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There is an extensive review/article on aviation life rafts here: http://www.equipped.org/avraft.htm. It's from 2000 and they didn't review Revere products (but they did in 1996). Aviation Consumer was involved in the testing for the article. Aviation Consumer most recently reviewed life rafts in July, 2013: http://www.aviationconsumer.com/issues/43_7/safety/Life-Raft-Test_6393-1.html (subscription required). The Winslow Ultra-Light Offshore was highly rated in both articles but it weighs 32 lbs and is in the $3,500 range.

Jim Carriere on Beechtalk amplified on these comments: [...] Now what about prevailing wind and choice the runway? A windsock isn't a 100% guarantee of what the climbout winds will be; consider what your winds might be immediately after takeoff during those moments climbing out of ground effect and away from the trees.There's something in his writeup about observing the windsock during preflight and taxi, a radio exchange between pilot and unicom, and his decision--in good conscience and considering those factors--to takeoff to the north.That moment notwithstanding, I suspect there could have been a light tailwind almost immediately after liftoff. I cautiously use the word "suspect" because archived METAR data is no more or less certain than someone with good knowledge of the field and local weather patterns; I view both sources with an open mind but also a critical eye.The METARs show a prevailing, light wind out of the south (tailwind), and while it may have been calm at the windsock for a few minutes during taxi and takeoff (approximately 1300Z), consider that there may very well have still been a light wind from just below treetop height or so. Vx in that model airplane is about 80mph/70kts and book stall speed is 50kts (comparable to many Beeches although slightly lower). [...](A performance note, the temp/dewpoint/altimeter combination makes about 1,000' density altitude.)And I mentioned it once, but once again, hindsight. I prefer to learn from it and to teach from it than to judge.Footnotes:[...]METARS with closest one underlined:KW75 071335Z AUTO 17005KT 10SM OVC047 23/22 A3013 RMK AO1 T02290221KW75 071315Z AUTO 17005KT 10SM OVC045 22/22 A3013 RMK AO1 T02230216KW75 071255Z AUTO 17004KT 10SM OVC047 22/21 A3012 RMK AO1 T02160214KW75 071235Z AUTO 18004KT 10SM SCT047 21/21 A3012 RMK AO1 T02110211KW75 071215Z AUTO 17004KT 10SM CLR 21/21 A3011 RMK AO1 T02060206 And: TAKEOFF OBSTACLE NOTES: Rwy 1... 65' AGL tree 663' from DER, 129' left of centerline. We didn't see the tree specifically mentioned in the Chart Supplement – it was only in the Obstacle Notes from the Takeoff Minimums and (Obstacle) Departure Procedures at the beginning of the Terminal Procedures (approach plate book). This information might be more difficult to find for a VFR only pilot. None of this is meant as criticism by any means. These are learning points for us that we might not have considered previously. @Cooperd0g, we're glad you and your family are unharmed, and thank you for sharing the painful details.

We recently had our annual done at Oasis Aero in Willmar, Minnesota, and it was a terrific experience. After meeting Paul and Eric at the Mooney Summit, we felt very comfortable bringing our Mooney to them for annual. They have impressive Mooney expertise and familiarity, and performed a meticulous inspection. They detected missing shims in the nosegear and rerigged the main gear doors; this resulted in a cruise speed gain of 5 knots! Who knew? It must have been like that for ages! Paul and Eric are great teachers and they gave us tons of education and advice. We were allowed to participate (slow things down) as much as we wanted, and learned about expected wear points and problem areas. We'd add that they were the only ones to work on our airplane. We also saw Weep No More's impressive tank resealing operation. Paul really knows all about the tanks, from the stripping to the multistep resealing process. After seeing this, we understand why so few people do it well. Finally, they are great guys and a pleasure to work with. They extended us loads of hospitality and even provided us with a crew car when Enterprise decided that they didn't have any cars to rent. In a host of other areas, they went way above and beyond what we expected. In sum, we flew 8 hours to Willmar for our annual and it was well worth the trip! It was by far the best annual experience we've had. As a bonus, this was also there:

To add one more data point, our navigation data (from Jeppesen) has the tower frequency for KLZU, so this appears to be a specific Garmin database issue.

