Yooper Rocketman

Now that's what I'm talking about! My motto has always been "it's not truly a cross country flight until you are still outbound after your first fuel stop". You did 3 of them! Tom

You might just get that chance. My sister has just moved to Washington state and I plan on doing some trips to visit her. I would likely stop in Ontario OR to visit one of my best friends on the way. John Day looks close to the flight path between Ontario and Port Angeles. Tom

Just push the com adjusting knob in and it toggles to nav in the frequency windows. You're going the love the GTN once you figure out how to use all the features. Tom

Where is that unlike button??? :>) Tom

During the first 150 hours you get some serious "pulling in" on all the bolts recessed below the skin holding the pressure bulkheads at the firewall and behind the back seat (a bolt every 2" up the sides and over the top) and bolts holding the door latches (7 latches with 4 bolts each). There is extreme pressure trying to "blow up" the fuselage when pressurizing it to 4-5 PSI during high altitude flight. Although "hard points" were installed at all these location, those bolt depressions can now be seen. Somewhere between 125 and 150 hours, this distortion stops and final bodywork can cover them without reappearance. Those that have chosen to paint immediately have the signature depressions visible after paint (....argh). Also, I've been letting it sit in the sun a lot too, which heats up the skin and shrinks the epoxy a bit, leaving slight appearance in some areas of the carbon weave, which I would rather have happen now in primer (so we can bodywork it out) than see it appear through the final paint. Tom

It was a beautiful evening yesterday so decided to go out and get some more hours on the Lancair (shooting for that magical 150 hours so I can send it off to paint). Took a couple that have been friends of my wife and I for 40 years (and missed an opportunity to go a week ago because they were golfing). We first flew around a hot air balloon that floated past us at the airport while fueling. He was 4 miles west and heading south west. It was the same one I filmed a week ago. Seems we've had some nice hot air balloon weather lately. We headed north towards the Keweenaw Peninsula but as we approached Lake Superior decided to fly east along the lake shore, checking out the Huron Mountains. This area is mostly owned by "big, but old, money" families, called the "Huron Mountain Club". It's been said Henry Ford wanted to join this group in his early days, they declined his membership request because he wasn't "rich enough", and he later land locked them in by purchasing all the land around them as he made it big himself. He eventually gave them easement for access, once he proved his point. There is a beautiful old lodge on Lake Independence in Big Bay that he built as his get away, which is still standing today. It has been used as a bar/restaurant recently but I can't tell you if it's still open. Anyway, enjoy the pictures! Tom

I did some detective work and I think the plane is N9303V. I have no clue if it's one of our Mooney Space participants. Glad no one was seriously hurt. Tom http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=9303V

I have a K model with the anti-siphon necks. I routinely get 4 more gallons per side after reaching the bottom of the filler neck by filling slowly and letting the air bleed out of the tank through the vent. On long cross country flights those 8 gallons are a big plus. I've never considered it full unless filled so the cap just clears the fuel in the tank when installed. Tom

I suspect it won't be long and there will be a concrete blast pad, especially if some lawyer tries litigating for the Darwin candidates. The country or the airport may not have any money, but then they'll go after the airline. On the other hand, maybe some of these countries have a more rational court system. Tom

While we were helping the pilot move the basket he asked where I was flying to. I told him Houghton (my first flight at 9 years old was there in a DC-3, which took 45 minutes). I told him in contrast to his 15 mile flight in 75 minutes, mine was going to take 22 minutes. He responded back I doubt you will do it with 10 gallons of fuel to which I laughed pretty hard and replied "you're right" (could do it in under 10 gallons with a Mooney though). Tom

I was just getting ready to board my plane for a flight Saturday AM and looked up and saw a hot air balloon coming into the airport. I was floored he had that kind of control to make it to the airport, which the pilot initially said he "had planned it". Later he laughed and said his intended destination was a mile or so south, but the airport ended up working out. He had come from about 15 miles away in an 1:15 minute flight. The winds were so light on the ground he was able to keep the envelope inflated and sit on the ground without moving, My passenger, for my flight that day, and I carried the balloon basket over to the ramp for a better surface to drop the envelope on (with the pilot adding a bit of heat to keep the load balance just below lift off). Looks like I might be able to trade a Lancair ride for a balloon ride after talking with the pilot. That's always been on my bucket list.

