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Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/25/2021 in all areas

  1. Absolutely. I'm sure we can all agree that the problem with state, federal and local government is due to under funding. People just don’t realize how much more could be done if these highly efficient bureaucracies were adequately funded....
    5 points
  2. I was at a restaurant last night along the Colorado River with sign in the lobby that said “Anybody wearing a mask will not be served” The place was packed.
    4 points
  3. 3 points
  4. So which rules are useless, because whoever wants to can break them at any time? If Martha can fly under a bridge, so can you and I and him over there. What other regs can we break on a whim? (If you film your u der-the-bridge flight, don't post it here.) Like many other regulations, "don't fly under bridges" was likely the result of one too many messy, bloody accidents. Do we really want to go back to that? Or do we give free.passes only to celebrities? Who determines if a person is "enough" of a celebrity to get away with a particular infraction? We don't want to go there, either.
    3 points
  5. Help! I got Simpsonized! Yesterday was my birthday and Liz surprised me with a Simpsonized artwork of me standing in front of the pi-plane. It doesn't as much look like me as it looks like the idea of me, which is what everyone who guest stars in the Simpsons ends up like. I also went flying with my son - over to Lake Champlain near Burlington in view - I tried to take a picture in front of the plane just like the Simpson version but I crossed my arms instead of arms on hips and it didn't work. I will try again today. I wore the right hat and sunglasses though.
    3 points
  6. Or not! Just people choosing to live instead of waiting for the inevitable.
    2 points
  7. If the support posts are 4000' apart. General VFR clearances are 1000' above and 2000' horizontal clearance from the highest obstacles within 2 nm of your flight path. Can you tell I just spent several hours with a CFII getting current and semi-proficient again?
    2 points
  8. I used to live in California where taxes are pretty high. Every politician running for Governor always said that they could cut costs by reducing waste and fraud and they could always point to some egregious example of waste to make their point. Trouble is, they could never find enough actual waste or fraud to amount to much. The truth is that most government spending goes either directly or indirectly to payroll. You can only cut payroll so much. I read an article recently about how much money the government is loosing in uncollected taxes because various administrations have cut back IRS enforcement staffing. Did they really end up saving money, or did they just do wealthy constituents a favor? The IRS now audits very few high income taxpayer returns because they are complex and time consuming to audit though that's where the real tax avoidance is to be found. It's much easier to audit taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Credit and pick up a pittance here and there.
    2 points
  9. Thank you Neil, and thank you JFK for the inspirational leadership.
    2 points
  10. I don't get it - why are people saying she didn't do anything? Why is this a case of big bad FAA - FISDO out to get her a lovely old lady - old salt know-it all pilot, former every credential.... I mean she flew under a bridge, I could go fly under a bridge. I won't because it is strictly forbidden, whether or not I agree with that. If you or I, or she does that strictly forbidden activity or any one of a few other very public and strictly forbidden activities, I would expect a reaction from the FAA. This is not a criminal action. This is simply an action of revoking her privileges that she abused. This seems expected. Whether or not I like the rule., I quite understand why that rule is in place.
    2 points
  11. Here’s our new ride. Now all I need is a POH.
    2 points
  12. I’m in total love with my 1969 Mooney M20F, she came modified with every mod there is and had been a demo plane for such. I’ve had my share of aircraft, most recently a SR20, and found the transition super easy. Insurance required a check out, no specific time, but I had a CFI booked for half a day but only needed an hour, it just was so easy. I’ve got hundreds of hours in slippery, fast aircraft like a Long-EZ and the Cirrus which likely helped. My landings have been consistently smooth, better than those in our putt-putt plane, C150. Any suggestions as a new Mooney pilot/owner? I’m still figuring out cruise settings, suggestions? Cheers, Vaughn
    2 points
  13. This is very true. despite what a pilot may think of their own abilities and experience... in many circumstances, an old aircraft will hold up better than an old pilot. (Some P-51’s are still flying... but what about those brave souls that took them airborne in their 20’s?). What “old” is, though... I’ll leave that to the professionals. In my line of work as a fighter pilot, it’s a bit more “athletic” than GA... and in my 40’s now, I see the balance between youth, stamina, knowledge/experience and age more than I used to. It’s definitely “a thing” in my kids parlance! And a “peak balance” does exist in my opinion. I don’t believe that “being old” can ever take away from ones accomplishments in aviation... or anything in life... but that doesn’t mean that one would be “just as qualified and capable” as they could/would be in their prime. Those qualifications must be objective in nature, and not revisionist... for the safety of all in the National aerospace system. just my opinion... and I’m definitely not a medical professional.
