helitim

I had posted this on a Cessna forum with no response so, I hope maybe someone here can help out: A fellow club member PIO'd our 77, N model and totaled it out. Given time, it is repairable and we would end up with a really nice plane. The club doesn't really want to wait the estimated 4-6 months for a new firewall, floor pan, engine overhaul and prop replacement. We are cash buyers for the right 172. Prefer the following: Mid 70's or newer Less than 6K hours TTAF 160 hp engine with 1000 or less hours SMOH Garmin 430 or better GPS with full IFR compliment (650 would be optimal) Paint and Interior 7/10 or better No damage history or properly repaired and well documented damage history with some years of flght time since repairs Max price $70K As we all know, the "perfect" plane either doesn't exist or costs too much. We are very reasonable and realistic when purchasing and know exactly what we are looking at so please don't misrepresent any offerings. It wastes time and money. Please contact me with any offerings. Thank you for your time, Tim Adams 205 568 0298 cell helitim@yahoo.com Post Extras:

Thanks for the heads up Sriram. Now I know I have a key to your beauty.

I'm with you guys. Higher/further north would have been my choice. Sometimes you just say yes dear and go with it. By the time we had completed the counter transaction at the FBO and got back to the plane, my iPad was so hot it would not operate. The interior of the hangar was actually not too bad. There were a couple of mechanics in there working on a Cirrus. Maybe they are just acclimated. Either way, I was willing to pay the difference for inside storage. The low here this morning was 84. Looking forward to departing on Sunday that's for sure.

The wife had some timeshare days we had to use or lose. About two months ago she arbitrarily booked us at the Worldmark resort in Indio, Ca just a few miles from Palm Springs. The forecast for SoCal had been getting warmer as we approached the trip. Today it was forecast for 113 degrees. Yes, that's 113. As far as I was concerned we could have stayed home in a much cooler NorCal and enjoyed the weekend comfortably. My 15 yr old daughter has never visited SoCal so, I said "yes dear" and we loaded the plane. Prior to departure, I noticed the TFR's had befallen the Bay Area. Further research showed some dipstick from Washington also wants to visit Palm Springs this weekend as well. My initial plan was to fly into Bermuda Dunes. Because that would fall under the inner ring of the TFR, we would not be allowed to leave on Sunday until 1400 local. Anyone that has flown down here knows, that is way too late in the day to expect a smooth ride. Reluctantly I moved our destination airport to Cochran Regional at Thermal so we can depart using a discrete squawk code early Sunday AM. The first half of the flight was calm and beautiful. Arriving at the Mojave desert, the temperature was rising fast and the thermals were firing up. (Gee, I wonder where the name for the town came from?) As we approached the San Bernadino mountains, SoCal asked if I was aware of the fire fighting TFR? I could see the massive smoke plume and had been notified of possible obscuration during my briefing but, that simply could not prepare me for the shear enormity of the smoke I was witnessing. I asked for and received a flight plan divert to the west of the area and crossed thru the Banning pass. Surprisingly, Banning was not as bad as it could have been. Some mild to moderate turbulence only. The next bit of information was a surprise to me. When checking the AWOS at TRM, I learned the density altitude was 3,300 feet and the temp was 44 degrees Centigrade. Now, being an American I didn't really know what that meant in Fahrenheit except it was a lot. Turns out, that's damn hot! Field elevation is -114 feet. How the heck could we be experiencing density altitude of 3,300 feet? Oh, like I said before, it was damn hot! As we approached TRM there was one other idiot, er, I mean aircraft in the air. We landed no problem. Taxied up and saw a single aircraft on the ramp. I almost wondered if they were closed. Guess why there were no airplanes on the ramp? Cause it was too damn hot for them! After unloading and walking around a bit, it became clearly obvious the planes were in the hangars. I made arrangements for mine to join them in a large hangar to prevent melting. Watching the news this evening the weather lady commented, with almost a bit of pride in her voice, that a new record high temperature had been set today breaking the old record from 1959. Today's high you ask, 119 degrees. Is my timing bad or what?

These are the kinds of trips that really help expand your pilot skill set. Having ADS-B onboard is very helpful but, not mandatory. Absolutely use flight following along the way. They can help with weather as well as traffic. Don't hesitate to ask if you see a cell in your line of flight. ATC has told me more than once that it would be a good idea to just land and wait it out. Some of my more memorable stops were unexpected diversions for weather. Meet some of the most interesting people sometimes that way. As stated before, a long x country is just a series of shorter trips. Be open minded for unexpected events and enjoy the ride. Tim

PM sent

You had me going for a minute when I read the title. Thought this was going to be photos of your custom paint job ON your Mooney.

