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Showing content with the highest reputation on 02/27/2021 in Posts

  1. I would not be overly concerned about 6 weeks down in a hangar. I fly most weeks but my plane was down for 6 weeks for annual. Do I think my engine turned to dust during those 6 weeks? NO Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    4 points
  2. One of my airplane partners came up with an analogy I like about this sort of stuff: Push-ups are a common exercise in many workout routines. But the action your muscles perform to execute a push-up are not an action you really use in work or play. So why do we do them? Because while the push-up action itself may have little/no use, it builds muscles that are useful: for general strength, and for particular actions that have some things in common with push-ups. So it is with the commercial pilot maneuvers. The point is not that you'll use those maneuvers in commercial flying. Think of them as "skill" push-ups: learning to perform those maneuvers strengthens your skills in a positive way, even if the maneuvers themselves have little direct application. One can say the same thing about your CFII simulating a simultaneous failure of your AI, DG, GPS, and iPad. This is so unlikely to happen in real life that it's arguably an absurd scenario. But it's a mental push-up: it builds mental muscle that aids you in any kind of instrument failure scenario, and even when everything's working.
    4 points
  3. It’s very dangerous to leave your plane sitting around. Send me the keys and I’ll keep the rust off the cylinders for you.
    4 points
  4. I use windy.com to get a feel for the likely weather conditions for a flight. One thing to note is that windy.com allows visualization of the output of four different models: European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF), NOAA Global Forecast System (GFS), NOAA North American Forecast System (NAM), and newly the German DWD Icosahedral Nonhydrostatic (ICON) models. There are raging debates about which model is "best". I'm not going to get into that. The answer varies over time and by variable (temperature, ceiling, etc.) However, when it is your a$$ on the line and you need a good wx decision, compare the output of the different models for the flight time and see how closely they agree. Agreement between the different models provides some indication of likely weather conditions. Disagreement between the different models adds uncertainty to your decision making process. These models have different resolutions, forecast horizons, and capabilities. I don't think looking at windy.com replaces a weather briefing, because it doesn't show important things like turbulence. Rather I see it as a nice add-on to a briefing. A final note. Calling a model "accurate" is never appropriate. All models are approximations and never perfect. The ECMWF and GFS models for instance run on grid sizes 0.28 degrees (~31 km) and half degree (~30NM), respectively. ICON runs on a 13 km triangular mesh. If the model forecasts a frontal boundary location near your destination, it could easily be many grids off, which is a long distance. A meteorologist would say that the model perfectly forecast the arrival of the front within a 2-hour window, when I a pilot might arrive as the front is passing when the models said it would not. I am a modeler. I work in affiliation with NOAA, but do not represent NOAA. I'm skeptical of all models. Trust them when it is easy (high pressure dominating). Doubt them when there is reason to doubt.
    4 points
  5. Either +5 extra credit for being the first on MS to show a double integral, or -5 for same. Gotta refer this one to the Dean of Mooneyspace, @carusoam.
    3 points
  6. My take-away from this is that exercise is bad and should not be practiced.
    3 points
  7. While I appreciate the attempt at bringing traffic to the website, and promise of Mooney culture.... nothing is worse than advertising an intent and then completely failing to execute (sound familiar). Case in point, the full time Mooney of the month, the coffee mugs, and zero responses from Mooney on the form designed to interact. I understand it’s strange times and still working out the kinks of staffing etc but I’d have preferred a “website under construction” page for several months rather than a fall on face launch which seems so far, it’s just that.
    3 points
  8. Write yourself a progressive maintenance plan (AIP). There is a little used legal path to what you want.
    3 points
  9. I would do one or the other. Definitely do something
    3 points
  10. Update on some knowledge gained after speaking with an engineer from Uavionix. I’ve got two of the AV30C’s in my Ranger and have had the DG precession issues as well as the AI acting like a vacuum system on its way out. The firmware update has been released for the Experimental version and is awaiting approval by the, surprise surprise, FAA. It will involve either wiring into the RS232 interface with a connected laptop or the more ideal way of removing the individual units and installing the AVLink in each one. The -Link is essentially a tiny WiFi receiver and once installed will only need a computer nearby to wirelessly transfer firmware files. The engineer said the Link would be inexpensive and future proof so any future capabilities certified could be easily added. The current update awaiting approval MAY fix the precession issue for Mooney’s. Apparently our aircraft are giving them trouble that other types are not. There is some question as to whether a Mooney with magnetized tubing might be having some affect. Merely the messenger here, I’m not offering any data based opinion. It’s the same with my AI issue. Currently my shop swapped out the number one with another new AV30 and is awaiting my return to test fly, I’ll let folks know the results in another week or so. Another tidbit, Garmin devices continue to not play well with other brands. Apparently there is a proprietary signal from the 175/355 units that confuses the AV30 data fields for GPS destination. Mine show correct nav info like distance to go and cross track but will rarely display the actual waypoint identifier name. It displays “ALT” instead. Kind of annoying but another issue Uavionix is aware of and trying to fix. SO, jury is still out on the final performance of the certified AV30’s. I still like the company a lot, they have always been responsive in speaking with me even though it may not be the answers I desire. The engineer also admitted they have been facing headwinds with the FAA because they are a small company with tight pockets and aren’t able to muster the attention the big G can afford but they stay persistent. Traffic on the AV’s and autopilot interfaces are the next closest projects. Hope this helps some folks. I’m keeping mine for now, no guarantees on what I do in the future.
