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Showing content with the highest reputation on 12/16/2020 in all areas

  1. Did a night landing at Newark this summer to drop a passenger. Totally reasonable. With little traffic in the air and ground, it was the best choice. Lights are unbelievable. It was a fast approach with that long runway and final. Enjoyed this fun exchange with Tower. We were about to join final for the visual 4R. Tower: "2PS, do you see that [jet type] ahead of you? 2PS: "Affirm." Tower: "Follow him in. Caution wake turbulence. He may pull away from you now." 2PS: "Roger. Following traffic, 2PS" Tower: "United xxx, Help him out and keep your speed up on final." United: "Ok, we'll keep our speed up. Uh, could I ask what's following us?" Tower: "A Mooney." United: "[chuckling amusement] Alright!" ----- I will admit there was a high five in the cockpit on hearing Tower ask a jet to keep its speed up for us. New York controllers are terrific and this is a great Mooney memory.
    8 points
  2. Took my wife up flying for her first time since February. Started with a lap of the city by taking the Hudson with Newark Tower and over to the East River with LaGuardia Tower. From the East river, we went overhead Central Park and continued north. Course reversal at the George Washington bridge and then a request with LaGuardia tower: full-stop taxi-back 31. They came back with enter left downwind 31. Initially cleared exclusively for touch & go, then full stop, settled on cleared for the option. Tight turn around Citi Field put us on a perfect line up for 31. With a strong headwind, touch down was very slow and delicate. Let it roll a while to put some weight on the LaGuardia pavement and then firewalled it for a quick takeoff. Pulled up the gear and rocketed up. Another crossing of Central Park returned us to the Hudson. Continued south and then got a cross over the 4 numbers at Newark, direct Linden. Picked up the audio from LiveATC and placed it more or less around the relevant parts. Enjoy.
    7 points
  3. Can I just post before during and after pics of my bank account?
    6 points
  4. I have 3D-printed fuel vent covers using flex material, they perfectly fit on my Ovation. I have designed the cover with a small breather hole, about 2mm, maybe 1/16" in size. That allows some air exchange but it is definitely not enough for flight operations with the cover on. So, I have printed a small storage board also which is glued to the back wall of my luggage compartment. It holds both fuel vent covers and the pitot heat cover... In order to not forget to remove these covers I have added a line to both the outside- and regular check list. Just before starting the engine I turn my head and look to the back. If I see 3 red tags, all of the covers are removed. In case anyone is interested and wants to print it, I have posted the parts on thingiverse. Thingiverse Download Or if you are in my neck of the woods, come by my house in Munich for a chat and I'll print them for you. (After Covid19 has eased of...) Happy landings !
    5 points
  5. I received two different requests for charitable contributions yesterday. Both are attached. Guess which one I will NOT be contributing to now or forever in the future! In a show of charity, I did redact any identifiable information from the offending document as I have no desire to drag the individual personally through the mud, and I hope that in some way it was an attempt at humor gone awry. But still, the attitude demonstrated in the letter seems ill-advised if the goal is to actually encourage participation and donations. Give me the kind, gentle and inclusive approach of the Mooney Summit any day! Happy holidays to all my MooneySpace friends. Jeff
    4 points
  6. Hey Folks. The new Mooney website is up and running, take a look and jump in. We'll be improving and adding to it over the next few weeks. We welcome your participation in the forum and we may tap some of you to write blog as well. We're working hard but there's lots to do so please be patient with the website and our plans. Be safe and remember, there's no covid or politics at 10,000 feet, so go fly! Be safe! Jonny
    3 points
  7. Wow. Just wow. I’m all for safety, all for giving generously to deserving organizations. I’m less enthusiastic about being beat over the head, threatened, and guilt-tripped. Maybe y’all should have a Southerner write y’all’s beg letters from now on, Honey. Bless y’all’s hearts.
    3 points
  8. Well not a Mooney flight but a great flight nonetheless. Flew in a Grob G109. Motor Glider or powered glider. So the flight was "officially hands off controls...." for me, unofficially/officially it was pretty awesome. Demonstrated some maneuvers flew over the practice areas and got quite the look at the greater Tokyo area. Was pretty clear could see the base of Mt Fuji, Skytree and Tokyo out in the distance. Flying is a different experience in Japan. So I went for a flight previously at a different airfield down the street from this one it was kind of a bigger business that wasn't all I'd hoped it would be but fun also. I spent some time chatting with the chief instructor then came time to fly. The instructor/PIC and I had a quick brief then off we went. Off the ground in about 400ft and climb out at 60knts 600FPM. Got up to altitude and got to turn off the engine and just soar for a bit work on airspeed/ maneuvers. Pretty cool and calm day almost no wind and no thermals. Started the engine did a semi low pass/ go around then climbed back up a few more maneuvers, then a power off landing come in high slight slip throw out some spoilers/ air brakes. After hanging out for a bit longer and swapping stories I was invited back tomorrow to go check out the shop and "factory" 2 separate places. Should be a good time. Both instructors said they had Mooney time and conversation flowed. I got to admit it was pretty cool with the engine off, but I told the PIC " this is about the only engine out situation Id like to be in." Didn't do very well in the picture/video taking but got a few. If I get the video(s) to upload will update post.