"You're view of history is exactly why Israelis are now shitting a brick and feel that North America is starting to fail them." Are you suggesting we owe the Israelis something? The U.S. Helps other countries because we choose to. Regardless of the reason for the assistance, it is a choice for the U.S. to offer, or not offer, assistance to any other country. The "entitlement" mentality is something that should be eliminated in all forms including here in America. Earn your keep. Tim

I am IFR but not current. Understand the system fairly well just have some rust in the memory banks. No question I will use Flight following and stay high over the other traffic until let down. Joe's suggested route seems most logical and user friendly. Thank you all, Tim

Thank you all for the additional info. Looking forward to it. Tim

What would be the best route to transition LA airspace going from Livemore, Ca (KLVK) to Gillespie Field(KSEE)? Looking at the maps it appears that KLVK - KEMT- F70- KSEE would keep me clear of most of the worst spots. Is there a better VFR corridor? What are the best altitudes thru that area? We will be flying down and back on Sunday. Thank you, Tim

Sherman, On a slightly differently subject. We spent the day out here on the Delta on the jet skies. We have a place out here on the water and enjoy our weekend getaways. Tim

Pretty much any of the large airports up and down the Central Valley would be better choices for weather. The fact that Mather is located next to Sacramento would be an excellent choice. Stockton, Merced, Fresno would all be good weather choices but less ancillary options off the field maybe. The turn out was fair I guess. Never heard any attendance estimates. There were so many volunteers, we were in each other's way with the lower numbers of aircraft. We were literally putting a tow bar on your aircraft and pushing you back into position before you could get out of the aircraft. We would ask the pilot "mags and master off? ". When he said yes, the aircraft was being moved. There were several good seminars. My personal favorite was Rod Machado. Great stories, insightful observations and freakin' funny guy. Maybe next year will be better.

"Weather wise, out in the valley would be a better choice due to the 300+ days of sunshine we get here, but I'm having a real tough time thinking of an airport located in the valley that anyone would want to travel a great distance and spend any time there." We ended up driving down at 0430 this AM to be there in time for my 0600 volunteer shift. It was mostly an IFR morning. I think a few planes scooted in underneath once the sun was up for a bit. On the drive down, we discussed the wisdom of choosing Salinas in the first place when there are so many options in the Central Valley. Yes, it's nice to be near the ocean but, undependable for weather. I know 6 different pilots from my home field other than myself who had scheduled to fly down and were prevented because of the weather. I am IFR rated but decided against it because I would have been flying single pilot IMC at night shooting an approach in between the ridges to an unfamiliar airport. Can it be done? Of course but, with the wife on board, it wasn't necessary to take the chance and risk upsetting her or the other issues that can accompany such tasks. We had a good time but, driving to a fly-in is just not what I had planned originally. Maybe the powers that be will reconsider next years location.

Would that be the Mooney model SR71?

Thank you Don

Dan brought us parts outside on the ramp but, I never really had a chance to talk with him other than a hello. Pascual did the reaming on the gear assembly to make room for the thicker, upgraded shaft. He seemed like a very personable guy but again we only chatted in passing. Someone brought homemade brownies by and people came out of the woodwork. They must have a building I didn't see. There was a really nice looking 1990 201 SE undergoing work after a prepurchase inspection. Looks like someone will have a beautiful new ride soon. As we were getting ready to depart, Kyle was packing his plane and heading to Texas for the MAPA event. Sounds like a great job to have. Work on Mooney's all week and fly halfway across the country in one. When I was originally on the phone with Kyle, he asked for my tail number. When I told him, there was a slight pause and he said something to the effect of "I know the plane well". When I asked how, he said he used to fly and maintain my plane in a previous job. Said he flew her to South America and back a couple of times. Small world we live in sometimes. It's nice to know my plane was at one time maintained by one of the best in the business. Tim

