Jamie

Yes, it would. I'm still trying to figure that out. I just went on my first long trip, and was playing with the engine monitor. I'm going to have to get some help from my instructor (more help) because I'm not confident in what I'm seeing. When I get it figured out, I'll post a report.

I have the 390 conversion. Having never flown in a mooney without, I can't really compare. The conversion brings with it some engine upgrades (roller tappets, different mags, new starter, etc) that otherwise wouldn't be there. But that's probably not worth it if you're the one paying the full cost of the overhaul.

Update. I've been checking the website (http://wingsovernorthgeorgia.com/). The Thunderbirds graphic has been replaced with one showing The Black Diamond Jet Team. So, not the Thunderbirds, but still probably more than sufficiently loud.

This sounds unrelated but... Does anyone else have a Roku? Because AOPA has a free channel on it that carries some weekly program (shows you how much I watch, I can't remember the name). It might be available on their website, but I've never checked. Anyway. They recently had a comparison between the filters. I don't remember much, except I left with the impression the Champion was better but not by much and both were good.

So I'm told I can play music over my intercomm. It's supposed to be smart enough to mute the music when I receive something. I have the RCA jacks under the panel. I have the necessary adapter (RCA->3.5mm) and the appropriate cord to connect to my tablet. When I play music and turn it up full volume, I can hear it (barely) when the radio is silent. But I can't figure out how to get it to play normally. Nothing I've tried so far will let me hear the external audio (music). What does this sort of thing normally look like? I'm attaching a pic from last weekend's trip home (I was happy with my ground speed ), but it shows the intercomm and some audio panel. Any ideas? None of the manuals I received with the airplane mention it.

Um... what dreaded rear seat issue? (says the owner of the '81 Mooney).

Ah. Yup. That must be it. The A&P probably said something like "similar to the SCAT tubing on the engine" and I didn't understand. The 182 was the scariest. The wing root vent for the cabin air had caused -major- corrosion of the wing spar attach point. The airplane was otherwise perfect and well maintained. If they hadn't replaced the windshield they probably wouldn't have caught it until the wing came off.

I mentioned in another thread that I'm stuck at KCGI until at least Monday due to mechanical problems. The A&P that was in on Saturday took me on a brief tour of the stuff they're currently working on. -Three- different Cessnas of various type had severe corrosion apparently induced by rotting SCAT tubing for the air ducts. The scenario painted was that the condensation coupled with rotting tubing eventually causes dissimilar metal corrosion. The aluminum parts I saw were swelling / layered where they touched the rusting steel rings in the tubing. Major corrosion and mostly hidden from sight. In at least two of the cases, the problem was only spotted because they were after something else. Other than the big SB's for the leaking windows / insulation, do we have anything like this?

Nice! We thought about using frontpanelexpress for some stuff at work but went a different route. Looks like good stuff, though.

No. At least I don't think so. It's a Hoskins FT-101. It seems to only show current gal/min and total used. Thanks, everyone. Hopefully they can look at this tomorrow morning and it's something simple. I'd be happy if they could rule out an engine problem and I fly it home. Dealing with it away from home sucks.

It's a GEM 602. I guess the best way to describe what I saw is what happens to a microcontroller when it starts up undervoltage. I mean, it depends on the program it's running of course, but it looked like it was trying to run with the bench power supply turned to too low of a voltage / current. It wasn't on a seperate breaker that I could see, so I turned off the avionics master, then turned off the main master (I left the engine running). Left it off for a count of 5 or so, then turned it back on. The engine monitor seemed fine after that. Runup went fine, nothing unusual on takeoff, climbout was fine. I mean, if I hadn't just spent 1.5 hours staring at those guages, I would have just headed on home. But the max indication was unusual.

Flew from HSV->CGI (Cape Girardeau, MO) yesterday to see the family. Great trip. The autopilot gave me time to really get to know the engine instruments and engine monitor, which is why the trip back was aborted. Short version: The fuel pressure and oil pressure panel meters were seemingly stuck on "max pressure" (red). I noticed this on take off, but since I don't know the airplane well yet assumed it was normal on full throttle take off. So I climbed a few thousand then leveled off and throttled back to 20" or so. Still redlined. That's when I decided to return to the field. The other engine instruments were green, and the engine monitor didn't show anything unusual. It was only when I throttled back to idle just before landing and during taxi that the pressure indications came off red line back into the green. Stuff that may or may not be related: * When I started up for that flight, the engine monitor was "going nuts". Blinking randomly (not in a test pattern as far as I could tell, more like an electrical / software bug). I shut the master off, waited a few seconds, then turn it back on and the engine monitor was fine. This, with the engine running. * Turning the fuel boost pump on/off made no difference in indication. * New battery (concorde) installed (and test flew) earlier this week. * Normal fuel flow according to the totallizer. I'm stuck in Missouri with the parents until at least Monday when the local A&P can take a look. Suggestions for what to look at?

Thanks everyone.

Instructor noticed the plastic washer thing surrounding the metal pin that the shoulder belt snaps onto has broken. It's still there, but it's not keeping the shoulder belt attached to the lap belt. I have no idea how to find this part to start to try to order it. Suggestions?

