jonhop

Good article @Eight8Victor, I can say this... What is one's sanity worth! I live in La Mesa, CA and my wife resides in Winchester CA. We don't cohabitate because of work, commute times, and retirement plans. It's 77SM door to door. On average it's well over two hours of stressful SOCAL driving. Going north it is consistently over two and a half hours of sitting in traffic. Flying is so much more relaxing. When I start the commute north via Mooney travel, it's--a stress induced--45 minutes to the J from work, which is the same as my drive home. It is 5-20 minutes from preflight to liftoff. My average wheels up to down is 24 minutes. It takes us 10 minutes to button up the J and travel to her residence, for an average of 98 to 110 minutes of Mooney travel. With my fuzzy math I save between 40 to 50 minutes of time but I also save my/our sanity. Her commute is a lot less stressful because she is driving opposite the normal SOCAL commute but it's still longer than it is when I pick her up in our Mooney. I estimate that I save her between 15 to 20 minutes each way and I GET TO FLY! I hate driving in SOCAL and can't wait for fully autonomous cars, although I hate to think what they will do to my driving experience when he roads open up on the weekends and the subsequent impact on flying in the future. Everyone in SOCAL drives/speeds either bumper to bumper and cut-throat or they are the dumb-a$$' in the passing lane driving side-by-side with the vehicle they are supposed to be passing. The dumb-a$$'s are usually driving side-by side under the speed limit, while everyone around them is road raging and driving recklessly trying to get around them. Regards, Jon

Condolences to you and Steve's family! You have my thoughts and well wishes.

Paul @kortopates, I signed up for Friday at 1330. The below screen capture illustrates the FAAST registration specifically precludes Basic Med, which I have. I registered and selected Third Class medical based upon your above post that Basic Med is allowed. Please confirm... I'd hate to take an opportunity away from someone with a non-basic med certificate.

Thanks for the topic @ValkyrieRider. I too was curious to MooneySpacer's thoughts as I received an AirCrafty postcard at home and BlackBird has emailed me three times in the past week referencing my tail number. Both AirCrafty and BlackBird's websites are sparse with little to no information. Thanks for this post, would've hated to read a 10K word terms of service on a mobile device but this provided an excellent summary. Looks like I'll wait to see...

Two years ago my prop starting throwing grease and I found myself in a similar situation. I had my prop removed and sent to American Propeller for IRAN and got the bad news that the blades were out of limits and the hub needed significant repairs. My options were new prop and hub with C214 blades at $13K and a 10 week wait or B rated blades and repaired/overhauled hub for $7k with a two week wait. I chose the latter while choking but was assured that I'd get at least two overhauls out of the used blades and hub repairs. Looking at this thread, there are other options if you can stand the lead time. If you can't http://www.americanpropeller.com/ may have used blades and a hub that you can purchase. My 2¢

Negotiating with the Wife but definitely want to attend with the whole family. Once wife negotiations are complete, I still have to negotiate with Mother Nature, as unfortunately, I'm not yet IFR rated.

I'm in the by and fly the Mooney now camp but considering your price point, if you have doubts, you can buy an old 152 and finish your PPL while you shop and acquire your Mooney. Then you could lease the 152 to your local flying club where it could / should pay for itself. Just my 2¢.

I've been retired from the U.S. Navy for several years, however when deploying to Iraq in 2010, the term accidental discharges--of one's weapon--had been changed to negligent discharges, as it should. I carried a firearm on my side for 13 months, clearing it each and every time before entering a building-even when I had no access to ammo. I took my firearm seriously and only made two mistakes with it. The first was burying it in sand while using it as a foundation while throwing a grenade before clearing a room during training. Cleaning it after, was not fun. The other event was after returning to Iraq from leave. I received my weapon and magazines from the armory and promptly loaded it and chambered a round without even thinking about being inside a friendly building. Realizing my mistake before the armorer, I pulled the magazine and round out of the gun in front of him and walked over to the clearing barrel and pulled the trigger. Fortunately, the gun did not fire a round. Otherwise it would have been recorded as a negligent discharge. The armorer was caught off guard by my actions but my weapon's state was my responsibility and he could've reported me or worse. I've come to realize that accidents are not really accidents unless there are circumstances that are outside of any person's--human being--control. IMHO, the word accident is overused to the point of allowing people to make excuses. Have I made mistakes in anything I do, Yes. Do I learn from my mistakes, absolutely. Have I pointed out deficiencies in others, yes. Hopefully, I made a difference when I took time to discuss a deficiency. Just my 2¢.

@jasona900, Welcome to San Diego! I asked my contacts at Gillespie with no luck. Hope you find something but @jaylw314 is right, Gillespie in the spring / early summer is not that hostile of an environment, so at least you have that going for you.

Wow... I got the GTX-345 installed last year and installation took less than a week. I posted the GTX-345's installation labor cost on MS somewhere. I also just recently installed a G5 AI in the place of my T&B coordinator and multiple shops made sure that I knew that the G5 could not replace a KI-256. I had already read the STC but they confirmed what I already knew because of research on MS and other sources. I chose to install the G5 AI because I still wanted a full featured AI in lieu of a turn coordinator during vacuum pump failure. Best of luck with getting the installer to correct your issues. Personally, I would not let them off the hook until you have a fully functioning autopilot. The autopilot is the most expensive component of your airplane and the installer should've known better than to disable / make it inoperative. They may have even violated the STC by removing the KI-256, unless you authorized it's removal knowing it would make the autopilot inoperative.