Flight, The steering horn was showing more play than I was comfortable with so, today was the day to fly up to Lasar for a consult and parts. The plan was to purchase whatever was needed and do the work back at my home hangar. Upon landing at Lakeport, Kyle met me before I could shutdown and waived me right up to the door. Within 10 minutes of arrival, the plane was up on jacks and the nose gear was being assessed very thoroughly. Kyle suggested replacing the horn, which I had expected. He also showed me some additional play on the nose gear assembly. I asked how much a complete nose gear assembly would be to just replace it and get on my way. Kyle said, "you don't need another one, just some bushings and new bolts". This really surprised me to find someone that honest. Another employee, Lonnie, walked over and volunteered to help me take the gear apart and replace it right now. Kyle suggested it usually takes 4-5 hours for this procedure. After thinking about it for a monent, I decided to just go ahead and get it done on the spot. Lonnie brought a handful of tools out and we went to work. We completely removed the nose gear assembly and took it into the shop for cleanup and break down. Lonnie talked to me the whole time giving me commentary on things we were looking at and how they should be on a Mooney. After a lunch in town, we completed the rebuild of the gear assembly and addition of the steering horn. The factory bushings were replaced with Lasar's oversized ones. Additionally, I needed a new CHT probe, which they had in stock, and we installed as well. At exactly 3pm, the cowling was replaced. 2:45 minutes of actual labor for each of us. My labor saved at least an hour plus for the normal minimum time spent on this job. Saved me enough money to pay my gas bill for today. This is one of those types of repairs that you cannot see and don't really feel but, it's great to know it is done and the plane is better off for it. The previous intermittent CHT was solid all the way home. Paul, the owner, came out and checked on us several times during the job. When the work was complete, Paul had all my paperwork completed in less than 10 minutes. I was paid and ready to depart in less than 20 minutes from the time we finished. I don't know what kind of service other shops offer comparatively but, these gentleman did an absolutely first rate job in a very organized manner and had me in the air fast. That is the kind of service every shop should aspire to provide. When the time comes, I would have no hesitation using them again if needed. Tim

The OP lives in Bangladesh. Shipping costs would be high for sure. Even if the plane was free, not sure it would be worth it.

If you are looking for a display type plane or something to work on for educational purposes, there is a very early Bonanza at my home field that may be perfect. I do not believe it is airworthy as it has been sitting for many years in a hangar. The owner recently passed away and it was moved out onto the parking ramp. The paint job from 20' looks good but everything inside appears to be original (old). If you want, I can get a bit of info and couple of pictures for you. If I still owned my airpark, I would see about getting this plane and putting it up on a post for display.

If you are a golfer, fly into San Andreas (CPU) and call Greenhorn Resort. They will gladly send a driver to pick you up and bring you back. Very nice Robert Trent Jones course. The same for Auburn. They have a pretty nice course as well and pick you up by golf cart. Have not played it but Petaluma has a course right by the airport as well.

A pilot from my home field had a drone strike in his plane day before yesterday. The drone hit the prop on the right side of the cowling and pieces impacted into the cowling and windshield. Minor damage initially assessed but more evaluation is pending. The pilot landed uneventfully (except for the underwear problem). The impact occurred at an altitude of 4800' MSL which was about 4000' AGL. The FAA from Washington are directly involved and are investigating the event. Whoever believes all drone operators can or will fly them responsibly are complete idiots! We must all be aware of this growing hazard.

I'm posting this comment on both versions of this topic. Is there a way to combine them into one? Interesting you mention this topic. Just a few days ago, a pilot at my home field had to ride with an FAA examiner who asked about the Stratus box mounted in the floor of the plane. This FAA rep. said there needed to be an airframe logbook entry since it was hard wired and had a cover holding it. No mention that it could not be used, was illegal or any other issue. Guess it just depends on where you fly as to what rules they use. I need an emoticon scratching his head to add to this post because I'm confused by the arbitrary nature of the agency.

Interesting you mention this topic. Just a few days ago, a pilot at my home field had to ride with an FAA examiner who asked about the Stratus box mounted in the floor of the plane. This FAA rep. said there needed to be an airframe logbook entry since it was hard wired and had a cover holding it. No mention that it could not be used, was illegal or any other issue. Guess it just depends on where you fly as to what rules they use. I need an emoticon scratching his head to add to this post because I'm confused by the arbitrary nature of the agency.

"not sure of the details, but the kit itself is several thousand dollars plus the cost of the labor. it's not as simple as just putting them in the fuel tank b/c they do need to make some modifications to the wing." No question there is some work but, how much is what I am wondering? What modifications are required?