstorms ahead of us, but out west it is often unlimited visibility (outside of fire season) and between what I can see out the windshield plus the weather on my tablet I stay out of trouble. I haven't hesitated to take longer trips and honestly haven't ever had any real anxiety over the weather. I will watch the weather patterns in the week leading up to the trip, plan accordingly, and get my briefings. The main reason I want to get my rating is because often the marine layer will keep me grounded in the morning here in certain times of the year until it burns off.
    2 points
  19. Yeah, the rabbit did NOT walk away from that one.
    2 points
  20. I file and fly IFR when it’s dicey airspace, like Washington DC area or busy class B, when it’s benign marginal to IFR weather en route, when somebody at the other end is waiting for me, when there’s a low deck and clear above.and at night. It is good to have a hand to hold. I do not file IFR when there’s potential ice at the en route altitudes. When the MEAs are above my pay grade.When the expect clearance advice is 2 hours. (Never mind, then, Boston Center!) When there are scattered summer build-ups along my route. I like to see where I’m going, and avoid bumps where practical.. When I have a passenger who wants to experience the joyous freedom of flight.
    2 points
  21. I've got some experience in flying in western Colorado and Utah. Your route of flight avoids the tallest mountains. You'll still need to dodge some high terrain. and a few taller peaks. You'll want to fly at 10.5 and occasionally 12.5. In the summer/fall this trip would generally be easy in the absence of major frontal activity. In the winter that route presents some real challenges for NA aircraft. Here's the down side. You are going to fly right through the "Wyoming Wind Gap" between Casper, WY, and Craig, CO. In the winter this is one of the windiest, most turbulent atmospheric regions in the continental U.S. as the wind flows around the Colorado Rockies. Conditions are predicted using the the height difference of the 500 mb level between Casper to Craig. If this height difference exceeds 30 m, it can be bad. If it exceeds 50 m, turbulence can be severe. If it approaches or exceeds 70 m, then expect extreme conditions. Mountains and terrain are often obscured along that route by clouds. A much safer route for a NA Mooney, in the absence of significant weather caused by frontal passage, would be to fly south to Tucumcari or Clovis NM, then west around the mountains in New Mexico. There is a similar wind gap in New Mexico that occasionally experiences strong winds too. In general, flying in the Rockies in the winter in a NA aircraft is a bad idea, except for the occasional periods of dominant high pressure that rarely occur. <not a meteorologists>
    2 points
  22. Another consideration, and I cannot take credit for this, I've just read it somewhere. If you are really worried about the engine quitting on every flight, AND you are flying out of an uncontrolled airport, THEN you might consider making a 45 degree turn once safely airborne. That way, when the engine actually does quit you won't need a 260/80 turn to get back to the airport. You might need as little as a single 135 225 degree turn. Plus, by turning 45 degrees to create turning room you will also reduce your distance along the extended centerline by about 30%.
    2 points
  23. Well the Gods have answered your prayers...the GFC 500 is available for the F.
    2 points
  24. It looks like that the C,D,E Installation kits are approved. The installation supplement for the F,G also has the 65 and up C,D,Es. My guess they are just getting the computer setup tested and approved.
    2 points
  25. The M20C airspeed numbers in MPH can be used for the E, however, the MP numbers need to change to establish those speeds. For more detailed information go to my website and download the AirVenture 2019 Handout. (www.donkaye.com)
    2 points
  26. I finally drained the right wing tank and filled it up a gallon at a time. I took the data and printed this stick.
    2 points
  27. I'm with Rags on the 1000 feet. I think 'heat of the moment', startle factor, other variables. I practice power-off 180s frequently and that's the number for consistently getting there (wind effects). I've also recently revised my gear-up policy. I used to be in the camp of leaving the gear-down until out of usable runway, but I've decided I'd rather have the altitude. If it quits I've accepted it's the insurance company's plane anyway, and skidding to a stop before the fence is more likely than stopping with the gear down.
    2 points
  28. The battery minder says it took a full charge after it desulfated it for a day. JPI says it has 24.3V. I’ve been lucky enough to fly her 4 days in a row, and she has stared enthusiastically every day.