    2 points
  14. Like all things aviation, no problem that money can’t fix. Slap a 4 blade on the nose of that rocket...
    2 points
  15. I would encourage any aircraft owner who doesn’t want to deal with the tax man to block their tail number through the FAA. When blocked, you as the owner can authorize access to a friend, loved one, spouse, etc. once blocked, ONLY the FAA can see the aircraft movement. ADS-B is the primary mechanism taxing agencies use to assess your aircraft. https://ladd.faa.gov
    2 points
  16. 2 points
  17. A gear warning typically takes two sensors to be open at the same time... Your system thinks the gear is up and the throttle is out at the same time... Since you have raised the gear... one makes sense... Might want to check on the throttle position sensor... As far as a safety issue goes... you want the sensor system working properly so it gives you the right warning at the right time... PP thoughts only, not a mechanic... Best regards, -a-
    2 points
  18. Wouldn't their response be: "the letter you posted on a public forum"?
    2 points
  19. I’ve been dining at my favorite local BBQ since last September. Staff doesn’t wear masks, most patrons do not either. Salt, pepper and sauces on the table like they should be. I always hug my server when we leave. Good food, good company, good for the soul. Humans being human.
    1 point
  20. Not necessarily. You must check the equipment list for a particular plane. There is a line item for full fluid, but in my case, it isn’t checked. the photo will prolly post upside down or sideways, but I’m counting on @carusoamto fix it for me!
    1 point
  21. Totally agree. You can find idiots everywhere.
    1 point
  22. I think that’s a general 135 rules. No autopilot means you have to go vfr to me the best justification is you can’t take the money with you and I hope to not leave money to my kids. I already put them through expensive universities.
    1 point
  23. A couple general tidbits I found when doing research on this issue: MOST states have a "flyaway rule"--if purchased in that state and then removed to another, no sales tax is due MOST states pursue a use tax if the aircraft is brought into the state for substantial use after purchase, and the use tax is almost always the same as sales tax MOST states have an exception for maintenance SOME states have a time limit on use tax, but I don't think any have a limit on sales tax SOME states have a casual sales exemption , the big one including California ALL states (I think) credit sales/use tax already paid to another, so that you are only liable for the difference (if any) NO state pro-rates their use tax, e.g if you only bring your plane into their state for 90 days, why wouldn't you only be liable for 1/4 of their use tax? That would make too much sense.
    1 point
  24. The guidance in the maintenance manual is that it isn't a flight issue until it leaves a big enough stain on the ground (seriously). So if it isn't making it to the ground, it's an annoyance that needs to be monitored. Many Mooneys have leaks like this. I know just how much to fill my left tank before it'll start leaking. The tank can be patched and some MSCs (or shops or A&Ps) will do this. Maxwell's shop patched one of my tanks for a flat fee several years ago and that patch is still fine.
    1 point
  25. The SDcard readers on expensive electronics are the same as on the cheap ones. Thin layer of gold plated contacts wear after a while. I would try spraying electronic cleaner in the slot and see if that helps.
    1 point
  26. Letting the thread drift a bit... I actually think we're in a pretty great place right now for "graceful degradation" of flying activities. With no major medical issues, a person who finds herself behind the airplane can step down to a well-equipped LSA and enjoy the heck out of it. And if the LSA becomes too much, she can step down to a Part 103 craft with a super-low stall speed and a ballistic parachute, requiring no pilot certificate and no medical. We're all creatures of habit, and I know that it feels like a really big deal to have to sell our pride and joy because it's gotten to be too much airplane, but I love the fact that we've got good options for lower and slower flight befitting longer reaction times that could add many years of enjoyment to a flying hobby.
    1 point
  27. I for one will never get over the fact that the flag wasn’t flown at half mast when Neil Armstrong died, not sure what it takes to be an American Hero if he didn’t make the cut
    1 point
  28. 1968 5 hrs, 8 landings, 4 steep turns, slow flight work, steep turns, and a stall. 1 ILS, 2 gps lp-v approaches and we still have this afternoon to go.
    1 point
  29. FYI if you don’t know already, you can update any of these values in the setup module of the G3X. Just hold down the menu button on startup and go to the appropriate spot. For instance, I updated my CHT redline to 425 and put in a yellow line at 400. The standard green to red at 500 didn’t make much sense to me. The GFC500 setup menus are in there too so you can update the bank angles, attack angles, speeds ect before ESP kicks in.
    1 point
  30. One thing I discovered in airline flying starting around 60, was my First Officers were better sticks than I was. Youth has its advantages. When something went wrong, I usually handed the airplane over to the best stick, while I used my experience and management skills to manage the situation. If you notice for instance on UA 232 into KSUX, Captain Haynes never touched the controls, he managed the situation. A little different of course single pilot, but it is important to use your experience, to guide you away from situations beyond your capability. Its a hard thing to admit to yourself you are diminishing, but as a pilot it is your job to take stock of the resources and manage them into the possible and not the impossible.
