Yooper Rocketman

There are two Lancair 360 kits listed for rediculously low prices just recently. Add a decent used IO360 and some sweat and you would have a phenomenally efficient traveling machine for pretty cheap. And you could perform your own maintenance and annuals as well. https://lancairtalk.net/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3115 Tom

You building a Lancair or planning to build one? Which model? I would stick with an aviation engine when you get to that point. Way too many have gone down the automotive engine path with pretty poor results, the best being a financial disaster and the worst being fatal. I had that same desire, being a muscle car owner and drag racer, but was convinced over time that's a match that just doesn't work. Tom

Nice looking Mooney!

I feel your pain! Tom

Here's a visitor that showed up in transient parking this morning. I love this place! Tom

After a week of work on our new Florida home, all three of our kids arrived in the last day for a week of family time. The oldest with her husband and our only two grand kids. All but one son ( flew into Sanford this afternoon) drove down in one van nonstop from Green Bay, WI.......argh. Anyway, met another Mooney Spacer (Steve) from Canada and saw this really beautiful airplane on the ramp last night. When we went out for the "Friday Night Air Show" there was a young couple getting their picture taken professionally with the plane as the background. They OBVIOUSLY have taste!!! Tom

Made my second flight to Florida this morning from the U.P. of Michigan with the Lancair. Caught a bit of tailwind making it pretty enjoyable. Boy I love this plane!

Hector and Alex (with Amber & Tim) flew in today for a visit. Was really cool to meet some more Mooney Space Friends!!! Gave them the golf cart tour of the low rent district (my neighborhood), the medium rent district and the high rent district. Another Mooney parked on the ramp by them so we had a trifecta of Mooney's on the ramp. I appreciate you guys stopping by. Got me out of some hard labor today!! Tom

Just had that conversation with my wife this morning while driving to Green Bay for granddaughters birthday party. User fees will pave the fast road to lower safety. They would likely be tied to filing IFR Flight Plans so there would be a lot more marginal VFR flights done that would normally have been IFR. This battle comes up every 4 years and we've been successful fending it off. Seems at some point we will lose the fight. What's really puzzling is this appears (privatization) to have support from the Controller's Union (or whatever their organization is called)?

Tim We will be staying this trip until around April 1st but may be heading back down later in April. Will keep you posted. Tom

My kids are driving down from Green Bay non-stop, leaving noon on Thursday and arriving on Friday, the 25th.......but I suspect they will not arrive until mid-late afternoon (they are trying to make it in time for the Friday night air show). Your visit should work just fine! Looking forward to it!!! Tom

I took my wife there this past summer after she had hardly seen me in weeks due to intense completion work on my Lancair. We walked from the airport to town and back without much trouble. Maybe 1.5 miles each way. You can take the "taxi" which is a horse drawn wagon / carriage. The Grand Hotel is PRICEY, but there are other more affordable option. You will be assessed a landing fee by the park service, but I think it was just $10. There's no fuel available on the Island so plan accordingly. St Ignace, just a few miles north on the mainland of the U.P., has a very nice airport and fuel should you need it. There are special pattern procedures (fly over water only until on final), so review the airport diagram and your pattern altitude should be fine. Lake Michigan is at 600' MSL and the pattern is 1900 MSL. Browncbr1; if you fly the course you are suggesting after leaving Mackinaw Island you will fly right over my airport (KIMT). Give me some notice and if I am around, we can host you and your traveler to a nice meal while passing through. Tom

The invitation is still open! Tom

Walters 601D. 724 HP

Sunday would work (actually Wednesday and Thursday work too), but you may want to check us out on Flight Aware to make sure we made it down (N994PT). We hope to be there by noon. Tom

Probably not right at Christmas, but usually shortly afterward. Tom

I'm heading down to my Spruce Creek winter home (just south of Daytona Beach FL) on Sunday for a couple weeks. Just extending an open invitation to my Mooney friends if anyone wants to drop in and say high and check out a really cool Airpark. Best to contact me by text FIRST as I don't answer cell calls from numbers I don't recognize. 906 dash 458 dash six niner eight niner. Chupacabra stopped by my last trip down and it was awesome to meet a fellow Mooney Space friend. Tom

Sorry, was pretty busy today until late afternoon. If I knew you were coming in I would have tried to stop out and said hi. I installed a gas strut over the last few days on the baggage door of my Lancair. Got tired of it dropping down and bonking me on the head. Anyway, when I got it done today I called 4 friends before finding someone free to go flying and watch the sunset from the air. Ended up taking the bank president up in the new plane. He was impressed and couldn't fathom I built this thing in my garage. The sunset was spectacular. Tom

If you ever drop your Mooney off over here and need a ride, let me know. If I'm around I'll run you home or pick you up. Either the Rocket or the Lancair, your choice.

I have always blocked off half my oil cooler in the winter, trying to keep temps in the 180-190 range. Even with it blocked off, it's hard sometimes to keep the temps up in the flight levels. Then comes that trip to Florida (or someplace else warmer in the winter) and I'm pulling the top cowl off at my fuel stop to remove the block off device. In the Rocket, there's a diagonal bar running across the front of the oil cooler which leaves a perfect recess at the cooler face to install a cut off piece of rubber mudflap. In summary, I would let your oil temps in cruise dictate whether you need to restrict your oil cooler. Tom

Back on topic, keep positing your progress. It's great to see the new blood coming in with the challenges and enthusiasm. Tom

My hangar partner and best friend used to get his E model trimmed well enough that he controlled minor corrections in altitude during cruise by leaning forward or back to keep the plane nailed on altitude. I'd mess with him sometimes by discretely moving a bit for or aft until he would catch me! Tom

Technology doing what it should. Making flying safer and hopefully eliminating one the most inexcusable causes of accidents! Keep up the good work. Tom