    3 points
  9. I have a policy about the baggage door--the baggage door doesn't get closed without locking it. The only time it stays unlocked is when it is completely open. It's kind of like the towbar--the towbar comes off the nosewheel if it's not being used. If you're waiting it should come out and be placed somewhere safer.
    3 points
  10. It is fascinating to see how people transform the old panels in our Mooney's through upgrades and new technology. I thought it would be fun to create a thread where folks can post before, during, and after photos showing panel upgrades for folks to browse and consider the possibilities. I'll start with this "back to the future" look where we took the 1967 original panel and upgraded it to a standard steam gauge six-pack, plus a WAAS/ADS-B and electronic engine monitor. I hope others will post what they've done. It will be fun to see the collection.
    2 points
  11. 2 points
  12. That's funny - extra credit for the account that takes the biggest hit! Also need a category "most bang for buck"! Anyone removing glass and replacing it with steam gauges should be noted too.
    2 points
  13. Not a dumb question but a very good one indeed. As I read above I think the specific issue is that the OPs Temporary Airman Certificate - Commercial Pilot is going to lapse as it is only good for 120 days from issue. While you can have a commercial certificate and not exercise the associated privileges and therefore not need the associated class 2 or higher medical. However, in this case when he received his interim his PP certificate was likely invalidated and had a hole punched in it leaving him at the mercy of the temporary airman certificate. Line 5 of his temp certificate reads: "It becomes void -- 5. in any case, at the expiration of 120-days from date of issuance." Hopefully Sheriff's link helps.
    2 points
  14. Dumb question, or maybe a good question from a dumb person (me )..... do you need the commercial cert. to fly a non-commercial flight?
    2 points
  15. OMG! You brought back a memory. When I was in law school I worked as a volunteer with the consumer protection division of a state Attorney General's office. One of the investigations was of a collection agency. The dunning letters were all very polite. They even included a nice photo of who was sending it - a little of the personal touch. Only thing was, the photo in the first letter looked like Mr. Rogers. Eventually the letter writer looked like Bill Romanowski in a bad mood.
    2 points
  16. The MAPA one reads like an email I got from Nigeria "Please, dear sir, you must understand that in order to send you the King's inheritance you MUST send me $50,000 immediately".
    2 points
  17. It is my understanding MAPA is not the MAPA safety foundation, they are 2 separate organizations. One is a not for profit based in MA, one is a for profit based in Texas. Their relationship has been unclear and needs some transparency
    2 points
  18. My POH has a table labeled Power Plant Instrument Markings. The lower end of the normal operating range is 250 dF. I did some searching and found this quote from Anthony from another thread like this, same basic subject. He said, "here is a lower limit for CHT, based on the lead content of the 100LL... but I don't remember that number off the top of my head..." @carusoam, do you remember the why of the lower limit? I don't know, I have not encountered particular difficulty down to 220, which happens in cold winter temps on one or two of my cylinders. In a turbo the serious lower limit is the Oil Temp which cannot be below 100 dF for the protection of the turbo, oil becomes too thick to provide reliable thin film lube in the turbo bearings. OT is only indirectly related to CHT though. My guess at it is that there might be coking or excess sooting if the CHT gets too low, but I really don't know. The fact that it is marked on the engine instruments is a clue. The design provisions of the FAR's, or for most of our aircraft the predecessor CAR's, were based on what was generally known about design, and on actual testing. Instrument markings are approved in the certification process. So it would stand to reason that something happens under 250 that is not best for the engine, such as incomplete combustion, or too much change in the wrong direction of the actual dimensions of the piston, cylinder, and components. If it were critical to safety it would be a redline, but it is not a redline and there are certainly circumstances in normal operation where temps would be cold, say, immediately after start-up or at idle or at low power, on a cold day. The instrument markings are telling you it is best not to operate there, but it is not critical. My read of it.....
    2 points
  19. As someone who just recently had their governor ovehauled.... It could also be the high RPM set-screw on the governor that limits control cable travel. That one's pretty easy to investigate. +1 to get a second instrument (my IA loaned an optical tach) to verify how close the ship's tachometer is to reality.