    2 points
  29. Joe, you have come a long way... figuratively and literally! All flights are doable in an M20F... unless... They are above 15k’ in thunderstorms in icing conditions Going into busy airspace doesn’t change much... except some accents may be harder to decipher on your first time... Going into busy airspace the controllers are quite busy and expect you to execute your best A-game... They will be handling you and five other aircraft at the same time... Using flight following is a lot like being in the IR system... listening to the radio for every broadcast and deciding is that for me or for somebody else... Flying long cross countries sans AP can get very tiring without knowing it... The more you do it... the better you get at it... Good to have... O2 sensor for your finger tip... CO sensor for your instrument panel... PP thoughts only, experience of my old M20C... it went everywhere, without much instrumentation... Best regards, -a-
    2 points
  30. I have thought a lot over some years about the 1000 magic number that is called out as the sufficient altitude for a turn back to the runway. And good practice is before take off roll, to file away that specific altitude and call it out once passed since that is when turn back to runway is plausible. But depending on what is ahead, we might still want to partially turn back if almost at 1000ft. I.e. what if in a city environment? Straight ahead might be quite bad and the departure airport might be a large extensive environment with several runways and maybe lots of grass between runways. Maybe 130 degree or a 140 degree or 150 degree turn back might be possible with an "off field" landing somewhere in the grass of the field. So maybe we can do something with 700 or 800 ft? This is the kind of thing to think about and compute before you turn the engine on. E
    2 points
  31. I have practiced, I use 1000’. During practice at higher altitude I was successful at close to 700-800’, but with zero margin. I tried to recreate a Vy climb, 3”, reaction time, and 270/90 turn to align with runway. Gear and flaps were up. I don’t think i messed with the gear at the end. It’s definitely worth doing a few times at 4 or 5000’. You will need at least 45 degree bank turn. 60 degrees might actually work better but I think doing that very low to the ground is going to be pretty uncomfortable. Key is remembering that the stall is based on AOA, not airspeed. You can be stalled (or not) at any attitude or airspeed. It just depends on how much AOA you’re demanding. So bank it up hard, pull close to the stall, keep your nose down and your speed around Vg or maybe slightly higher. See what she feels like. Enjoy! Accelerated stalls (say level, 45 degrees bank) might be nice to practice first. Pull to feel the buffet so you know how far you can go. If you pull all the way through and stall you get a face full of ground.
    2 points
  32. Well PilotFun101, you did a good job with your video, not so much with your demonstration of landing technique. This critique is from a flight instructor's point of view. You flew by the "seat of your pants", not in any way, shape or form with the precision or technique I like to teach. Basically you flew with no discipline. You worked too hard. This comes from flying an undisciplined pattern. In short your power settings were all over the chart, your gear timing and flap settings were inappropriate, your slope varied, your aim point was too long, and your transition speed was too fast so you touched down long. I've attached the way a disciplined pattern should be flown in the C Model. When you get the time, I'd like to see another video flown per the below description. Good luck. Very nice panel!
    2 points
  33. The total price for my rebuilt IO 360 A3B engine with rebuilt Lyc cylinders purchased from Western Skyways was $26,220. I received the full core charge and a $1500 credit because I received only one mag. They're an honest company and I would purchase from them again. I have no financial interest here only posting as an FYI.
    1 point
  34. I file IFR for most trips, long, or short. IFR is less stressful as far as weather and accidentally encroaching on airspace. However, as I approach my destination, weather permitting, I often cancel instruments and revert to flight following to give me the flexibility to fly an efficient arrival. So often, ATC presses us into arrival routes made for jets. (Our home drome is under Atlanta class B.)