    2 points
  11. Thanks @carusoam. When you tried to sign up @PeteMc did you use your full name as your username as well as the correct tail number? We've had hundreds of signups but the people who were "deleted" and asked to resubmit did not use their full name/tail number as instructed. Everyone who resubmits with the correct info is approved. Part of the goal here was to create a true (as possible) current listing of owners that we could reach out to when necessary. Please PM me if you are still having difficulty. While the website isn't my direct responsibility, I'll try to address some of the issues brought up here. The forum was never intended to be a place like Mooneyspace where thousands of topics are created and answered on a yearly basis. It was created for owners to speak to each other in a civilized format using their real names. The frequency at which people post is not seen as a success or failure as it was only put there as another place for Mooney owners to communicate. While Mooneyspace is great, it's not for everyone. We've received more than a few messages from people who have never participated in Mooneyspace (due to anonymous usernames and some of the discourse that happens here) but have signed up to use the Mooney.com forum. As I'm sure you can appreciate, we are busy trying to keep parts flowing while laying plans for building new aircraft in the future. The team in Kerrville is hard at work everyday to try and respond to as many technical questions as possible from both the community and MSCs. In addition, we delivered a brand new Acclaim last month and are preparing to deliver the next Ovation in April/May. Mooney has had it's fair share of challenges over the past 30 years but we are doing our best to make some progress each day. This won't happen overnight, but we always appreciate the continued enthusiasm and support by the community.
    2 points
  12. Damn, I just risked my flying future! I should have read this earlier. I didn't go to the airport to work on the plane, waiting for parts. But I foolishly rode 30 miles on the bike...
    2 points
  13. Reporting back. I replaced the main bushing in the nose wheel with a 0.010 oversized on from Lasar (blue). After replacement I noticed there was still some fore/aft play on the trailing link so I ordered 0.005 oversized bushings for that too (red). The red bushings were replaced in no time flat so I decided to paint the trailing link because air plane maintenance must take at least all day per the universe... The gear feels super stable now. My IA will submit new STC/337 paperwork for all instead of trying to fix the old 337 forms from the 90's. good gear, good paperwork, good feelings!
    2 points
  14. Here’s an affordable deep-reaching hand squeezer for a good price. https://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/detail.aspx?id=ATSRS-3 I had a partial collection of rivet sets and clecoes from when I was a kid. Amped them both up with kits I found on eBay. It’d be pretty easy to build a good set for $300 or less.
    2 points
  15. Thought I'd report back. I received a new bolt from Lasar and swapped it out. Super easy! Dan sent me a NAS6606H21. It has a slightly different head but it was better for lockwireing. After jacking up the plane I released the J bar about 3 inches (held with a bungee cord). I removed the old bolt which was barely tight... Once the bolt was removed everything stayed exactly in place. I cleaned up the area and slid in the new bolt with a slight wiggle of the main gear. Safety wire and done! Super easy. My IA will stop by to check my safety wire and preload in a few days.
    2 points
  16. I have quotes but no instance plan yet. I will lock it in once I get past the pre-buy look. I'm an ATP with 8,000 hours so I hope they don't suck me dry. LOL
    2 points
  17. I have the tools for this if you want to make a quick trip south for surgery.
    2 points
  18. Mike, I just found your rudderman... ^^^^ -a-
    2 points
  19. Windy.com shows model predictions of the future. It shows model outputs for the next 9 days for both ECMWF and GFS models. The ICON model output goes 5 days into the future, while the NAM goes out 3 days. That's its real utility. You can see synoptic (large scale) features out up to 9 days in advance.