    2 points
  20. Hi there. I believe we spoke with Mr. bbakerco earlier this week. M20 Turbo, Inc. is a different STC than those developed by RAJAY. However, many components used by M20 Turbo STC originates from the RAJAY STCs. It sounds like the M20 STC uses a RAJAY fuel pump. I believe the OP has come up with a workaround. Regards, Tom
    2 points
  21. Score! Mike gets the trifecta! EWR, JFK, & LGA Go NYC! Super clear day, so much detail on the cover pic. Best regards, -a-
    2 points
  22. Me, three. Not sure I've EVER tried the STEC's tracking modes; ALWAYS in HDG, and GPSS or the bug, as you say. Mine has always worked perfectly, including the altitude hold. If mine broke I'd fix it for sure...waaaay before unloading tons of cash on some new fangled AP.
    2 points
  23. I sent you a detailed IM. Call me anytime 8am-6pm eastern
    2 points
  24. Guns. Landing light. One of the annunciator lights on the glareshield edge is landing light. When I bought my plane (1 serial number older) the landing light circuit breaker was pulled. I think the broker could not figure how to turn off the light.
    2 points
  25. I’m actually toying around with the idea of adding FIKI to my bravo at some point. I know I’ll never see my money back out of it, but I know what I have with the airplane at this point, and like the Lycoming engine(vs changing out for the Acclaim). By the way, I do not have much to add on the OP’s questions beyond what David and Anthony have said above, other than reiterating that the first couple of years are going to be the most expensive to shake the bugs out, and as with any Mooney that’s 20+ years old make sure to check for corrosion in the usual spots, most particularly the tubular structure.
    2 points
  26. Dear ones with good advice and real-world experience, thank you very much. Still pondering the options. Overhaul the never-quite-satisfactory stec-30 would be cheapest by far, even at $4000 plus labor. Maybe after service it would actually hold the set altitude and do the nav function right? As it was, I just used heading mode, because nav mode wandered all over the sky, and reset the altitude hold every few minutes. But. It wouldn’t require a boat-load of new-and-better supporting gizmos, or rearranging the whole panel. Going with Garmin, which doesn’t play nice with Aspen, which I like, would require a huge and lengthy panel update. At least $25k, probably substantially more. That’s money this aging Mooniac wouldn’t come close to being able to justify, much less recoup. Somewhere in between lies the stec 55x, a fair number of changes, but still old-ish technology, and a company apparently not very enamored of Mooney. (CF, stec3100 string-along. sighhhh. anyway, nobody’s going to have time to fool with it until after the first of the year. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Cool Yule, and all the other excuses to celebrate, my friends!!
    2 points
  27. I could have certainly fabricated something by now...... but I haven’t yet ! Bad Mitchell!!!
    2 points
  28. 1 point
  29. Lots of things in Winders that I really dislike, including most things about 10. If it's only the stupid clock that bothers you, count your blessings! It's hugely bloated, inefficient, wastes my time searching for applications in those stupid icon-things because the Search functionis useless, and I really don't need the Photo icon to scroll linearly or randomly through all of the pictures on my desktop while another tile is scrolling through the daily Dow Jones stock prices, and other tiles are doing other things.
    1 point
  30. My plane was painted by Tejas Air Services in 2006, (back when I was planeless), and it still looks great to me. (Factory/repaint pics below) That's black and gray acryglo over white alumigrip, always hangared. I just went down there to San Marcos to have them take a look at doing some very minor touch up work for me and found out there's a brand new 2020 Ovation in their shop...seems like quite an endorsement to me. They're under new ownership now, and have a new/additional name, Specialized Aero. Guy named Travis Ahlhorn's the/an owner. Number is (210)896-0603 Thanks to the conventional hysteria of late, they're booked deep into 2021, however...)
    1 point
  31. 1 point
  32. JQF to LNA to hang with the folks for a few days. think this was on the way back though.
    1 point
  33. For the rod ends, the AD suggests silicone spray. The good thing about that is that it won't attract dirt which is what wears out the rod ends. The bad thing is that it isn't a very good lubricant. Later Mooney service manuals call for Triflow which is a light oil containing teflon. It's a better lubricant, but the oil remains and can attract dirt. I contacted RBC (manufacturer of Heim rod ends) and their engineering department told me they recommend MIL-PRF- 81322 grease (Aeroshell Grease 22). I think most use Triflow. Skip
    1 point
  34. Today’s Eagle Eye award goes to.... Ned! -a-
    1 point
  35. ^^^ THIS. ^^^ is what I bought. I don't fly at night and just wanted a daytime recognition light I could leave on all the time and not replace every other day!