We are also regulars at Base Ops (KFMY). The staff is outstanding – they always go out of their way for us – and the facility is great. We had a great time meeting BradB there today, and everyone's favorite tower controller Becki was also there. Brad has a gorgeous Acclaim! (Thanks @gsxrpilot!)

I just spoke with CMI. They said that engines manufactured after 8/9/2005 would have the newer gear p/n 656818 and were not affected. According to CMI, it's possible that the camshaft gear doesn't have a serial number, so CMI might not know what part number was installed in an engine (I was a bit incredulous at this). They know date of assembly based on the engine serial number.

Tempest generously donated a set (12) of fine wire spark plugs to the Mooney Summit and the Bob Gilliland foundation in October for the silent auction. (Full disclosure, I am a board member.) This alone would make us choose Tempest. We have Tempest plugs and oil filter.

An article discussing some aspects of Mooney airframe icing by Bob Kromer was posted here: http://www.mooneyevents.com/flying5.html. It focuses on tail stalls. From the article: "... But as you can imagine, we also learned a lot about structural icing on the Mooney airframe during thest tests. Lots of important information came from those tests, but I want to pass along what I think was the most important for your consideration. Most of the airframe ice I accumulated at altitude was brought to the approach and landing. It was just too cold at lower altitudes to melt anything. And what we learned that I think was so very important was this - WITH AIRFRAME ICE ON A MOONEY DURING APPROACH AND LANDING, CONSIDER LIMITING FLAP DEFLECTIONS FOR THE LANDING. Here's the reason. We all know the amount of nose up trim required in our airplanes is pretty substantial to retrim when the flaps are extended - especially the M20K, M20M, M20S and M20R airplanes. Retrimming our airplanes causes the entire horizontal stabilizer to move and significantly changes the angle of attack of the horizontal tail's leading edge (nose up trim is leading edge down). With a substantial amount of ice on the horizontal tail (1/2 inch or greater), we found that the airflow could seperate over the horizontal tail and the horizontal tail could begin to stall when retrimming the airplane nose up for the landing with anything greater than 15 degrees of flap deflection. The buffeting started around 85 KIAS with the flaps at the takeoff setting (15 degrees) and got worse as we got slower. Buffeting was felt through the control column and elevator effectiveness was greatly diminished. With ice on the M20K prototype while landing, I learned to make my approach and landings at 90 KIAS with the flaps up. This completely avoided the retrimming/tail buffeting/stall situation. We felt so strongly about this (limiting flap deflection for landing with ice on the airframe) that we immediately added this recommendation to the Pilot Operating Handbook for the 1985 model M20K when we got back. The aerodynamics of the airplanes we all fly are very similar. I suspect that what we experienced on the M20K prototype in Canada you will experience in your airplane. So think about limiting flaps to minimize retrimming the tail when landing with airframe ice on your Mooney. Keep the speed up on the approach (85-90 KIAS) and carry that extra speed to the landing flare (just make sure the runway is long enough to handle the extra speed and landing distance). Stalling the horizontal tail is something not to be reckoned with, especially close to the ground."

According to Robert at Sensorcon, calibrating the unit a six month intervals appears to extend the life of the sensor.

Following up on Dan's suggestion, the Mooney Summit will purchase the necessary equipment and provide calibrations at no charge at the Summit in Panama City Beach (http://www.mooneysummit.com).

That may not be correct. From TCM SB96-11A http://www.certifiedengines.com/pub/SB96-11A.pdf: PROPELLER STRIKE INSPECTIONS. Following any propeller strike, complete disassembly and inspection of all rotating engine components is mandatory and must be accomplished prior to further flight. Inspect all engine driven accessories in accordance with the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions. Prior to any ground operation of the engine assure that the propeller flange and the crankshaft flange area are free of any crack indications. In addition to the engine component inspection requirements set forth in the appropriate overhaul manual, the following inspection procedures must be accomplished: The crankshaft must be inspected by magnetic particle inspection. All crankshaft surfaces must be cleaned free of sludge, paint or any other substance that could mask reliable magnetic particle inspection indications. Connecting rods, gears, and all other steel internal engine parts must be magnetic particle inspected. The crankcase must be stripped and fluorescent penetrant inspection performed, paying particular attention to the forward crankcase bearing support and adjacent structure. Connecting rod bolts and nuts must be replaced regardless of condition. On counterweight equipped engines, replacement of all counterweight pins, bushings, end plates and snap rings is required regardless of their condition. Counterweight bushing bores in both counterweights and crankshaft must be inspected in accordance with the criteria contained in the latest revision of SB00-3. Inspect all engine-driven accessories in accordance with the accessory manufacturer's instructions.

