Aerodon

I have not had good experience with Prop guard - it fails in rain and ice. And you would not want to complicate this repainting situation, something definitely not right. Aerodon

Yes, I have a couple of complete systems on the shelf: 1 new 'old stock' unit 1 used system I'll make sure you get all the parts needed for installation, correct length antenna wire etc. and will exchange any component that doesn't work. Aerodon - supercub180@gmail.com

We had a prop strike at full power that dinged 1/2" off all three blades on a TSIO360. Engine had 77 SMOH, so had been recently inspected. I insisted on teardown, and the crank was cracked in three places. A friend bought a low time TSIO550 that had an off airport landing with no power. Prop condition was unknown, so we had a teardown done - crank was x-rayed or magna fluxed, no problems. Cost was about $6000 for the basic teardown and reassembly. But additional items found jacked the bill up to $11,000. Excludes shipping and installation. Once you have opened up an insurance claim, push for all the work you can get done. Otherwise, how are you ever going to feel comfortable flying at night, water and even selling the plane down the road? Don

Thats not a fair comparison - the earlier engines had a front to back induction system resulting in more fuel to the middle cylinders and the most to the rear cylinders to to 'spillover' from the continuous injectors. 100% demonstrable and repeatable. The later engines have the spider intakes, which distribute air and fuel very evenly. Do the gami test and see if you need fine tuning. Continental engineers acknowledged after the fact that they spent millions developing the newer intake, and the results are very comparable to Gami's mod. The thinking at the time was that you needed to balance the airflow to balance the fuel. Gami was brilliant in recognizing that the airflow is pretty balanced already but the fuel was not. Don

I have experience of a Garmin radio sent back for repair, only to come back as 'beyond economic repair'. I believe this was because of mechanical damage (not crash damage), to the retaining clip, and it was just too much work to change the box out. So, I would be extra cautious of 'crash damaged' goods and expecting a flat rate repair. Aerodon

Not cool to pee on someone else parade.

Mike, Thanks for your post, but welcome to Africa. I've flown myself to Okavango a couple of times, and your African adventure sure brings back memories. In 1992 my new wife and I flew from Johannesburg, Maun, Okavango, Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, Lake Malawi and back in our Seminole. Somewhere I have a picture of our Seminole parked under a tree in the Okavango and another one of lions teethmarks on the nosecone. Nothing like walking back to the plane and seeing lion footprints on your footprints from the night before, and not having a gun handy.. On my flight into Okavango, the guide called me up on a handheld radio and asked if I really wanted to land. I asked about the surface hardness and proceeded. First approach didn't look good, second one was fine, crossed the water on the threshold and touched down in the first 50 feet. Only just managed to stop before the embankment on the other side. My knees were shaking and I just did not understand what I did wrong. The guide congratulated me, and told me I was the second twin to have ever landed there. The first one crashed off the end of the runway, so he was suitably impressed. The chart showed the runway at 2500'. I paced it out and it was 1500'. I moved to Canada 25 years ago and had to redo my commercial ride - got the highest score all year at Pacific Flying Club. There was nothing wrong with the training then, nor is it now, I still see pilots from that region going on to get FAA ATPL's and JAR ATPL's and flying all over the world. The newspaper article you posted shows exactly what is going on. In the USA and Canada we try support First Nations owned or operated companies, minority owned companies, gender owner companies etc. In Africa the terminology is different - previously disadvantaged persons, BEE's etc. For sure your operator was forced to employ certain persons, or face not getting an operating licence, government contracts etc. A goal that I do support, but it has become so corrupted that I do not hold out much hope for it succeeding. Count yourself lucky that you got a co-pilot to go along. As to your second flight - I'm not even going to try defend the pilot, other than to say that if he is still flying a GA8 with 2700 hours, there's a reason why..... Generally its a much quicker revolving door - Okavango and GA8's are very much an entry level position and if you demonstrate enthusiasm and competence you are quickly going to find yourself in a Caravan, King Air or better. I know the training and hiring intentions are good, but there are some fundamental obstacles to be overcome. I remember reading that it takes three generations to learn to operate an aircraft carrier. Its not to say that only the grandson of a fleet captain can become a fleet captain. It's more that the whole training and operations environment in a highly technical business has to be in place and refined over many many years in order to succeed. Although if you look at politics, it seems as though family heritage plays an important part. Countries around the world are trying to play catchup to the first world, with varying degrees of success. And there are huge cultural issues that get drawn in whether you like it or not. The local airfields are filled with Chinese and Indian flying schools. They are taking guys and (maybe some girls) out of high school and placing them in fully paid for training courses, and then on into RHS of Airbus and 737's with less than 300 hours. The USA and Canada are the opposite - we expect pilots to pay for all their training, then work for peanuts, then get 1500 hours in decent equipment, then maybe a better job. Not a good situation either way. Now, maybe I'm a little over sensitive - but there was no need to identify gender or race in your post. All you are doing is perpetuating racism. The end goal is to hire pilots (and others) without having to identify ethnicity or gender. Unfortunately the world is not exactly succeeding at present is it. Regards, Aerodon