    2 points
  20. Thanks for the reference, the fact that the ACS calls back to the AFH is a good point. Still, it seems a little odd to me that the steep spiral has such a nebulous definition, when other performance maneuvers in the ACS/PTS are quantitatively defined. e.g. steep turns call for specific bank angles, short field landings give specific tolerances on hitting your intended spot, etc. The ACS on the steep spiral also has a knowledge element that indicates one is supposed to "demonstrate understanding of the purpose of steep spirals". I've heard a few variations on what the purpose of a steep spiral is supposed to be, and made up an answer or two myself. But most of the standard explanations seem to grasp at straws. If I'm on fire or have a medical emergency on board, I'm going to execute an Emergency Descent, which is a completely separate maneuver with different procedures (it's also required in the commercial ACS, as a separate skill). If I have ever actually have an engine failure and arrive over a great landing spot with altitude to spare, I'm going to fly a minimum-sink-rate circle, which maximizes my time to get ready - i.e. the exact opposite of a rapid descent. One real-life purpose I can come up with for the steep spiral is that it's a pretty cost-effective way to get a skydiving or towing airplane back on the ground in a hurry for the next load/glider/banner/whatever. But what the King Air and Twin Otter do at my local jump zone looks a lot more like an "emergency descent" to me than a "steep spiral". A steep spiral is also a way to wind down through a smaller-than-you-hoped hole in an undercast, when your VFR-over-the-top plan didn't work out like you thought it would. But that sort of decision making was already being frowned on when I started flying, over 30 years ago. I think most examiners would be nonplussed if you offered that up as a rationale for the maneuver.
    2 points
  21. I believe all the Lycoming 360 engines have a minimum oil quantity spec. of 2 qts. They also have a max oil consumption spec of about 2 hrs/qt. and a max capacity of 8 qts. This gives you enough oil capacity to never run out of oil before you run out of gas. I have been associated with several flying clubs and FBOs with large fleets of Pipers and Cessnas equipped with Lycoming 320 and 360 engines. Standard practice has always been to run down to 6 and add a quart. I have a factory rebuilt IO-360-A3B6 with a couple of hundred hours on it and have experimented with running down to 5, 5.5, and 6 qts before adding a quart. The oil consumption has been about the same as has been the minimal amount of oil on the belly. I think as these engines age, blowby probably increases and they blow more out the breather. You can experiment and find a level that minimizes this. I have noticed that warm day oil temperature starts to rise (with a commensurate decrease in pressure) when the level gets down to 4 qts. Skip
    2 points
  22. The reference above that points to the Airplane Flying Handbook which says... "A steep spiral is a gliding turn where the pilot maintains a constant radius around a surface-based reference point while rapidly descending—similar to the turns around a point maneuver." (emphasis added) Not sure a shallow turn meets the meaning of "rapidly descending". -Robert
    2 points
  23. Another excellent suggestion. The only problem with flying down to the Keys is the inability to have a drink or two.
    2 points
  24. Great trip today. The air was calm and cool. Marathon General Aviation did have a crew car available and we drove to Keys Fisheries, which is a joint three miles from the airport. It's self serve and has great food. The other recommendation is Island Fish Company, which has table service and is just as good. We went to Fisheries just for a change of pace. Flew down the coast at 500 feet then climbed to 2,500 past South Beach.
    2 points
  25. I’d like to see annuals become biennials, cut the invasive maintenance by half.
    2 points
  26. My investment wasn’t too bad, got tired of borrowing stuff from my IA, made a list of what I thought I might need or have used in the past, added the wish list items to Spruce orders to get the free freight (3 orders). I think it was maybe $300 or $350. If you are like most on here you like working on your bird it’s nice not having to hunt things down
    2 points
  27. I chose invulnerability as the one I'm most susceptible to. But for me, it's not so much "It won't happen to me", as it is "What I'm doing has increased risk, but I'm going to do it anyway, because a lot of other reasonable people do it too, and I've done it in the past without coming to grief". I speak here of reasonable assumption of additional risk, e.g. flying in IMC, flying over mountainous terrain, deliberately performing slipping and skidding stalls as part of CFI training, and so forth. Lots of people do these things. The risks are reasonable. But sometimes people die doing these things, and the honest truth is that I don't have to do any of them. In fact, I don't ever have to get in an airplane at all. My mild beef with the way the FAA treats the five hazardous attitudes is, the textbook stuff seems to treat them as binary things, when in reality they span a spectrum of increasing risk. Invulnerability is an example of this, as discussed above. Another: I submit that a certain amount of machismo and "I can do it!" attitude is required to be any kind of pilot at all. A person with absolutely zero I-can-do-it attitude is never going to climb into the left seat for their first lesson. If I was writing the textbooks, I'd say the five attitudes in excess are of concern, but that all humans exhibit all those behaviors to some degree from time to time. It's part of what makes us human.