    1 point
  35. Garmin has now posted the STC and install documents to the dealer portal, so it is official!
    1 point
  36. There is a list of Mooney CFIIs stored on the Mooney Flyer website... nearly every other state has at least one.... https://themooneyflyer.com/cfi.html Florida has some good ones... that are worth seeking out... Choosing the right material for the fuel stick... Rumor has it... some woods don’t absorb enough.... and won’t let you know what the reading is after you pull it out of the tank.... If you can reach the fuel selector unaided.... you are probably not carrying a spare tire around your midriff... Great pic of the fuel stick! Thanks for sharing the details... Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  37. I've flown KRAP (Rapid City, SoDak) - KDVT (Deer Valley, Phoenix, AZ) a number of times. I'll second @N201MKTurbo that going up and down via the western slope of the Rockies is pretty easy, and is also a nice trip especially once you get into southern UT. The KCPR-KIWA leg is very long and I'd suggest a stop in between mostly for bladder service. I've stopped at KCNY, KGJT, 4V0 and KPGA. I think Page does not have self-serve fuel, but the rest did when I stopped there. KGJT (Grand Junction) and KCNY (Moab) are both good stops. 4V0 (Rangely, CO) is pretty remote and there's not much there. You won't need O2 on that route. You may need to go up to 10-11k for the mountains in southern WY, but not for very long. That time of year you'll want to watch the weather very closely. The western slope usually has better weather than the eastern slope, and is a straighter shot by a significant amount. I came back to DVT from KRAP earlier this month and wound up coming down the eastern slope via Trinidad, CO (KTAD), and crossed the divide at Angel Fire, which I wouldn't do without O2. Otherwise you have to go a lot further south before heading west and it makes the trip even longer. So the better weather and faster, easier trip generally favors the western slope route that you suggested. As long as the weather cooperates it shouldn't be a problem in an F model, even with no O2 or autopilot. My autopilot has been inop for a couple of years, so I've been doing without as well.
    1 point
  38. @JonnyMake Mooney Great Again!!! Put that on a hat! @Tim Jodice I completely agree with your sentiments. Former tech and independent shop guy here. I specialized in some of the rarer European cars and I was of the same mentality. It wasn’t worth tarnishing my reputation installing parts of unknown quality.
    1 point
  39. Well then I need to ask Santa for O2 and a RayJay and the Gods to release the Garmin 500 for an F model. Or win the lottery and get a 252. [emoji2] Sent from my E6910 using Tapatalk
    1 point
  40. Just finished my cables this past week called around with no luck so I Went with MacFarlane, nice cables just like originals.
    1 point
  41. This thread is really something. It can't be that hard to find a good shop with consistent pricing and not worry about the finer points of the bill if a Mooney part is marked up 14%, 15%, 16%, 24%, 25%, or 26%. On a $200 part we are talking about a ~$30-$50 markup - the $20 difference which is inconsequential and the MSC handles the logistics for the owner. It sure is nice to have two Mooney shops here in Texas where I could drop a plane, say "do what needs to be done", and I'd only get a call if something really bad popped up. I can't recall being surprised by a bill. But then again, I guess I have the expectation that "it's going to cost a lot more than I feel like paying" and then I end up pleasantly surprised. Long live SWTA and Don Maxwell Aviation Services.
    1 point
  42. you are flying your family onboard.....the answer is simple JPI900 and CiES fuel senders......and the ultimate calibration It is so nice to know to the gallon what you have on board
    1 point
  43. Sounds like the simplest thing to do would be to fly a tank empty (or almost and then drain it) and calibrate a stick. If you do it a few gallons at a time, you can also have someone check the fuel gauge for the wing you are filling and see how it reads at the different levels. Just a thought.
    1 point
  44. The E flew for the first test flight yesterday. Install es complete and testing has begun.
    1 point
  45. With N252AD in the capable hands of JD and Laura at SWTA... I decided to learn to fly all over again... Who knew it could be so easy in the air and yet so tricky on the ground.
    1 point
  46. Why take the engine off the plane in the first place? Pull cylinders as needed to access the rods, check bolt torques, cotter pin them, and reassemble. It's a two day job at most.
    1 point
  47. Well, I guess I come from a different time/type of Customer service. 120Hrs SMOH an I’m sure that O/H was in the $40/50K Range. Why are we pulling this engine off? It’s not because you want too! Why is it your financial responsibility? In my option, It’s not. FAA Form 8120-11 being brought up in the next conversation may help you out. I would bet if someone were to send the cotter pins out of your screen to a metallurgy along with the cotter pin that the O/H manual calls for, there would be a difference in the two. An that’s where SUPS come from!!! Lets be honest, calendar time(out of warranty) is not what caused that. The 120hrs on the engine didn’t cause that. That issue was put in place long before you ever had your engine reinstalled. It’s from trying to save money during the O/H process. Clearly none of this should be out of your pocket with Con recommendation of don’t start it. They need to seen a couple guys to your place, remove the engine, fix it an reinstall with a giant thank you to you for your understanding an sorry for the inconvenience. I have had to do it in the Propeller world if one springs a leak or something of that nature. It’s called customer service.
    1 point
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