    1 point
  36. Jay, insurance companies usually give you a few requirements with that check out... hours of dual hours of solo requirements for your CFI in terms of hours in Mooneys... The cool thing about Transition Training... you cover all the insurance requirements while learning a few details about your plane... and... you get to pick up some details about X-Country flying in the fast lane... In the event you haven’t found a CFI yet, or the one you have falls through... My favorite Mooney CFII lives in Florida... See if @mike_elliott has openings in his schedule... Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  37. Coming along nicely @67 m20F chump. I like the grey. Here's one thing to consider if it's not too late: unless you have something to insert at the top of that stack, and if the audio panel depth allows, I recommend moving everything up and leaving the bottom of the stack empty. My transponder is down there where your are turning that knob in the photo, and I find that it is awkward to punch in the xponder code over those engine control knobs. Especially so when given a new code in flight during turbulence. Whenever I redo my stack, I'm going to move everything up if able.
    1 point
  38. Yes, there aren’t any “limitations” on that. It still works. The well known case over the Sierras after departing Reno, icing quickly led to stall/out of control, nose dive, chute pulled well above the maximum speed. Well above. Chute separated from the airplane with predictable consequences. Bob can correct me, but max chute pull speed is ~133-140 IAS depending on the model. Above that, no guarantee. Pretty easy to get faster than that real quick while you try to figure out what is happening. However, my boss at a Cirrus school lost the engine in a client’s airplane over Mts in North Idaho. Glided away from the higher peaks toward a valley, pulled chute at about 2k and both survived landing in a flat area in front of a ranch (right next to a river).
    1 point
  39. Been a long time since I saw the Expressway visual to 31. I remember doing it from the right seat of a 767 where you can never see the runway till you roll out on final!
    1 point
  40. As Hank mentioned, sheepskin keeps the seats cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I flew for a year without covers, very noticeable when the covers were installed.
    1 point
  41. I have the tools to do this however, I want do a mockup before I commit to removing the right side panel. The other argument is I have all the tools and software to lay it out in cad and make it repeatable which is nice if anyone else ever needed one.
    1 point
  42. No idea if this is related, but I did run across this Service Instruction a while back. sim20-103.pdf
    1 point
  43. My advice for approaches or landings with ice accretion is to avoid anything that might change the angle of attack significantly. So, I avoid adding flaps and I avoid rapid airspeed changes...if you need to slow down, for example, pull back the throttle deliberately, but slowly. And if you start experiencing any sloppy feeling in the controls or feel any buffeting that is not characteristic of normal flight, then add power back.
    1 point
  44. Kinda off topic, but for those with shedding machines. How do you handle all the fur or do you just accept it. I have an Aussie who sheds about another dog a day it seems.
    1 point
  45. Thanks for that. I’ve pinged him. Stig
    1 point
  46. American is a top notch shop in your area. With the calendar time of your propeller, may have a hard time with some shop just doing an IRAN.
    1 point
  47. @AGL found some metal in the oil filter. Does this look ok until next oil change?
    1 point
  48. I often have a hard time reaching Google from FL270 so I write them down ;-)
    1 point
  49. Speaking of key numbers.... 65%bhp is a big one... We all have an opinion regarding the health and well being of our engines... Knowing where 65% is can keep us out of the alleged or imaginary red box... Staying out of the red box is a nice way of getting our engines successfully to TBO... So... I can safely operate at 65% BHP and keep my CHTs below 380°F for the most part... I will most likely be able to keep my one engine operating until it reaches TBO... with its original set of cylinders.... The only thing I have to do beyond that... is go fly every week or so.... PP thoughts only, not a CFI... working notes that won’t make it into this post in time... Riddle me this... then... Which post are you referring to...? Why is safety so overrated by some people..? If we are talking about the MAPA manual still.... Without selling the information... Trey and Lela Hughes would not have been able to produce it... The MAPA manual isn’t as much a safety manual... though it does cover some of that... it is a book of convenience... It conveniently has gathered in one place, what dozens of Mooney POHs do in hundreds of pages... When it comes to free stuff... is it always the quality you are hoping for? When it comes to safety... are you looking for the best quality or something that is just OK? In this case the system known as Capitalism has produced a really convenient book... It would be really cool... if we could get more credit from our insurance company for being MAPA trained... Get a tax write-off for being MAPA trained... Have a system that pays for MAPA training... Wait a minute... I think I found the system... that pays for MAPA training... it’s called capitalism! Safety is incredibly important... Our first contact with Mooney specific training comes from Transition Training... another thing that shouldn't be sold... But somebody has to pay for all that is involved... Or it just gets lost... Trying to figure all this stuff out by oneself... may take longer than one has... Good thing we don’t have to pay by the electron used... these long posts would cost an extra fifty cents! PP thoughts only, I never directly got paid for anything related to safety...
    1 point
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