cnoe

My understanding is that on my (most) Mooneys the EGT gauge is not part of the type certificate or Car 3 basic equipment and is not required, thus it can be removed entirely if desired. Read “Car 3 § 3.655 Required basic equipment.” You can therefore replace the original gauge with a TSO replacement gauge to be used as an advisory instrument. Mine was yanked when the JPI830 went in and the AI was fine with it. http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/6ee01384f2e646e986258100005b0b61/$FILE/2A3_Rev57.pdf Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

So... if I opt out on the $8.07/gal. fuel at Midway, what are the ramp and tie-down fees? Fuel at Gary/Chicago Intl. 18 miles away is only $4.93/gallon, but the tolls on I-90 eat up the savings quickly. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I received great and affordable service at KGYY last summer. We had a rental car waiting but tolls are high and parking in Chicago were even higher. We may try Midway next time and use Uber/Lyft, but need to check FBO pricing first. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I use the Papermate disposable 0.7mm pencils for writing underwater. After a few uses you can toss them before the inner spring gets rusty. But in the plane I prefer the Zebra F-301 pen with its (very fine) 0.7mm ball point and black ink. They’re available in bulk at Sam’s Club and never gum up or leak. I find ink works great for copying clearances etc. since I never make mistakes. Maybe you should post a poll. I love polls. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

They’re a part of the premium placard set from Higher Graphics and made of high quality 3M vinyl. They’ll let you customize the set and provide proofs prior to production. It’s been more than 2 years since I installed all new placards and I’m still 100% satisfied. There was 3-4 pages of placards in my set. http://www.highergraphics.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=127 Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

As mentioned the PenPal holders are available at both Amazon and Walmart but only in multi-color packs. A while back Paul @gsxrpilot contacted the manufacturer about purchasing them in black-only and they gave him a minimum-order quantity. I opted in for several and he bought a large number. He may have a bunch left. The black looks much better on my panel.

Thanks. Told my wife you’d be around soon enough. Note: Old pic. New electronic CO detector replaces that stupid cardboard POS. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Well, 2 out of 3 properly-oriented pics ain't bad.

+1 on Nulites. I installed several 2-3 years ago and am quite pleased. Prior to that the airspeed indicator in particular was very difficult to read in the slower range due to shadowing from the glareshield lighting. They are a bit fragile during installation as one was broken while pinched against my gauge cluster, but they have held up well since then. The manufacturer was great, though, and sent me a free replacement even after admitting the breakage was MY fault. I keep things turned down pretty far in flight but here are a couple of pics showing the gauges with and without the glareshield lights turned on. Also, I'm pretty pleased with my new placards from HigherGraphics.com (see other pic which shows a few). They're not as substantial as the factory aluminum ones, but they are holding up very well.

For the most part these AOPA Fly-ins are much like the proverbial $100 hamburger; an excuse to go flying (with often some cross-country time). I’ve been to several and the expenses were typically supplemented by a couple friends who rode along. For sure don’t expect “deals” like at Oshkosh or S&F though I’ve made a few minor purchases there. I didn’t find the Barnstormer parties too exciting. Each locale offers something unique, and some have done great job as hosts. Others, such as Tullahoma completely dropped the ball by abandoning the airport on a Friday due to bad weather making that arrival a horrible experience. Since AOPA switched to the new Friday/Saturday format it’s much better with some really good day-long (paid) workshops. Last year I went to a very informative weather program at the National Severe Storms Lab in Norman, OK. The tornado generator was pretty awesome! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

No diagnosis has been made yet but I’m looking ahead at options/remedies. My oil temp runs about 10-15 F high for a J even though my CHTs are excellent (CHTs in the lower 10th percentile according to Savvy’s data analysis). Being based in hot/humid Texas doesn’t help either. Resolving the discrepancy is on my to-do list though not urgent. It’s likely either a restricted cooler or a leaky vernatherm. The cooler is old but has been thoroughly pressure flushed twice, flows well and exhibits no cool spots. The fins aren’t in great shape which could be a factor. It has not been ultrasonically cleaned but the flushing was done back and forth several times over a few hours time at 75 psi. Several people have reported no improvement following service such as provided by Pacific Oil Cooler, and one close friend had his cooler overhauled at great expense without authorization (though he’d have purchased a new one instead if the vendor had been straight with him). So until I’m certain the cooler is at fault I won’t send it across the country for service, and even then I’ll likely just pay the $700 for a new one. At oil change (this week) we plan to check the vernatherm for proper seating and functionality. If it shows signs of irregular seating I plan to replace it and resurface the contact area as per Lycoming SI-1316A. I’m hoping that there’s simply some binding or lack of full extension as that would be the easiest and least expensive repair. If you (or anybody) has input I’d welcome the thoughts. Thanks! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thank you 601! Needs met; Mooneyspace rocks!

