Yooper Rocketman

Congratulations Bob!! Quite a milestone. I had 25 years (from first lesson) quietly sneak by me last month and didn't even realize it until your post today. Guess I can celebrate 25 years on the PPL next month. Hope your trip with your grandson goes (or went, not sure if you're home yet) well. Tom

I had that happen at night a long time ago (over 20 years ago) in Madison, WI, transporting a kidney transplant patient for his long awaited kidney. There were snow banks from a recent pounding of snow covering the taxiway identification signs. I landed on 18, knew I needed to turn left to get to the FBO, but missed the correct taxiway (tower was closed). My patient was asking me a million questions too, excited about his medical procedure he was about to have (distracting to say the least). As I taxied up I figured out I was going to the "Guard Ramp". So there's my dilemma; turn around and just barely cross the line (saw no one in the area) or shut down and turn the plane around by hand (I'm sure that would have looked a ton more suspicious). I completed a tight turn and headed to the proper taxiway. So as my patient is leaving for his kidney transplant, I get airport security, National Guard security, and god knows, maybe local cops (it was a long time ago, I don't specifically remember, just seemed like I had done something REALLY BAD) showing up for the questioning, at 2 AM on a dead airport. After about 10 minutes all involved accepted I wasn't intending to steel a fighter jet or do damage to U.S. Government Property and they let me go on my merry way. Oh ya..... I filed a NASA Report when I got home. SO what should one do when they don't have a reverse lever, but have not crossed the line yet and have insufficient room to complete a 180 without crossing it? Technically, my tires DID NOT cross the line, only my wing did. Shut down and get out and hand move the plane? Seems a little radical to me. Tom

I don't know @steingar , seems I just heard there's a TFR going on in the U.P., prohibiting Ohio guys from flying up here that weekend. LOL Tom

We match paint all the time for my dealership. A good paint supply auto parts store will usually have a "Prophet Color Matching Computer" . Works great for paint that has faded a bit and using the original paint code likely will not give you a good match. Our local NAPA store, selling PPG Paints, uses this machine A LOT, and only charges for the actual paint, not scanning for the proper color codes. This link MAY work. Otherwise just check with your local store. We've gotten small pint containers. http://www.ourlocalguide.com/cy/id25.htm Tom

I was being given vectors for an ILS into my home airport (KIMT, Runway 1) when coming from the northwest. I had been given two headings and was approaching the final approach course when the controller said "cleared for the approach" (I was in IMC) while still assigned 60 degrees off the inbound course. I queried him once whether he was going to give me another heading before clearing me for the approach. He sounded confused. I came back with I would like a heading of 040 before intercepting. He came back with "I'm sorry, you are correct, fly heading of 040 until established, cleared for the ILS runway 1, advise established". I wasn't correcting him, just wanted a workable intercept heading for the approach (was flying the prop-jet, so speed is a consideration as well for a tight turn). He never indicated he felt confronted. I think I've seen more "new" controllers the last several years that are not "quite" up to speed. I'm never confrontational, and actually think Don did a fairly rational action. I would have done the same myself. Why fly a hold in VMC when cancelling gets you to the airport easier and quicker. I often cancel when being given the scenic routing to my airport waiting another IFR arrival in VMC conditions. I can work out the spacing VFR a lot more efficiently than they will holding IFR separation standards. Tom

Can’t comment on the GA camping conditions specifically but on the Lancair Forum an owner just posted he came in this afternoon and in the Home Built Camping section it was pretty good and dying fast. He encouraged anyone holding back on coming not be concerned. I can testify the same for Camp Scholler. Areas I couldn’t walk through yesterday are dry today. It’s drying up VERY FAST. Tom

@yvesg I got there late (helping with the CAV /TKS Folks this year), hungry as all heck, ran into @xcrmckenna , @Bob_Belville and @gsxrpilot , ate quick and went down the line and met @201er and @Vector, and totally forgot to leave a donation. Please advise if you were short at all. I definitely want to get you a donation if you were!! Tom

And Charles ( @xcrmckenna ) stopped by yesterday! He reminded me I STILL OWE HIM A RIDE! I neglected to tell him if I give him the stick, @gsxrpilot set the bar pretty high on high performance airplane skills Tom

So last Monday (8 day’s ago) I got an email from the lead aftermarket TKS salesman he wanted my plane on their display at Oshkosh. He commented after looking at my plane last year he thought it was one of the nicest TKS installs he had ever seen (kudos to Brad Simmons for most of that). I graciously accepted. So, I’m on their display, just a couple spots east of the main entrance gate, on the south side. Since I was late to the Pizza Party, and only got to meet a few of you there, I would love to see any of my Mooney brethren that could stop by to say hi. I’m there about 75% of the time. @201er (who absolutely impresses me with his trips) and @Sabremech (who I found I have a ton of non-Mooney shared interests with) stopped by today. Hope to meet “in person” some more Mooney Space friends!! Tom