I think this is a great idea but caution adding too many items to the list. Maybe it could be listed as "Doc's List" on the primary PPI Inspection List with additional items, suggested as there are contributions after you publish it, shown as addendum items. Just like an airplane checklist, if it get's too long, there's a tendency to gloss over the very items that are the serious ones the list was designed to avoid missing in the first place.

It's not a Mooney, but pretty close. Fuel mileage is about the same as my Rocket and Jet-A is cheaper. Only took 17.5 years and 8,500 hours to build, but a lot cheaper than a King Air (and a lot faster). Tom

Here's a report from Avweb this morning noting they've had a Japanese blogger revealing the date of the photo as 1935 and The History Channel's reply; The History Channel said in a statement it’s "exploring the latest developments about Amelia Earhart and we will be transparent in our findings. Ultimately, historical accuracy is most important to us and our viewers.” I was on the TIGHAR website within the last 3 days and there hasn't been an update in years. I too was under the impression this is a different group doing the research. My comment on the topic heading was not being critical, just being realistic. I don't like leaving the door open for some on this forum to come back and slam me any more than necessary. Open discussion is great, beating up on fellow Mooniacs is not my style. I probably developed this non-confrontational style from dealing with customers at my dealership over the last 32 years. It's not very good for business and in the early years I ate my words a couple times too many. Tom

Geez rageracer..........tell us how you REALLY feel. :>) Tom

I was thinking the same thing. If they DID execute an innocent civilian (Fred Noonan, I got the impression Amelia would have died due to health reasons) there was certainly motivation to play with the information in light of the world's view of the Japanese at that time. That aside, there was a lot of interesting information brought forward, and many residents that validated the landing on the island didn't even know who Amelia was. All I am advocating is we don't close the doors on any possible outcome. I'm hoping the answer is found before I leave this world as I find the whole adventure simply amazing (a woman aviator trying to round trip the world back in the 30's, with instruments and technology most pilots today wouldn't fly across our country with). Had I started this thread, the topic heading would have been "Interesting Possibility On The Amelia Earhart Disappearance". I clearly am not ready to call this "Solved". Tom

I watched it last night and have always had an incredible interest in the outcome of her flight. They've got a lot of evidence that supports their theory, and have approached it, in my mind, with completely open eyes. If you watch the special in entirety, it's hard to not see the possibility this is a valid discovery. Tom

Add a plus one (another Mooney Owner) to my attendance. My hangar partner, the one with the E model in the back of my recent hangar photos (that's getting a new MT prop and his Garmin 430 updated to WAAS) will be coming with me. Tom

It didn't look that nice up close. Paint and bodywork not even on the same scale as my '69 SS Chevelle. Tom

Did a little promotion work for aviation and our annual airport day by participating in our local parade. The bear in the simulator airplane went over great. The simulator plane gets set it up with a projector on the wall and a Snoopy the Red Baron simulator program hooked to the center stick for the kids during the event. We had a 4 car police escort getting the Cherokee back to the airport after the parade (moved it TO the parade at 7 AM before there was any traffic). Tom

It had been a week and one half since I was up, terrible weather and fixing some squawks. I'll never get this thing painted if I don;t get the hours on it though. Yesterday was a beautiful day so decided to go up after dinner. I called 7 different people to go flying and ended up solo again. I flew up to the top of Michigan (the Keweenaw Peninsula), passing right over the Houghton / Hancock Airport. You can see the peninsula stretching out into Lake Superior, and the hilly terrain along the spine of it. That's really nice snowmobile and biking territory with a view of Lake Superior to the east and west along parts of it. I was high to add pressurization time to the fuselage (one of my goals before paint) with a cabin pressure of 6K while flying at 17.5K. The Mooney was not looking happy when I shut down in front of the hangar. :>) It's a pretty tight squeeze getting 3 birds in a 42' x 64' hangar. Tom

I will be there from Monday until the Lancair Banquet on Thursday evening. If another get together is planned while I'm there I will show. Tom

If I was in your shoes, that's exactly what I would be doing! Tom

I've been doing mine by myself for over 10 years. Will have to You-Tube it the next time. Clearly easier with two, but I rarely have the luxury of an extra set of hands. I like to really inspect the engine compartment every oil change, which full cowl removal allows. I've found a few issues over the years before they became serious with that procedure. I removed the intercooler once after purchase in 2000 (because the IA doing the pre-purchase did the same) and have done every filter change since with no issue with it on. I have a much smaller oil separator which gives a lot more room to work in that area. I'll get a picture of that the next time the cowl is off. Tom

Wife just informed me she has a conflict, so will be solo.