AA, I've been working with another M20C owner to make a RHS panel to accept an EDM930. I have a CNC machine and can make any shape per your and your IA requests (owner produced part). I've made two versions so far for the M20C - one has the 'dropdown' for the OEM gauges. This is for where owners retain the OEM gauges and install an EDM830 above it. The other is 'straight across', so the panel looks better - one continuous line from the LHS all the way across. A blanking plate is installed and can be used for a few more circuit breakers. Then the overlay panel is installed to replace the plastic and mount the EDM900 or 930. Aerodon supercub180@gmail.com

Almost all of my planes have been in partnerships, and I had a 20% share in a Seneca which cost me less than my friends wholly owned C172 - including all the fuel and maintenance. 5 partners sound a lot, but all it takes is one who is relatively inactive, two business flyers, two weekend warriors and the booking conflicts are really low. The plane flew 150-200 hours per year, so all the maintenance including the annual was treated as a variable cost. The fixed costs are divided equally - you are paying to have a plane standing in the hangar ready to use, whether you use it or not. There is an argument that the annual inspection should be in the fixed cost too. Splitting maintenance pro-rata to the hours in a year can be very unfair. All it takes are for any one of the following to happen: magneto failure, vacuum pump, starter, top overhaul, autopilot repair, gear overhaul and then the hourly charge is ridiculous. I buy into the argument that a plane not flying requires as much maintenance as a plane flying 200 hours a year. So the guy flying a lot is not really causing more maintenance than the guy not flying. We charged ourselves a 'commercial rate' for tax and business reasons. There are occasions when pilots can be reimbursed for travel expenses, and its much easier to pass on an invoice for $xx for 'aircraft use' in the same way as you would present an invoice for 'car use' or an airline ticket. Aerodon

I have one new 6 cylinder EDM730 with fuel flow at this great price. (same as EDM730 without FF at mail order places). Other models available too, contact me at supercub180@gmail.com Aerodon

Bob, very nice - especially taking the extra effort to flush mount the aspen and JPI engine display. Don

Even then, you would have the original N# displayed, and maybe an issue the first time you send it in for repair? Its a fair amount of work to gather all the POH and STC information, then extract the limits, yellow bands, etc. It can't be too difficult to program, but JPI do keep individual airplane records for the 900/930/960 units. Aerodon

Here's the problem. I acquired a 930 from a project that never went ahead. JPI wanted $700 to re-program which I paid. So then I acquired another uninstalled 930. JPI won't reprogram it for me this time, even though I am a dealer. So, just bite the bullet, buy a 900/930 when the rebate is on (like now). Don

If you look at the install 700/830 manual, the wiring diagrams appear to show IAT and CRB on pins 3 & 4. But if you look more closely the CRB is under the 7/8/9 cylinder column. If you look in the Q&A of tech support, here's what it says (their bold letters): EDM-700/800 PIN ASSIGNMENTS: yel 1, red 2, OILyel 3, red 4, INDyel 5, red 6, CARB (or CDT) yel 14, red 15, OATyel 16, red 17, TITyel 18, red 19, TIT-2 (2nd TIT)gry 12, Remote alarm (Sinks to ground)red 13, + Powerwht 24 , RS-232 data portblk 25, Engine ground. ** ( Pin # 11 not used.) I've made this mistake more than once, and have reported this to JPI several times, being optimistic that they would in fact like to update their manual. Don

Two relatively inexperienced guys can install an 4 cylinder EDM830 in one to two days. But do it at annual, when the cowl is off and access is good. Do some homework, figure out where to install on the panel without having to cut new holes, the routing of wires, sourcing and obtaining fuel flow fittings and hoses etc. Location of circuit breaker or in line fuse, FF switch etc. Don

