Jamie

I've had a couple of trips now where I got to do the 1000fpm decent thing with speed brakes. It's -awesome-. Stay high, stay fast until very close, then push the little button and nose over. I'm in the green the whole way, but coming down at 1000fpm+. I know that differs from the accepted way of using them. Don't care. These little babies are awesome, and I'd probably add them (having experienced them) if they weren't already there. (Not saying other's method of use are wrong... but I think there's going to be two types of speed brake users, and I'm in the "these are fun" camp.)

So far, Intermittent Fasting and low carb seems to be working. If I could just quit cheating. I'm losing the weight, and on the days I stick to low carb, I feel good and can tell the weight is coming off. And then I'll need the IQ points and eat a candy bar to get through some weird coding problem and *boom* now I'm on the insulin roller coaster again. Arrrg.

Apologies to the original poster... But I am serious. It's the cheapest way to lose weight I can think of, and if you have it to lose it's win-win. After that, I suspect cost starts to increase fast. It's like speed mods; lotsa $$$ for little kts. I'm probably weight neutral though. First thing I threw in the back was a rather large tool kit (sockets, drivers, wrenches, screw drivers), couple quarts of oil, etc. And I'm no where near done. It's not a proper survival kit, just something so I'm not totally empty handed until I can get the real stuff. And then there's the overnight bag which I will never again be without, the tow bar... The tow bar. I guess you could make a titanium tow bar. It's probably the only piece of equipment that isn't mandatory and doesn't require an STC. (I'm guessing... that's not legal advice). Might save a few pounds.

lol. I know what you mean. I got serious about the weight loss when I bought the plane. New beginnings and all that. Also helps with being able to get it in/out of the hangar.

Neat blog. Added to rotation.

Given the weight distribution of the Modern American, is it possible -you- can lose some weight? I'm 6', was 220, headed for 185. That's 35 lbs right there.

I have an '81, and will be doing an oil change soon. If you don't have anything before the weekend (soonest I can get time to drop the lower cowl) I'll be happy to take some pics.

Nothing showing up on pilotsofamerica.com, airliners.net or liveatc.net. But all that means is that they haven't heard yet, either.

Aha. This says nothing about where or from who.

Where's the CFR that says we have to have a specific briefing? All I remember is something about my responsiblity to familiarize myself with any and all relavent information etc etc for the flight. I find this in the AIM: 7-1-3. Use of Aviation Weather Products a. Air carriers and operators certificated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 119 are required to use the aeronautical weather information systems defined in the Operations Specifications issued to that certificate holder by the FAA. These systems may utilize basic FAA/National Weather Service (NWS) weather services, contractor- or operator-proprietary weather services and/or Enhanced Weather Information System (EWINS) when approved in the Operations Specifications. As an integral part of this system approval, the procedures for collecting, producing and disseminating aeronautical weather information, as well as the crew member and dispatcher training to support the use of system weather products, must be accepted or approved. b. Operators not certificated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 119 are encouraged to use FAA/NWS products through Flight Service Stations, Direct User Access Terminal System (DUATS), and/or Flight Information Services Data Link (FISDL). "encouraged to use". AFAICT, the only advantage of DUATs is that what I was given is logged with a recognized third party (DUATS) and associated with my tail number. That allows me to prove what I got, when. If you brief off the weather channel, and then go to aviationweather.gov, and then go to faa.gov for notams, you aren't easily able to prove you did anything. But, as I understand it, you're legal because you have the relevent information.

I'd like to extend this idea a bit. My biggest problem is ground transportation when I find an interesting restaurant somewhere. If you're a mooney owner and want to fly into Huntsville for some outstanding BBQ, let me know. And, of course, if you're a Mooney owner with a good restaurant nearby, let me know.

This may be relevant to my interests but I'm not sure. I know I have a whelan strobe on one side and a hoskins on the other. But I'm not sure about the position lights.

Don't know how I missed this thread. I have a nexus 7 with Garmin Pilot on it and really like it. If you have any questions, let me know.

PAINT! I bought it with pretty much everything I wanted (I tried to follow all the purchasing advice I read). I bought it knowing I didn't like the paint. Mechanically, it's in great shape, but it looks like 1981.

Ah. I wondered about that. I figured it was just a commercial sales pitch or something. It's coming to Huntsville 10/1.

I've noticed the wind doesn't have any effect on my decision. I usually run around at 55%, which gives me 147ish kts TAS, iirc. The few times I've gone back to 75% was when it was getting dark or I had to pee.

Rats. I'd like to go to this. And I have a reason... Ever eat at Slice of Pie in Rolla?

lol. Yup, wx permitting I'm going. Paved is good, looking forward to meeting Joey. Thanks for putting this together. edit: Oh.. I haven't received anything from you in the way of special info for this. How will we be parked together? Do I need to make a sign for the dash or something?

I've always tied down whatever plane I'm flying. I just like doing it. Now I feel justified.... Flew to parents house, spent the night. As I'm arriving at the airport to depart, I see the local medical helicopter coming in to refuel. It does that hover-taxi thing up to the ramp. Lands near MY airplane and a luscombe. Both are tied down. The luscombe is really shaking. I can't see mine yet. By the time I get to the fence it's on the skids and idling. I start packing my stuff in the plane and checking oil, etc. One of the jumpsuited crew comes over and says they're about to depart, I looked like I was getting ready to leave and that "You might want to leave the tiedowns on until we're gone". No. Really? My point is, weather isn't the only reason to tie an airplane down.

For me, it was the insight that an electronic checklist can be used to return to incomplete items and complete them. Example: At my home base, I do the run up right in front of the hangar (yes, with the prop blast directed at the most expensive plane in range because that's just how I roll) and then I'm ready to (mostly) go once I reach the hold short line. But, that checklist has items I don't do at the hangar (flaps, boost pump, etc). So, without an electronic checklist I end up walking down the start up check list to make sure I didn't miss anything and complete the stuff I left off. Once I find an electronic checklist I like, it will be much more obvious which items should be done. There's also the interruption factor (the paper makes both these points). It's obvious where an electronic checklist was interrupted. Not so with a paper list.

The attached document changed my mind on electronic checklists. Flight-Deck_Checklists.pdf

FYI. As of this writing 'mounispace.com' is available. Just sayin'....

No need. Were I you, I'd say: "M20J." Pilots wouldn't be disgusted, and I've yet to meet a non-pilot that wants anything more than "mumble-mumble". Seriously. The actual type seems to go in one ear, through an obviously sparsely populated volume, and out the other side. They're doing that often irritating thing normals do called "making conversation". Acceptable alternatives: "A fast one." *smirk* "Low wing, retractable gear M20J. Carrys two people plus baggage at 160Kts for over 4 hours, hey! is that your kid. Wow he's really grown...." Future airplane designers, take note: If you have a weird last name, don't name it after yourself.

I'm totally going one day... probably Saturday. I'm hoping we park on concrete, and I'd like access to my plane during the airshow. Any idea if that's possible? (Well, not during the airshow itself, but during the day...)

That may change my mind. I hate -expensive- proprietary battery packs, but if you can get spares for cheap, then I don't care. I'd also rather swap a pack (like dropping a mag) than fiddle with half a dozen AAs in flight.