toto

Just FYI - I don't know which one of you guys got here first https://mooneyspace.com/topic/38632-key-lime-air-swearingen-sa-226-metro-ii-and-cirrus-sr-22-mid-air-collision/

Sheez, it's hard to believe the Swearingen was controllable.

Yep, I've gotten to the point where I almost always use a visual approach on the GTN no matter how well I know the airport and no matter how clear the weather.

Yep, it replaces both mags, and requires a second source of power (either a second alternator or a second battery). There’s nothing on their website yet. They announced at S&F.

As @KSMooniacmentioned above, you can now get a certified electronic ignition from Electroair.

I seriously would not let this be a deciding factor in purchasing an airplane. You've identified the data points that make people fearful of the dual mags, but as others have said, they rarely cause problems. This is a sideshow in the "things that will kill you" circus - the main act is CFIT and continued VFR into IMC. I'd be far more worried about expenses due to deferred maintenance than a dual mag falling off the airplane. Add it to your "things to think about at overhaul time" spreadsheet and don't stress about it

KCPS was always my preferred destination for downtown. At some point they got rid of courtesy cars and started offering short term rentals - which adds a fair amount of cost for a quick turn and lunch. But still awfully convenient for downtown. But OP is headed to Chesterfield or wherever.

I've had great experience with TACAir at Spirit, but only for day trips. I haven't stayed with them for any length of time.

All good thoughts, but I’d still ask .. are those reasons not to throw an Airtile in the plane?

When I’m parked away from home, I’m often curious about whether and how often the FBO is moving my plane around. I’m thinking about getting a couple of the new Apple Airtags and throwing one in the plane (maybe just leave it on the glareshield, or on the hat rack - if direct sunlight will destroy it) and maybe another in my flight bag. The Tile approach always seemed fine for luggage, where there are a zillion people walking around a commercial airport, and many of them have the Tile app installed. But not great for a random municipal airport in the middle of nowhere. But with the Apple product, it seems almost guaranteed that one or more of the line personnel or FBO staff will have an iDevice and be able to see the Airtag. Anyone else doing this or thinking about doing it? Any downsides? With a one-year battery life, this seems like a pretty easy fire-and-forget $25 decision.

I suspect it's because these started life as experimental products, which would all be owner-serviceable. I'd guess that somewhere the GFC500 updates are downloadable as "G3X Autopilot" updates. But presumably there is a section somewhere for experimental owners to download the certified stuff too - maybe they need to register as their own little radio shop.

I'm definitely not getting a new AFMS for every software version bump. Does this apply only if there is a change to the supplement? Or are they required to print out a new identical copy with a new software version number noted? I don't know what I'm talking about, so I can't possibly dispute any of what you've described. I kind of blindly assume that a busy shop has the latest revisions already downloaded and sitting on shop SD cards that they can use to update every a/c. If they have to log in to a portal and enter specific information for the individual customer and download a custom build, then I would be happy to pay for that time. Sounds like a pita.

My very limited and probably ignorant experience is that they stick an SD card in the unit and kick off the upgrade. It does its thing while they do other stuff, and then they pull out the SD card when it's done. I guess if you went to the shop exclusively for the software updates and they had to be done serially, it might take some shop time. Still feels like a pretty low level of effort. From my perspective, a shop builds good will with me when I take the plane in for something else and I find a line item on my invoice for a software update at $0.00. They still get paid for the thing I asked them to do, and I get new software. And they haven't really spent much additional time on it.

That seems completely crazy. I have never paid more than zero dollars for software updates - usually my Garmin shop just updates everything when the plane is in for something else (IFR recert or whatever).

Seems like this ought to be good for 10-15 knots in a Mooney? Maybe 20 for an Ultra? Simple Flying: Lufthansa To Equip Entire Boeing 777F Fleet With Sharkskin Technology. https://simpleflying.com/lufthansa-sharkskin-boeing-777fs/

It's this https://landingheight.com/ Long thread or two on here. @Microkitis the contact

I think OP just meant a group separate from the prebuy/logbook/transition group, not MS

BK also recentlyish canceled their contracts with all authorized repair shops, right? So now you can buy a new one for $30,550, or you can have them overhaul yours for $29,995 or something?

Does the plane come with it?

I've never seen a chandelle quite like that.

Very cool. I started using a simulator at a local flight school to stay instrument current during Covid. The building is accessible 24x7 so I could be in there by myself shooting approaches. That's just a PCATD though (Redbird) and nothing like a full motion sim. Sounds very interesting.

Any significant signatures (e.g., a flight review), I snap a picture with my phone and attach to the flight in MyFlightBook. The process works pretty well once I figure out where the upload thing is.

Yeah the trick is to start with a "carry forward" line that just has all previous totals to date. Then you start adding flights moving forward, and you can backfill the old stuff whenever you have time.

As a follow up to the obstacle clearance discussion... There is absolutely nothing in the regs that considers flight *below* an obstacle. These are all minimum altitudes *above* an obstacle, structure, or person. I think there is no argument consistent with the regs that flying under a bridge is allowed by having met obstacle clearance mins. Unless you have an emergency or you're somehow on an approach to landing that would require going under the bridge, you'll need a waiver.

Letting the thread drift a bit... I actually think we're in a pretty great place right now for "graceful degradation" of flying activities. With no major medical issues, a person who finds herself behind the airplane can step down to a well-equipped LSA and enjoy the heck out of it. And if the LSA becomes too much, she can step down to a Part 103 craft with a super-low stall speed and a ballistic parachute, requiring no pilot certificate and no medical. We're all creatures of habit, and I know that it feels like a really big deal to have to sell our pride and joy because it's gotten to be too much airplane, but I love the fact that we've got good options for lower and slower flight befitting longer reaction times that could add many years of enjoyment to a flying hobby.