The G1000 does not come standard with a DME. What you're seeing is a GPS distance to the VOR (page 51, G1000 Pilot's Guide). The G1000 does not display this for an ILS; however the distance to the missed approach point (ie "RW09 map") can be displayed on the PFD by selecting the flight plan inset.

From page 7-8 (Section VII) of the AFM: 7. Hour Meter Hour meter – located on baggage compartment bulkhead indicates actual flight time and is triggered by the airspeed switch. From page 7-15: Retraction System ... An Airspeed Safety Switch, located on left fuselage side adjacent to the pilot's left knee and connected to the airspeed indicator is incorporated into the electrical system to prevent landing gear retraction while on the ground and until a safe takeoff speed (approximately 60 +/- 5 KTS) is reached.

From: https://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=115110&p=1538416&hilit=Flap#p1538416 "A wing stalls at a lower angle of attack with flaps, so it should be calibrated with flaps DOWN. Why warn at a safe AoA? (...) Disclaimer: I make and sell the FAA approved CYA-100, a TRUE angle of attack indicating system..." Note: This was posted by Rip Quinby (maker of Bob's CYA-100) on Beechtalk.

Here's an article from Mike Busch describing some in flight tests including LOP mag check. It's from the Savvy Analysis website. https://www.savvyanalysis.com/articles/in-flight-diagnostics

That's a great review of the borescope with nice pictures. You couldn't save high definition pictures (as noted in a couple of Amazon reviews); do you think it's possible to save HD images on a laptop, or do you think the isssue is intrinsic, or related to the WiFi transfer? Any luck with customer support? We're tempted...

BasicMed Not Impacted By Regulatory Hold Order The suspension of all new federal regulations by the incoming administration will not impact BasicMed reforms, as had been feared by some in the aviation community. The directive issued on Jan. 20 by White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus halts publication of new regulations until approved by an agency director appointed by the incoming administration and suspends the effectiveness of previously published regulations for 60 days. The published effective date of the BasicMed rule, May 1, 2017, is more than 60 from the Jan. 20 directive, which exempts BasicMed from this directive. Additionally, the directive excludes those regulations subject to statutory deadlines. The FAA reauthorization bill signed by President Obama in July 2016 required the FAA to publish rules for third class medical reform no later than January 2017, providing an additional level of assurance that BasicMed will not be impacted by the regulatory hold. The above is from AVWeb: http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/BasicMed-Not-Impacted-by-Regulatory-Hold-Order-228442-1.html

Max-Viz makes an infrared camera system which "blends the imagery from an additional visible light sensor to the thermal sensor which is presented on the display as a single 40-degree wide image through the use of patented image fusion software." http://www.max-viz.com/max-viz-600. It's a factory installed option for Cirrus; there's an STC for single engine Cessnas. At Sun-n-Fun they said one Mooney had the system. AVeeb review here: https://youtu.be/hlblK6A8pEU. Apparently it doesn't display through fog or thick clouds.

There's a nice write up in today's General Aviation News about the luncheon here: http://generalaviationnews.com/2017/01/22/mooney-owners-flock-to-leesburg-airport/?utm_source=The+Pulse+Subscribers&utm_campaign=aee1dececb-TPOA_20170123&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_62525a9780-aee1dececb-22338 We also thank EAA Chapter 534 for hosting us at a fun event!

Here's a link with audio and animation: http://www.airlive.net/infographic-barack-obamas-last-flight-on-board-af1-fails-to-land/

From 14 CFR 43: §43.7 Persons authorized to approve aircraft, airframes, aircraft engines, propellers, appliances, or component parts for return to service after maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, or alteration. (a) Except as provided in this section and §43.17, no person, other than the Administrator, may approve an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, or component part for return to service after it has undergone maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, or alteration. ... (f) A person holding at least a private pilot certificate may approve an aircraft for return to service after performing preventive maintenance under the provisions of §43.3(g). From AC 39-7D (https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC 39-7D.pdf): "ADs are authorized under part 39 and issued in accordance with the public rulemaking procedures of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), Title 5 of the United States Code (5 U.S.C.) § 553, and FAA procedures in 14 CFR part 11." So, as above (RLCarter), ADs fall under part 39 and not part 43.