    1 point
  31. I have, and have always had a different read on the old pilot thing. ‘For some reason it’s a big deal for an old man to fly a 1000 lb airplane in the country over farm fields at 70 MPH, but no thought at all to him driving to the airport in a 5000 lb vehicle just feet away from other vehicles full of families and children with a combined speed of 140 MPH? There have been for decades a not so small group of pilots in the country in small town airports who only fly on Sunday, they drag out their old 172’s and Cubs, Champs etc and just fly around the country side. They fly on Sunday secure in the knowledge that no one from the FSDO works on Sunday, once in a blue moon one of them will do something stupid and maybe ruin a small amount of corn or maybe cotton when they crash, but it’s very rare, probably honestly about the same rate as new pilots crash, and no one cares. Who are they hurting? I have no idea who this Lady is, honestly never heard of her, but it really seems that her biggest and possibly only crime is being anti-social, which more and more in today’s society, is in fact a crime. ‘I guess that takes me to 1984, the book,not the year. On edit, I bet she isn’t doing anything that she hasn’t always done, but now for whatever reason she has enemies in the FSDO, very likely all her old friends, the ones that used to protect her are gone, Retired and their replacements have it out for her, so they are watching, and pat people on the back for reporting anything she does. I’ve seen that happen, a very good friend of mine who has had his doctorate in Aeronautical Engineering for over 40 years and has held pretty much every designation for test flights and flight analyst etc has been for a long time very critical of the FAA. He didn’t last long after the head of the Atl ACO and their Chief Test Pilot retired, pretty quickly they pulled all of his designations except Test Pilot. By leaving him as a Test Pilot they in my opinion sent the message that his age or medical status wasn’t the issue. ‘He literally wrote the book on small aircraft test flying.
    1 point
  32. https://www.alliedelec.com/product/te-connectivity/201298-1/70087530/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-a3k-L-Z8AIVNQqtBh1h0goCEAAYASAAEgJqtfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds https://www.te.com/commerce/DocumentDelivery/DDEController?Action=showdoc&DocId=Catalog+Section82003_M_SERIES_PIN_SOCKET0608pdfEnglishENG_CS_82003_M_SERIES_PIN_SOCKET_0608.pdf200868-1 The vendors part number is right on the connector. Look up the pins for that connector and order new ones.
    1 point
  33. Mike Busch and EAA have a fantastic webinar series for both experienced and new aircraft owners alike. I emailed Mike a question recently and he replied within a day. I fully expected to be referred to one of his Savvy services however, he personally took the time to reply several times without ever trying to push his business. Highly recommend EAA’s webinar series and Mike’s books. They have certainly helped me a lot.
    1 point
  34. I’m not abdicating doing anything against regs, but if you know for sure it’s elevator, meaning 61 kts stall is the limit, just add 5 kts to an approach speed and learn when to lower the nose on touchdown. fly it like it was a lancair or something That may be better than overgrossing the airplane or exceeding structural limits from excess lead in the tail or even lead weights in the baggage as they may be tough to secure. ‘Or the lightweight prop is the “best” answer but it’s $20K. ‘Sometimes you have to pick the lesser of the evils.
    1 point
  35. Advisory Circular AC No: 43.13-1B ACCEPTABLE METHODS, TECHNIQUES, AND PRACTICES - AIRCRAFT INSPECTION AND REPAIR is the reference I would use for your legal question. A&P will want some reference to substantiate the repair. I think you will be able to extract the old pin, install new and repair the connector. I also think you could abandon the pin, leave the connector in place for the remaining wires and bypass for your broken wire. Use 2 aviation butt splices, a piece of aviation electrical wire of same AWG and an aviation connector. Same result, same functionality, approved components at the same location. As long as A&P approves of repair it seems this would be easier and you won't break the rest of the wires in the process.