I must be searching for the wrong stuff because a search turned up zilch on this. I've been taught to use 2700rpm (prop full forward) and 23" mp in cruise. Looking at the POH tables, that appears to give me max speed up through 10,000ft, where 23" isn't possible any longer without a turbocharger. In my airplane the only time the prop control is pulled back is during runup. After that it stays fully forward. From what I've been able to find out about constant speed prop operation, this isn't hurting anything (it's where you want it for take off, it gives you max speed in cruise, and it adds drag for descent, it's even where it should be for a go around). So when would I want to select a lower rpm? What do you guys do?

It's good to know they'll take a check, but just as additional data point.... I was calling around for insurance quotes, and was asked if I was a member of MAPA. So I went to their site, read some, said "sure, why not" and went to sign up. PayPal only? I just closed the tab and forgot about it. It wasn't because I was mad, or even annoyed. I'm not pouting because they don't support my favorite payment method. But I won't use paypal, and they lost me because of it. I haven't had printed checks for years. On the rare occasion I need one, I go to my bank and get an official check. That's simply too much trouble for the perceived benefit here. But I can understand if they don't make enough to take credit cards. Totally understandable. Maybe AOPA could start a "partnership" or something with a bunch of type-specific groups, and you could check the box for your group when you sign up. Then AOPA could mail MAPA a check instead of me.

Most of those rifles are still there, so to speak, but they aren't in the window any more. Schools have their "zero tolerance" policies, so their ass is covered, and the kids have the rifles under the seat so they don't have to deal with it. Can you Texans hurry up and leave the union? I'd like to apply for citizenship.

No doubting you, but why? What makes coke so bad? Other than the sticky mess, I mean? Is it the sticky mess? Does that draw moisture?

First, thanks! Thanks to everyone for their input. I was not looking for confirmation of a decision I had already made and was very much interested in both sides. And I got it. This. I want to be "in the system" and have the option to file IFR. I also think I'll really like the mental challenge that is IFR flying. Agreed. Totally. There's a reply below I quote that I think will become my blueprint for this. Me finding time isn't the problem... it's trying to find time when I can go, my instructor can go and the weather allows. In this respect, owning hasn't been much better than renting. I'm still finding it difficult to schedule (my instructor is very good, which means very popular, so he's not always available when I am). But yes, I do NOT want to rush this so much as I just want to avoid dragging it out. Also This. It's starting to look like there's a LOT I can do to get ready for concentrated training that essentially makes the training course into mostly check ride prep. The important skills have already been learned either solo, or with an instructor / safety pilot. This sounds like a plan. I want to get as close as I can without having to have an instructor, and THEN I think I want an instructor available to me 24x7 to finish up. I agree that it's probably a lot harder to go into a course like this "cold". But as a way to satisfy the flight time requirements and prepare for the check ride? It seems useful. Thanks y'all.

I could have started this thread. I was wondering the same thing, though being a hardcore linux user, I'm going to try FlightGear instead. I was thinking about using the Saitek stuff (yoke, throttle, pedals, etc.) For those of you that have done this, did you use a single monitor or multiple? (I know, I know... it's IMC. Except I think it'd be cool to have an out-the-window view and a separate screen for the virtual instruments).

Ok, I admit up front I'm frustrated with how long it's taking to get the 10 hours of dual I need to be solo in my new Mooney (between work schedules and the #$%@#$ weather...). I'm sure that colors the following. But. I've been extrapolating the current rate (hours / week.... and weeks / hour seems more appropriate) and it'll take approximately forever to get an instrument rating. Worse, the time between lessons is affecting retention, which sets me back even further. And this is just for private pilot stuff in the new plane. So I was wondering if anyone had any experience with one of those accelerated IFR courses. You know... they come to you, you do it in your plane, you take a week or so off from work and this is all you do. I figure if I prepared before the course and maybe even had some instruction then the course would be a quick way to finish up AND learn more. I think if I do this right, doing it all at once might make me more proficient than dragging it out over 3-6 months. Thoughts?

The box cutters weren't the problem. For years the standard advice was to do whatever you were told by the hijackers to minimize your risk of being injured. Well, guess what... that doesn't work when the end goal of the hijacker IS death. Explain to me how someone is going to take over a plane with a knife having a blade length less than 2.5" and a width <= 0.5" unless everyone on the plane has been conditioned to faint dead away at the site of a pocket knife? We need less "zero tolerance" and more common sense. There was a time in this country when nearly every adult male carried a pocket knife and planes weren't dropping out of the sky.

This is a question I had too. I have a shopping bag (that's how it arrived) full of manuals all marked something like "must remain in aircraft at all times" or "must be available to pilot during flight". Garmin 430 manuals, autopilot, etc. I've either scanned these, or downloaded the manufacturer's pdf. If I get ramp checked and don't have the dead tree version, is that a violation?

nice. Ok... it's beautiful and people do it a lot apparently. But what's going through your mind about "what do I do if the engine quits?" It doesn't look like there's any place to put down. At all. Also... looked to me like you were at 17,500. If true, was that so you could stay VFR?

For those that OCR'd theirs.... how much of the formatting / indentation is preserved? How about the bold / underlines, figures, figure captions, etc? I'd definitely like a searchable document, but would rather not do a lot of editing / fixup.