RocketAviator

I am now just starting to plan to attend as well. I know I am going to get bashed for admitting my delay in timing... but some of us have to work for a living.... I read about the formation fly in or I believe they refer to it as Mooney Caravan to Oshkosh and that is something I want to learn more of and see if I could participate in too. Any advice and or information ASAP.... would be especially helpful and appreciated...

Congratulations on your decision. I too struggled with what to do. I liked the Aspen too. After much aggravation in making a decision (either would have been a good choice for me) My panel consists of a G500 with SVT, GTN 750 & GTN 650, GTX330EX, GDL88, GAD43E, PS8000 audio panel, Insight G3 engine monitor, KAP 150 and Alpha System AOA Post photos when done!

fantom & Marauder...... my hope is to never obtain either of those elevated levels but I fear one may occur which may lead to the other if I don't quit spending so much time on aviation!!!! Now I understand a little better why ScottfromIowa was giggling ....... Rocket on my aviation friends.....

Thanks Awful Charlie.... this I can understand....

Well I guess I asked for it..... And I got it... Thanks to all....... I guess i will just Rocket off in the wild blue yonder in my ignorant bliss!

I recommend you check this out online, I did some weeks ago. Especially the non biased reports... Great to keep stuff dry not necessarily free from ice.... I like the idea but not a safe idea in my book!

Is there somewhere on the forum that I can go & learn all the details or must I be subject to my unending ignorance... ?

Ok Hank I'll bite...what does that mean? Thanks... I think I'm in for it now....

Ok I'm relatively new to this forum & have yet to find out where or how to learn what & how the forum architect is structured.... Thanks in advance for educating this Newbie

I am looking for a good buy on a dual Mountain High, just missed one on Ebay this week! Also looking for the filling components necessary to fill my Rocket from tanks. I use a significant # of tanks at my plant and it would no trouble to take one or two to the hanger. I would also participate in cooperative O2 filling. I am based out of 5T6 Dona Anna County (about 10 miles from El Paso TX) Let me know, Lacee

I have found this document online, I have already used portions of it (Important Numbers for Rocket). I don't know if they use this or something like this but I plan to call tomorrow and get the times and any advance information I can. http://72.10.105.106/tms/misc/MAPAMooneyManual.pdf

Sorry I was at the airport 5T6 most of the day yesterday, that is my home base. If I had known you were going to drop by would have tried to meet up. Hope you have a great trip. Ever get this way again let me know. I would like to do something like you are doing someday.... bucket list... Lacee

Anyone know what time the activities finish up on Sunday? Should one plan to stay Sunday night? I am assuming one should plan to arrive Thursday the 30th.

i used King and then attended the weekend AF for me it was very well worth it, especially for the repitition, passed with a good score. I plan to use AF if I go after my commercial and CFII

I too am planning on attending being I am a newbe Mooney Rocket owner. I have heard good & not worth it... The not worth it came from a commercial corporate pilot who was sent by the new Mooney owner... He was also the CFII who checked me out in the Rocket... Absolute by the numbers very thoughtful very through very strict type instructor.. The man I bought the plane from says he goes every year & said don't miss it .. I feel I could learn from it as I am not a professional pilot, so I'm going Lord Willing!

Ok since I am flying today some comments on here scared me so I called my insurance and was told that it depends on what your insurance policy consists of as to what is covered and that they would pay for. Mine is complete coverage which includes stationary external motion (tug-tow), taxi (any motion under its own power once the prop starts regardless if motion or not), flight and any form of landing on or off field. Be safe!

Congratulations, I have never heard of a 4 1/2 Oral.... little on a 3 hr check ride!!! Wow... Do tell?

Here are the two types I have seen so far! Looking for any personal recommendations of what you like best and where do you recommend I get them? Any Pros or Cons for either of the following? I have the mustache style now and it is everything but comfortable and easy to deal with in the cabin for both myself and the passengers! The Pendant Style Oxymizer features a close-coupled reservoir that fills with 20 ml of expired air at the initial phase of expiration, which is enriched or replaced with oxygen during the remainder of expiration. Pilot's choice for comfort and economy. The Original Oxymizer, or mustache style, contains an oxygen-conserving reservoir in the face piece, with soft nasal prongs that offer maximum comfort. It also stores oxygen in a reservoir during exhalation and delivers a bolus of 100% oxygen upon the next inhalation. Thanks in advance

One thing more I have personal minimums for planning purposes which are 1000' & 1 mile. I am and have many times landed in less but I never start out if the forecast is less than my personal minimums.... why add more odds against what is already risk all be it a controlled risk a risk non the less! These Mooney people are beyond fantastic with their sound advice and help, they have been great to me the short time I have been a Mooney owner. There is such a wide range of experience here and not all shoes fit the same. Find the ones that fit you and be the best at it! You can do it.....