    1 point
  36. Really? This again? When I sold my C model, I had no intention of taking it anywhere. Why? Because I do not trust a facility to pay attention to the details such as putting proper length screws back where they belong. I was more than happy to have the airplane opened up and ready for inspection in my hangar which is what happened. I was also the person who put the airplane back together after the pre-buy. I was also not willing to potentially have my airplane held hostage over an opinion of airworthiness. If you follow the advice given above, you might just be passing on a real gem of an airplane. David
    1 point
  37. I've puzzled over the Rocket's peculiar CG for a long time now. I've asked others for comparison, but the numbers are inconsistent from plane to plane. We decided to put the plane on actual scales recently, and measured an empty weight of 2390 lbs and 42.3" CG. Others I've asked are 100-150 lbs lighter but I haven't figured out why. With these numbers, if it's only me in front (140 lbs), then I can carry 60 gals fuel if I also carry 120 lbs in the baggage. With two people in the plane and one person in the back, I can add another 10 gallons. With two up front, I'm limited to something ridiculous like 20 gallons before hitting the forward limit, even with full ballast. Part of this is due to the forward CG of the Rocket, and for me, it's exacerbated by the high empty weight. I can't load much before hitting the top "slope" of the limits. In short, it's a fussy experience. Your setup looks similar to mine. A few additional notes: If you have Monroy tanks, the station is at 71" (about the same as the aft seats). It begins filling once there are about 20 gallons in the main. This is specified in the flight manual supplement. Mine didn't include one, but apparently later ones did. See the pics attached. Remember that the front seats full forward and full aft stations are different--34" and 39", respectively. If you need ballast, a case of oil is about 20 lbs. If you need something more compact, check out the lead weights for wakesurfing boats. I use two 50 lb bags and a case of oil to get 120 lbs. On fixing the issue, someone already mentioned the composite prop. Performance improvements aside, it also takes ~36 lbs off the very front, but last I checked it's about $20k. It's an expensive proposition if you aren't looking for a new prop. The service manual describes how to add up to 19 lbs of counterweight (aka charlie weight) in the tailcone at station 197.5". I'm trying to figure out how to go about adding more. By my estimates, 60-70 lbs there would get the CG into the "meatiest" part of the limits and solve my issue completely. Supposedly there's someone who did just that (which was reported secondhand to MS), but I'm haven't had any luck getting more details. Can you ignore it? As already mentioned, in the Rocket it's primarily an elevator authority issue. If you're landing and the elevator stalls in the roundout, your nose is going to slam down. With the already low prop clearance, you're probably looking at a prop strike. I wouldn't "just fly it". Some may suggest it obliquely, and I suspect many do anyway. Remember that once you're outside limits, you're a test pilot #1. edited for grammar
    1 point
  38. Thanks for the feedback. It’s what I was concerned about as well. However, I can report that I no longer use full nose up trim on takeoff and it’s still just me and the instructor. Three things I think are going on: 1. It’s no longer winter and I can actually trim further...I think it felt like max nose up but wasn’, 2. The plane is back flying often to the trim screw is freed up more and I wasn’t actually getting full nose up before, 3. The trim indicator seems to be off. Starting from full nose up, it takes 5 pulls of the wheel (not turns) and then the indicator starts to read. And this is what I’ve been using for takeoff when coming off of a landing. I need to take some time and work it stop to stop and see where the indicator really is. So it seems to be ok, but not without quirks.
    1 point
  39. Personally, my most successful investment decisions have been to ignore predictions and stay the course, and my worst ones were trying to react to what I thought was likely to happen.
    1 point
  40. I guess my 8th grade English teacher was a crispy critter - the entire year we read nothing but dystopian fiction and unhappy memoirs with one “comedy week” in the middle of the year.
    1 point
  41. Ilya, Its a good chance that it is an old fuel leak... Brush up on the screws, gasket, sealant that gets used for individual screws... and the proper torque to be used... Getting everything torqued evenly is probably the important part... Could be a quick fix... While you are in there... have a look at the connector tube... rubber tube from tank fuel line headed towards the fuel selector switch... age related health issues.... Good news... low cost fixes for expensive challenges... Pp thoughts only, not a mechanic... Best regards, -a-
    1 point
  42. Parker, if I get ramp checked and asked for my O2 pressure as he pulls out a calculator I’m going to be pissed
    1 point
  43. Crooked speed traps too. Fuck Virginia.
    1 point
  44. In 1949 George Orwell wrote a book entitled Nineteen84 (1984) It was a dystopian vision of the future. Written as a warning to society it has somehow become a “how to” book for certain progressive politicians. We are living much of what the book warns about. Everyone needs to read this book and reflect on the current state of freedom in America and the world.
    1 point
  45. She's familiar with getting in trouble with the FAA, as it's not the first time she's had credentials revoked. She's written about it before. I don't think there's any way to whitewash a conscious decision to fly under a bridge. This doesn't seem like an inadvertent infraction. The FAA seems to be consistent about distinctly discerning between inadvertent actions and willful infringement. If a conscious decision to fly under a bridge is the decision making that's going on, a time out (or perhaps permanent grounding as this may turn out), doesn't seem inappropriate to me. I'm not worried about the drones, personally, except when they're competing for the same airspace.
    1 point
  46. I once totaled up everything I'd spent on the airplane one year. I immediately swore never to do such a thing again. If you really have to justify costs, take up knitting, or baking, or perhaps woodworking. There is no rational justification for the monies we spend on aviation. None at all.
    1 point
  47. Never ever share that with my wife.
    1 point
  48. I’d call the company, seems to me the timing is off for whatever reason.
    1 point
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