    1 point
  28. Put in some ASL CamGuard in the oil at your oil changes! Mike Busch of Savvy Aviation has gone 2x TBO and his engines looked pristine at overhaul. Hope you heal quickly!! Guy in dry NM
    1 point
  29. Good point Carusoam I did not realize my location was not listed, such a rookie/nub. I am in Greensboro, NC. I saw the post about needing weights. I will get back @spistora if I need to off load those weights. Charged weights for steel tanks with regulator ( according to the Scott document I attached if viewable) - 77 cu ft -30.15 lbs : 115 cu ft - 44.7 lbs I have to think getting a DER involved may be more than the cost to correct my mistake and that is a good suggestion N201MKTURBO, it is worth inquiring. I did some W&B calculations and 14 lbs at station 125 adds 1750 to the moment and that moves the CG aft .9 according to my layman's calculations, which I thought was surprisingly little. Clarence and I are chatting. Thanks for all the replies. This is a great Space. Chris AmbMIVp1.pdf
    1 point
  30. When I say none of my iPads have overheated in 10 years of use, it includes my iPad 1. It was on a yoke mount. Since I have never had a cellular iPad, loss of signal has not been an issue. I did have a Stratus overheat when I left it on the glare shield when I went to lunch one day. Fortunately, loss of signal on an EFB is a non-issue anyway. Absolutely agree about brightness and its effect.
    1 point
  31. I have the premium version (no big data difference but the hourly forecast is nice...) installed everywhere (Android phone, iPad) and use it on a regular browser as well. One of the best tools I have seen out there for me to plan flights weather wise. Without debating its "accuracy", I combine it with comfort level. After many years I know what makes me comfortable in terms of weather prediction and planning. This tool works great for me, I like having everything in one place (even if I double check some): webcam, runway info, NOTAMs...plus more. Not a meteorologist, just a pilot.
    1 point
  32. Should I be more concerned with EGT#3 taking a 50 degree dive when the rest are rising, or is that a glitch in the data recording?
    1 point
  33. 1 point
  34. Notice that I did not say that experience isn't important. Actually what works the best is having a pilot to mentor with. I do that for dozens of pilots from a weather perspective. Scaring the hell out of yourself is a BAD approach to learning. In fact, it teaches you nothing. When I hear "older" pilots say things to "younger" pilots such as, "just get out there and fly in some real weather and you will figure it out" is when I turn away and shake my head. It has and will always be a recipe for disaster. In my 40+ years, I have heard it all and have talked to thousands of pilots about weather over the last two decades. And the common thread is not the lack of experience, but it is the lack of knowledge and training. 99% of pilots are not trained properly when it comes to weather...so it doesn't matter how much experience you have, those experiences are not going to suddenly generate knowledge. So I am not disagreeing with you...but experience isn't the gold star to making good decisions...it's knowledge that leads you down the path to making the best decisions and reasonable judgement that turns into valuable experience. Why? Because every single weather system is different and to think otherwise is just an open manhole waiting for you to fall into. To think that previous successes in flight make better decisions on the next flight is just missing the point and is a dangerous mindset simply because risk is addictive. How do I know that? Because I am a student of weather and I have studied why pilots kill themselves in weather-related accidents and it's due to a lack of knowledge...I worked 3.5 years on this topic to earn my PhD. Why does a 12,000+ hour ATP and flight instructor decide to depart in an airplane without a certified ice protection system with two other people on board and attempt to climb through a stratocumulus deck loaded with ice? Did his experience protect him? No. Did his lack of knowledge defeat him? YES! See Cirrus Birmingham icing accident. And from a knowledge perspective, I'm not talking about rote memory and naming cloud types. That's not the knowledge I am speaking of. It's understanding why SHRA, VCSH and TSRA are all a form of convection. It's understanding why icing is still very likely in clouds producing snow. It's understanding that lenticular clouds are more often a sign of smooth air than not. It's knowing why a forecast for non-convective LLWS isn't a forecast for turbulence. These are the things that will allow you not to need to do a CAT III approach. These are the tools that will minimize your exposure to dangerous turbulence or airframe icing, not test the waters to gain experience dealing with them. No amount of experience is going to teach you how to do that. I don't need to have touched a hot stove to know that it will burn me. A seasoned or tempered pilot should get there through a concerted effort of education and training. So I'll stick with the NTSB's safety study which was very thorough. You don't gain knowledge simply because there are more hours in the logbook. Knowledge is needed. Education is the key to a long flying career. You read, take courses, go to seminars, and you get training from an expert. Then you apply that knowledge during your preflight planning and while in flight. That's the experience that will keep you in the game for a long, long time. That's the foundation that works, not the other way around. Experience without critical knowledge only breeds risk. Bank on it - the accident statistics scream it. And when you are ready, send me your address and I'll send you my new book on weather for you to mull over in your spare time...the knowledge contained within will make you a better pilot, guaranteed or your money back! To anyone reading this, experience is not the answer! It's knowledge and training that is backed up by experience - that is the valuable asset.