Ditto... Ditto on what 9164-M20E said. A couple more things I would add. File and fly just like it will be IFR on EVERY FLIGHT... Best thing I have ever done and it automatically keeps you current! Sooner than later it will be IFR and you will be better prepared! May I also suggest that if you are "terrified of flying through actual imc" don't do it on your own just yet, best to take a CFII or even another pilot with real (hopefully recent) IMC experience with you. I could not encourage you enough and there so much to be said for having extra support while you get more comfortable, I don't know about you but I never had a switch go on and say you are ready, it came after much of what 9164-M20E suggested and there is NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING>>> NOTHING! Also I suggest you stay out of thunderstorms and icing FOREVER.... THEY BOTH KILL no matter how good you or how good you think you and your plane are!!! Practice your landing in winds as your skills permit, start light and move forward I was taught by an old Marine pilot who said anyone can fly in good weather "you boy need to learn to fly when it is not perfect"... every time the wind blew as it does often in El Paso we flew! He taught me how to fly the length of a runway and determine if the aircraft I was flying had sufficient cross wind control in order to land safely. This was one of the best flying lessons I ever learned and have used it many times. I think I read something like this technique on another post in Mooneyspace so I guess he was not the inventor of the techniques as he told me he was... LOL In any case if you have ANY concerns DO NOT TRUST the terminal broadcast information and in many of the small airports I fly into have no weather!!! If in doubt test fly it, it is cheap insurance, great fun and great practice! Don't be terrified of IMC, get as good as you can at it, I believe you are showing what I think is a good healthy fear & respect for Mother Nature and it will serve you well! I feel sure if you keep your sights set and understand it takes time and practice of good safe skill & habit forming & sound decision making = experience = LIVE LONG enough to share your experience with others! Keep me posted get a pilot buddy to hold you accountable in continually building your flying skills, fly often, even if you ride along with others and are not the PIC. Offer to be the safety pilot for anyone who will have you (and that you are qualified to act as of course)! You can do it!

Congratulations & I feel and have felt your pain myself! Once I got my IFR ticket I then learned I had just scratched the surface of what IFR was really all about at least for me! Much of what was taught is or at least I have never used and much more I wish I had been taught regarding real IMC flying, if that makes any sense? A CFII - ATP pilot told me right after I achieved my Instrument Rating "congratulations you just earned the right to kill yourself legally if you think you know anything about flying IMC".... he was so right and the learning curve never has never stopped or for that matter gotten any easier for me...! It has been a great ride for me, I just wish it was easier, I had no idea of how much work it would be going forward! I wish for you many safe and rewarding flights!

One fine looking plane!!! Just need more pictures!

Ok update.... Talk about a lot to learn....! Yesterday I enjoyed my first solo flight of 2.5 hrs from New Braunfels to Amarillo by way of Wichita Falls for weather! I launched and flew into IMC from 3 minutes after take off to about 45 minutes and with the vertical rate preset and altitude preset and GPSS steering it was a breeze even for a guy like me that is about as smart as a box of rocks! At this point I had a grand total of about 12 hours in this plane and only 2 of those with the new avionics so as one might expect I found myself beyond behind the curve with the GNT 750 when ATC gave me a fix on the initial climb out that I had no idea where was, how to spell it.... a little discombobulating, I kept telling myself fly the airplane, I ask ATC 3 times to phonetically spell GOBBY (the fix), I finally got it and from there and the flight was as I had programmed it on the ground thankfully! First let me say 3" rudder extensions are a MUST for an old short fat man like me!!! What a difference they made for me, I landed in a 15 - 19kt gusting cross wind and felt like for once I had full control and without sliding down below the glare shield... Yes I did consider taking the vacuum out and will do so but the engine was just factory overhauled 0 time with new vacuum I just could not bring myself to removing it. I do plan to remove it if or when it goes south! Also my beer budget was far smaller than my champagne apatite!! I looked very close at both the Aspen and the Garmin I actually liked and felt that a lot of the Aspen features fit me personally better but the actual cost (yes the Aspen 3 panel Pro was slightly more than the Garmin G500) and couple that with what I felt was a more "marketable combination" at least to the small amount of research I did, the finial decision was seeing both side by side and the larger crisper Garmin screen won out. I think I would have been happy with either one and if I keep the Saratoga I will put the two panel Aspen in it. I did go with the Alpha Pro version AOA and I need a lot more time getting use to and trusting it. I suspect I will need to re calibrate it after I have more time with it. I set it intentionally high on the high angle of attack setting to give myself a little more safety factor. I also decided to go with the heated probe and that is where John installed a combination circuit interrupt and protection (switch with built in circuit breaker protection). The one item so far I have equal excitement and challenge and disappointing with is the Insight G3. The disappointing side is the size, I am seriously going to see if I can trade it in or upgrade to the new G4 simply for the size. Then the fuel fill & remaining fuel display (which I for sure need in this bucket of bolts) , I am not ready to give up on the fuel part yet but so far it is a challenge and not intuitive at least to me at this point. The features of the G3 are incredible and far beyond my JP 801 in the Saratoga! I have not even began to try and use them all yet. Features like vibration, Take off / landing & in flight G Forces, ground & take off leaning, climb leaning, cruise leaning, ROP - LOP which I know almost nothing about at this point! Lastly I am almost ashamed to admit I CAN NOT get myself to quit using the old steam airspeed and other gauges.... Honestly I miss my ol electric turn rate indicator! I am comfortable with the moving map turn indicator but not yet able to wrap head around it with the same level of ease as the ol TI.... talk about hard to teach an old dog new tricks... Preparing for the "Boss" (my bride of 30 years) first ride in the Ol Rocket today from Amarillo back to El Paso.

Great looking paint job & plane!!

What you all talking about.... THERE ARE NO CONS!!!! Just kidding, seriously I have both a Mooney Rocket and a Piper Turbo Saratoga both have their place and purpose, right now my main interest with just my wife and myself is get there quickly with speed and speed and speed... which the Mooney Rocket seems to have! I have over 700 hrs in the Saratoga and only about 13 in the new to me Mooney Rocket. I just flew its maiden flight today with its new glass avionics panel today and yes it was in IMC... What a joy the SVT is! I know nothing about any other Mooney model but if they are anything like the Mooney Rocket I am impressed with everything except the useful load!! PS I was told today for the first time in my 27 years of flying to slow down in order not to overtake a King Air landing on the same approach we were using! Yep felt real nice if I don't say so myself!!