A cooling rate of 40 is not excessive, but I like setting the alarm at 40 just to remind me. I think the rate to try stay below is 60. You will be surprised when you see the most rapid change. Levelling off is a big one, starting from high CHT's and you double the cooling with airspeed, halve the temperature by reducing power. Not good. Descending, usually not much of an issue. Circuit generally OK unless you have to pull a lot of power off an final, and then of course after landing. All stuff you didn't know before a JPI engine monitor, Don

Tom, Are you handy, can you help your installer? The following needs to be done: 1) Install antenna - technically you are supposed to get an L3 skin mapper and find a good place. Practically we took a chance and installed the antenna on the lower rear fuselage as far away from electrical 'stuff' that we could and it worked fine - no spurious lightning when using strobes, gear, autopilot etc. This can be quick and easy - 1 hour? The antenna comes with a doubler, but some installations might require a riveted doubler. 2) Install processor - if you have a rear avionics tray and space - this is easy - only 4 mounting screws. 1 hour? But it can get more complicated, I've seen the processors hung upside down up against the bulkhead in a Mooney. Look in your tail cone / avionics area and see what you have got. 3) Run the wires - power/ground and RS232 to the front. This is labour intensive, depending on how hard it is to remove all the upholstery and panels required. My partner and I spent one saturday morning running the pre made harness from the back of our seneca to the front. 4) connect to power and ground. If you have a spare space for a breaker on your avionics buss, - fairly easy. 5) Connect to the Aspen - I have not done one, but the Sandel was only one 3 core shielded wire that interfaces to the unit. Then setting up the Sandel to communicate with the WX500. 6) you can wire up a second output but only one device can control the WX500. You can also wire a remote clear and an inhibit line to inhibit operation when the transponder o DME pulses. We did not, and did not have any issues. Google WX500 Installation Manual and I'm sure you will find one. Or send me an email (supercub180@gmail.com) and I'll send a link. The used harness I have is very long and in very good condition. I don't think you installer would have a problem with it. But its not a lot of labour or wire to make a new one. Don

Well actually I have two systems, and I only need one for my upgrade project. 100% complete with processor, antenna, mounting trays, doublers, gaskets, connectors etc: 1) Excellent used system, pre wired for installation $3,200 2) New old stock - $4,400 - still sealed in the factory bag. These will display on most PFD's, MFD's, GPS's and now the L3 Lynx 'Transponder'. Don supercub180@gmail.com

And now with WX500 stormscope capability. http://l-3lynx.com I'm truly impressed at how L3 got the Traffic computer 'miniaturized' into this box, have you seen you big the older TRC497 and 899 computers are? They have really invented a new instrument, well worth considering. Don

Now if you had done it the other way around, you would be flying at least a 231...

Send me the K-factor, I'll look for one with something PDC (pretty darn close). Don supercub180@gmail.com

OK, I know its done already, and this is harder, but maybe this will help the next guy: Drill the EGT probes on the inside at 45 degrees - then the probes won't get bent and broken, and the wires can follow the CHT wires and oil primer lines. Much cleaner installation. Aerodon

Apparently sold already.

I went and checked my notes for the TR182 that I fly which recently got a GTN750. It has separate GS and VOR antennas with original cables. Two mini circuits splitters were installed to split each into 2 GS and 2 VOR cables. One of each went to the old KY197 radio. The one of each were combined using an ANT/GS/VOR splitter in reverse. The Ant 'output' goes to the GTN750. All per GTN750 install manual And all navigation signals are just fine, but maybe I haven't looked that closely because of all the GPS navigation instead of VOR navigation. Don

I've just replaced the OEM nav antenna in my Seneca. Chose a Commant VOR/ILS antenna with a built in Balun. The old co-ax was in poor shape, lots of corrosion on the terminals and shield. Was surprised to find a coupling at the bottom of the vertical fin. So replaced everything from the tail to the radios, including new RG400 cable. Now for the splitters - some radios like the Garmin series split the VOR/GS signal internally. Others like the KX165 need separate GS/VOR input. And some planes have a separate GS antenna, which is usually mounted high in the windshield for improved performance. So you can get splitters and combiners for numerous permutations - find the right one, and don't connect a 'VOR' output to a 'GS'. If you need to split a signal to an Apollo SL30, GNC255 or other radio that is expecting a combined signal use a Mini-Circuits '5-500' Mhz splitter. And sometimes you need to split twice, for example: Split Ant to #1 (say GNS480) and #2. Then split #2 into VOR/GS for a KX165. I've seen more complicated, using splitters in reverse, to combine GS and VOR antennas, then to split into #1 and #2, then split #2 to ILS and VOR. The GTN750 manual illustrates several acceptable permutations. Don