Missed one year in the last 30, so..... yes, I’m usually there. Tom

Erik, I was asked to display my new plane at the CAV ICE SYSTEMS (TKS) booth. It’s just a couple booths on the right walking in the main entrance gate. Stop by and say hi. I would love to meet you in person @201er and Matt @Sabremech (new early model Mooney cowl upgrade guru) stopped and said hi today. Anyone of my Mooney buds would be a welcome site if you drop by and say hi! Tom

My +1 won’t make so it will just be me. Tom

Nice Bonal, we don't get to see mountains in the Midwest. Closest thing we get is awesome clouds. Flew to Pittsburgh yesterday and a pretty good deviation on the way home in lower Michigan. Barely made it back before severe thunderstorms hit the U.P. It's all about timing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N994PT Tom

And you have HOW MUCH ROCKET TIME? I owned and flew one for 18 years and just shy of 2,000 hours. Take your advice from someone with experience, not just an opinionated uninformed Jealous J owner. I have flown many 3 person flights, even a few 4 person flights, NEVER OUT OF CG OR GROSS. And the comment on extended range tanks, I don’t believe I’ve EVER SEEN a more misinformed comment. PM me personally if you want REAL ownership experience. I’m not sure I can take this total BS from the above to grace this topic with another post. Tom

And Don, I hope to meet you at Oshkosh. I’ve been an admirer of you and your Mooney knowledge for far longer than most on this forum. Been watching and learning from your posts here and on a previous Mooney Forum since 1996. Tom

Ed, Wish I had known you were below me. I added your N number to your name in my phone contact list so next time I hear a Mooney on frequency I can look to see if it’s you!!! And as far as the speed, I have to fly a lot longer trips to put the same hours in the logbook (at considerable more cost). It’s all a matter of prospective. Tom

Had to take a patient getting back surgery tomorrow from Houghton, MI ( KCMX) to Milwaukee (KMKE). Had some weather to navigate between Green Bay and Milwaukee, going both ways. Here's some photos from the trip down. We were at FL230 until just before the picture. We were descending through FL200 when I snapped the picture of the G3X screen, more to show how altitude sure helps navigating around weather. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N994PT/history/20190715/1515Z/KCMX/KMKE https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N994PT/history/20190715/1645Z/KMKE/KIMT Tom

I did a mercy flight yesterday, bringing back a cancer patient from Ann Arbor to the U.P. As usual I got the full route STAR, with a couple altitude crossing restrictions and a speed restriction of 250 knots at the first one, the RNAV 24 approach, and another full route SID. Probably because of my climb rate, I never made it to my first SID way point before being cleared Direct to home. Anyway, when I taxied in, there was a nice looking M20J sitting on the ramp. As I got out of the plane, the guy that ground handled me (an older gentleman) asked what kind of plane I had. He said it was the first Lancair propjet he had ever seen. I told him I had been to ARB quite a few times with it recently. He then introduced himself as John Solo (Solo Aviation was the FBO). I commented how great his operation was to our pilots coming out of the U.P. frequently for med flights. The fuel guy came right up and asked if I wanted fuel and I gave him my fuel order, with John reminding the guy very firmly "JET A"! I could tell he was a business owner. SO I met my passenger and saw the Jet A fuel truck pull to my plane right away, so a few minutes later when he was no longer parked by my plane, I tried paying my fuel bill. The desk girl apologized and said I HAD NOT been fueled yet, the Mooney was first in line, going to depart soon, so he had to fuel him first. I said no problem, I wasn't in a hurry. I looked out and saw the Mooney owner pre-flighting, so decided to meet him and make sure he didn't think I was trying to jump him on getting fuel. I asked if he was on Mooney Space, to which he replied he had just joined. Apparently he just bought the plane. I wish I would have taken a picture of it. It was a very nice blue plane (clearly I don't like blue, sarcasm alert). I mentioned I had been flying Mooney's since 1996 and just moved out of my Rocket. He said "looks like a pretty significant move up", to which I replied "not many planes are a move up from Mooney's"!! Sounds like this is his first "owned" plane, having done rentals previously. I said that's a pretty big jump to which he mentioned he flies for a living. Anyway, he said his name is Brian (Bryon?) so hoping he becomes an active member. Tom

Thanks Kevin. I suspected the article would hit the July issue based on feedback from the editor. They requested an article from me last fall. I usually don't read the on-line version, typically waiting for my paper copy. Charles ( @xcrmckenna ) texted me a few hours ago so I just found out it published this month. I tried to get as many helpers and contributors mentioned, as completing something as complex as that couldn't have been done without all those that helped. See you all at OSH. Tom

See my PM Tom

That's not "Mark - The Iceman" from Marquette MI is it? Tom

I'll be there. Tom and Steve

"this is all I could get ........." Smart Ass. Looks pretty amazing to me!! Tom

Richard, I've said for 20+ years; IMHO, it's not a cross country flight unless after you're first fuel stop, you are still flying away from your original departure point. My first Cross Country trip, in a C150, I had 3 fuel stops BEFORE arriving at my destination. You, my friend, have qualified in the "Tom's book of true Cross Country flights"!! Way to use a Mooney like it was intended! Tom

Yes, He left a 3 year old son behind. Tom