    1 point
  35. 1 point
  36. Most of the maneuvers they require for the commercial serve no practical function and are generally the exact opposite of how a commercial pilot ought to be flying. I found that extremely ironic. If I wrote the standards, I’d rather see an extremely boring and uneventful flight with precision, awareness, and sound judgement.
    1 point
  37. With the help of some MSrs, I signed up for this beauty on Wednesday. She has to pass her physical next Friday and I have to come up with the scratch. @gsxrpilot and friend were sooo giving of their time and expertise. I only hope I can pay it forward. There's so much that I and the plane need. If ya look at that completed that list it will make you turn to drink. But I do have one important question; should I go for the leather flight jacket or the Captain's hat with epaulets look?
    1 point
  38. Here is a good starting point: https://www.amazon.com/Al-Mooney-Story-They-Through/dp/0940672340
    1 point
  39. Actually it will. See excerpt from the Garmin G600 Installation Manual. Additionally, if Larry @V1VRV2wants ALT and VS preselect in addition, he will need a GAD43E.
    1 point
  40. Nicely done Mike! When are you going to teach your wife to fly? She seems to be with you on so many of these adventures, she should be getting a private certificate soon.
    1 point
  41. "Weather forecasts are wrong too often to trust, but right too often to ignore." Ever since I heard this, it has been proven more and more of a correct statement.
    1 point
  42. I almost missed a runway once!! I was new pilot returning from a summer weekend flight of rafting on the Kern River, East of Bakerspatch [Bakerfield, CA] It was hot, tons of bugs in the air, I was tired [lesson learned] and in need of fuel. My first trip into Bakersfield airport.............controller gave me a right base for 30, cleared to land. On short final, tower asks me "what are your intentions"? WOW, I'm a new pilot, exhausted, bug city, short final, no headset back in those days [long ago and far away.....]. My brain said "huh"? So I respond, I'm cleared to land on 30 Bakersfield. Controller says........for your information, our runway is marked with the numbers 30, you're about to touch down on the taxiway!!! Yikes!!! Slight flight path correction was made. It would have been fun to be a fly on the wall in the tower once the controller released the PTT button on his mic. Some things we just don't ever forget!!!
    1 point
  43. I went with a mini-split. They run a variable speed compressor and are excellent at removing humidity. I oversized mine and haven't had the typical "short cycle" high humidity issues you would normally have with an oversized heat pump. No more rusty tools! Working on my AC has become a joy. Absolutely no buyers regrets. FWIW I bought an off brand for about 30% of a name brand. They come pre-charged and are simple to install. Subsequently I've installed three more in different properties and I've yet to have a maintenance issue.
    1 point
  44. This. Do NOT solder the thermocouple wire, always splice it.
    1 point
  45. There is great value to an instructor with a lot of experience in a particular make and model. But there us also a benefit to an instructor with a broad range of experience when doing transitions. When you really think about it, aside from model loyalty, 90% of flying a piston single is the same. A good CFI with broad type experience which includes the make and model will do a good job. The problem we encounter most is that the CFI we talk about all the time is the one who has only flown Cessnas. The cross type experience is not there. On top of that, cross type experience alone does not make a good instructor. The net result is a very understandable industry preference for dedicated type specific instructors. A friend recently received Bonanza BPPP instructor certification and he has become incredibly busy. OTOH, when someone is referred to me for Mooney training (I am not a Mooney-specific expert), I feel honored.
    1 point
  46. Scott, It seems that we have tons of weather product available to us. It is easy to be overwhelmed and sometimes difficult to separate the important from the merely interesting. What three (or five max.) pieces of information would provide the best “big picture” to allow making the best flight plan given the variables of altitude, route and departure time?
    1 point
  47. I tend to agree. I would think that to show life in the brand - that spot should simply be a hot link to this forum. It should say, Link here to our Mooniac friends and fans over at our sister website, mooneyspace. Short and sweet like that and point them here. As it is, an empty forum like that is worse than no forum since it gives the feel of a deadzone.
    1 point
  48. @carusoamyour replies always remind me of "Deep Thought's" from SNL.
    1 point
  49. You don't really torque this nut. You turn it gently until the bearing binds slightly and then back off to the next cotter pin slot.
    1 point
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