When Trek posted this, Garmin hadn't described the problem with the FIS-B (ADS-B) Nexrad weather product in v14.xx and v15.xx of the GDU software. It is described in Garmin Service Advisory 1650, dated September 13, 2016 http://garmin.blogs.com/files/1650a.pdf. Here is the entire text of the Service Advisory: Service Advisory 1650: NEXRAD Data 13 SEPTEMBER 2016 AFFECTED PRODUCTS: Garmin GTX 345R Transponders interfaced to a G900X, G950, G1000, Cirrus PerspectiveTM, or Embraer ProdigyTM (with GDU software versions 14.00 through 14.04 and 15.00 through 15.12) are affected. DESCRIPTION: NEXRAD data is not available when PRECIP is selected. NOTE METARS/TAFs will continue to show on the display. Weather and precipitation data will also be available on a portable electronic device via Bluetooth with a Garmin Pilot subscription. PILOT ACTION: Rely on other sources for weather precipitation data. RESOLUTION: A future GDU software release will correct this issue. Note: The 0401.30 software runs GIA v5.60 and GDU v9.03. The 0401.34 software runs GIA v7.62 and GDU v14.02. So, with the 0401.30 software, TIS (ADS-B) traffic will display on the G1000. No ADS-B weather will be displayed on the G1000. XM weather (including Nexrad) is not affected and will display on the G1000. ADS-B weather and traffic will display on a tablet running Garmin Pilot or ForeFlight via Bluetooth. On non-WAAS G1000 Mooneys a GTX 345R installation will require the version with an internal WAAS GPS receiver and an additional WAAS GPS antenna. With the WAAS software, the GTX 345R without the internal GPS can be installed since it can get position source from the WAAS GIA 63W units. However, v14.02 of the GDU software precludes display of FIS-B Nexrad weather on the G1000. As above, XM weather does display on the G1000. According to Garmin's Zach Evans, the Mooney OEM Sales Manager, v15.20 of the GDU software resolves this issue. He said this version was made available to the OEMs in December, 2016. Edit: As Lance correctly notes below, Trek had posted today. I had recalled a similar post from Trek in February, 2016. My apologies.

Danb has had the GTX 345R with integral WAAS GPS installed in his S-TEC non-WAAS G1000 Bravo. It works as it should: TIS-B traffic is displayed on the G1000 screens but ADS- B Nexrad is not. Both are displayed on a tablet running Garmin Pilot or ForeFlight via Bluetooth. XM weather is unaffected and still displays on the G1000. So the Option 2 WAAS upgrade is not necessary for the GTX 345R to be ADS-B out compliant as long as you have the one with the integral WAAS GPSS receiver. You'll have to install an additional GPS antenna for this. You only need Option 2 if you want WAAS, or if you want the ability to display ADS-B Nexrad on the G1000. Note that this is currently not available – it requires GDU v15.20 of the software which Garmin is just making available.

info@trioavionics.com

From https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/courses/content/55/707/SFRA Course Notes 111130.pdf (page 11): When you look at the Washington DC charts, you will also notice distinct markings for a ring located 60 nm from the Washington DC VOR/DME. The 60 nm ring is not included in the permanent rule for the SFRA, but it is charted for pilots’ awareness and convenience because of VFR operational restrictions imposed within a 60 nm radius of the DCA VOR/DME. If you are between the 60 nm ring and the 30 nm ring that marks the boundary of the SFRA, VFR aircraft operations are restricted to a speed of 230 knots unless otherwise authorized by ATC. Once you are inside the 30 nm ring – that is, inside the SFRA -- all VFR aircraft operations are restricted to an indicated airspeed of 180 knots or less, unless otherwise authorized by ATC. If you cannot comply with these restrictions, you must advise ATC of your operational limitations and comply with any instructions. This requirement does not apply to FAA-approved DOD, Law Enforcement, & waivered Lifeguard/Air Ambulance flights.