Does anybody have a copy (.pdf) of the Lycoming Service Instruction No. 1316-A describing the process of resurfacing the vernatherm seating surface that they could share? The dual-mag engines do not have a removable oil-filter-adapter and I'm trying to determine whether the seating surface can be touched up in place without risking contamination of the engine (perhaps by flushing out the filter-adapter and oil-cooler lines from the vernatherm's opening). Please don't ask me to search Lycoming's website or do a Google Search as that has been unsuccessful. If you have better luck and can provide a direct link to the SI then I will offer you great praise. Thanks in advance... cnoe

Good eye Oz. They called base so quickly that I was high. I overshot a slight amount but what you’re seeing is actually a slip. Nailed it.[emoji57] Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

That thing has a ton of prop blades! I count 6 right there! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I made it to KLAL early Friday afternoon following our pre-dawn departure into a Houston overcast. We landed 20 minutes prior to the airfield closure after the 778 nm flight. We flew a couple of offshore legs to avoid Pensacola airspace and Tampa/S&F traffic. It was my first visit to S&F and I thought the controllers did a great job. “Aim for the green dot; land on the red”. Ground transportation was a bit confused for those of us forced to park in the boonies, but we worked it out. IMO Enterprise really dropped the ball by not accepting rental car returns on Sunday; consequently we opted for a Lyft to and from our off-site lodging. As always it was a pleasure seeing Jolie (Callsign: Buttercup) at the nice Mooney booth. Having never been there before I thought that the physical layout (at S&F) was a bit disjointed but I eventually saw most everything. Sorry I didn’t get to see more MS’ers but there wasn’t much time for socializing with my abbreviated schedule. I have to say that comparatively the Mooney Caravan ROCKS with their big tent and activities at Airventure! The most surprising thing for me was the steep show discounts that Garmin was giving on their G5 setups! Offering the free autopilot with a dual-G5 purchase was quite generous even though I’ll still be waiting a while for my M20 to be added to the AML. Lastly, it must suck being a meteorologist ‘cause that awful forecast they threw against the wall regarding the timing of the frontal passage left a lot to be desired. After waiting out the weather for 4 hours Sunday at Lake City (KLCQ) we eventually got to depart into light rain, overcast skies, and a stiff headwind. Luckily the city-owned FBO provided free hot dogs, chips, and drinks for all the grounded planes (people) during our stopover. They even had a pool table in a pilot lounge area! Nice job! Chuck (Bubbles) Noe Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Great follow-up Larry. It’s awesome to hear you’ve logged 140 hours with minimal squawks! Stretching your legs is what Mooneys are all about. Your upcoming trip to NC is a one stopper (if your bladder holds out). I also agree with keeping the VORs working well. I experienced my first complete failure of the GNSS system this month when 3 independent GPS receivers simultaneously lost coverage on a local flight. My certified Garmin, Stratus 2S, and iPhone’s satellites all showed red for a period of time. There was some ongoing interference testing at Fort Polk but it wasn’t Notam’d for that particular day. It could have been a solar flare or something else too I guess. ‘Twas no big deal in my local area but would be a bigger annoyance in some areas. Pilotage rules! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

As long as you’re paying the bar tab.[emoji12] Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I agree with you that safety should be paramount. I certainly wouldn’t crawl around underneath my plane jostling things unless I was certain it was stable and secure. I also fully understand that as a professional and an employer you are held to a higher standard. I do respect that. But as an owner who has my plane on jacks infrequently at most, a sturdily constructed, more affordable option is preferable for me. It’s a risk analysis I must perform, and risk analysis is something I’m well versed in. Regarding construction materials I seem to recall that wings used to be made of wood, and were quite strong. I agree that conduit is marginal, but properly utilized might suffice. Like you I can’t imagine how hose clamps could be used effectively. I wouldn’t trust the concrete slab in my hanger for a tie-down, but it may work for others if engineered properly. In your situation I would certainly utilize the most robust system available. We all appreciate your professionalism! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks for (again) stepping up Don. It sounds like fun and I’d like to meet more of y’all in person but I’ve had reservations at Sun-n-Fun for a couple months already and will be flying some friends down to Lakeland for that weekend. Perhaps next year![emoji53] Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Is that a turbo-fan hanging below that wing? Now that’s an STC I’d like to explore! [emoji846] Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thank you. That’s similar to what they ultimately emailed me privately. I don’t find that pricing to be unfair. And they eventually edited the advertisement to not be misleading or confusing. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Okay, I guess I lied too 'cause I'm still posting. Sad but true. Can somebody post a link to that for me; I couldn't find it. At least I DID see that they changed the wording on their website from ""any" to "an" Avidyne slide-in replacement". That's just not what it said in 3 of the 4 email advertisements I have on my computer. Agreed, that's why was originally working with Chase (nice guy) on a possible upgrade.

I agree that the TAWS or 16W receiver would add value, but I don't believe that's what the advertisement was about. When pressed on the issue here is the information I was provided by Avidyne: Trade in Values: For example: If you trade in your Garmin530W towards an Anvidyne IFD550, you will receive $8,500. - $8500 in credit when swapping an old Garmin 530W for an IFD550 - $7000 Garmin 430W for an IFD550 - $7500 Garmin 530W for an IFD540 - $6000 Garmin 430W for an IFD540 - $4500 in credit when swapping an old Garmin 530 for an IFD550 - $4000 Garmin 430 for an IFD550 - $3500 Garmin 530 for an IFD540 - $3000 Garmin 430 for an IFD540 - $5000 in credit when swapping an old Garmin 430W for an IFD440 - $2000 Garmin 430 for an IFD440 So yes, they did offer to give me $8,500 in trade-in for my GNS530W, but only if purchasing an IFD550. No mention was made of the other units. As stated above I believe it's poor form to advertise the offer "...when you upgrade to any Avidyne slide-in replacement", when in fact that is not the case, and no "fine print" was included, particularly in the emailed offer. I'm just sayin'... Okay, I'm gonna shut up now 'cause I'm starting to sound like a whiner.

And as stated above, I don't appreciate the "scare tactics" either stating that the WAAS GNS units are "soon to be unsupported". Does Avidyne have some insider information about Garmin's support plans? I doubt it. Sure, my GNS may not be supported 5-10 years from now, but I don't think Garmin is abandoning them "soon" like Avidyne states. They should sell their equipment on its merits; I hear it's pretty cool kit!