My oil strategy for the IO-360. Main mission, one hour to 45 minute flights per week with an occasional long cross-country of three hours or more. Oil changes are completed by adding seven quarts + CAMGUARD. After engine run and inspection there is sevenish quarts of oil showing. With each subsequent flight the oil gets a little lower with evidence of oil escaping on to the belly, as well as the usual color change. When she gets put away, a small pool of oil can be traced from the drip pan to the rear of the gear door, to the breather hose before each flight. When the dipstick lands between the four and six quart line, one quart of oil is added. At this point, there is much less evidence of oil escaping the engine but it is still flowing out of the breather hose onto the gear door/drip pan when parked. For flights greater than three hours, seven quarts go in. Upon landing, I've had between five to six quarts showing on the dipstick, while there is a good bit of oil showing up on the belly. Oil temperature and pressures have been stable. Two additional quarts are carried in the baggage compartment. One quart is for when I hit the five quart line when away from home base and the other is because you never know when you will need it. During my PPL, I learned that carrying extra oil is easy and beneficial.

Not sure about the NFlightCam product but I followed this DIY youtube video with no problems recording to my Hero 3 Silver. It was cheaper than buying a branded product.

In the article comments section, one reader speculated that "it looks like the propeller on the starboard engine is feathered. He must have lost this engine. He was probably too heavy to maintain altitude while flying on one engine. He probably got below Vmc (min air speed to maintain control on one engine) and flat spinned into the ground." Seems logical.

I think the time it takes to get an issuance from OKC may also be related to the type of referral. I was deferred for a condition that was signed off on my original medical. It only took two weeks to receive my 2nd class medical in 2015 with a letter explaining that additional deferrals for my condition would be at the AME's discretion. I have since switched to BasicMed, as I find it easier to have a conversation with my primary care physician than undergo a full blown physical.

Flying in SOCAL has some nice views... taken on 19 April, 2019.

Glad you had another soul aboard to help muscle the trim free and you both survived! Your scenario sounds eerily similar to one that @Amelia experienced. Hopefully she can chime in. Also the search feature can be your friend. "Amelia", "runaway trim", "trim failure", "trim", etc... Following the search result strings are each an opportunity for high velocity learning.

FWIW, I received my PPL in 2004 while learning to fly a 172. I took an extended hiatus from actual flying in 2006 with 96 hours total time due to life and relegated myself to the simulator realm. When I stopped flying, I could grease the 172 on. After life settled in 2013, I had the time and found flying again. I attended a rusty pilot seminar and found a CFI knowing that I was going to be shopping for a Mooney, Tiger AA-5B, or 182 in the near future--thank goodness I found a mission that allows flying! I commenced refresher flight training--BFR-- in the Tiger, while including one hour in a 182. I bounced between the Tiger and 172 over the course of the flight review and my landings were the best in the Tiger followed by the 182. My CFI signed off on my BFR and club approval to fly the Tiger first. He wanted another hour checkout--focused on landings--with him to use the club's 172. My touchdowns were a bit inconsistent in the 172. I was surprised given my total experience came from high-wing flying up to that point. Shortly after, I found and purchased my J and my landings were smoother than the 172 and on par with the Tiger. I probably could've completed my BFR in a few hours versus five but I chose to evaluate possible future aircraft purchases. I chalk my better landings in the Tiger and Mooney due to greater ground effect. I find that I can use that extra cushion of air to maximize a smooth touchdown to a greater extent than a high-wing. The bottom line is, get your PPL in the most cost effective manner. As other M'Spacers have pointed out, you may be able to finish off your PPL in a low wing aircraft i.e. Piper Cherokee/Warrior or might I suggest Tiger / Cheetah. The choice depends on availability and cost but the Tiger is quicker than a 172 and was only slightly more costly in my club. Could be a wash with the Tiger's speed due to time in the aircraft with the prop swinging and a CFI to the right. But I recommend you pick an airplane type and FINISH your PPL! Then focus on transition training. May you find success in your flying endeavors, Jon

Can't speak about the time-frame for a GNX375 install but AIE--https://www.aieinc.com/ -- at French Valley--F70--installed a G5 for me. The overall wait was three weeks with a two week delay due to shipping the G5 from Garmin. The install was also done immediately following the new year holiday. I lost use of the plane for nine days. My home drone avionics shop was booked solid from December to March. Best wishes for a speedy install...

I lost a center electrode on a Tempest FW. During the search for the electrode--borescope, oil change--there was evidence of it bouncing around in the cylinder before escaping. We didn't find the electrode in the engine or oil but several A&P's were of the opinion that it escaped via the exhaust, as it was too large to get past the multiple piston rings. I've had two oil changes since and there was nothing but carbon in the oil when strained. I agree with my A&P's assessments that it escaped via the exhaust. Tempest sent me a replacement plug but did not tell me if they were going to conduct a failure analysis. If Tempest did, I would doubt they would share the report. I've got 62 hours on the new plug and close to 200 hours on the others. Time will tell regarding their longevity but I now have a spare, just in case. I would buy them again, as I had fouling problems with my Champions. My engine ran smoother, hot started easier, and I've yet to foul one.

@Alfredo, Glad you figured out your issue and got down safely. Also glad you joined the forum and started asking good questions, as I learn along with you from the tremendous knowledge-base of MS. I can't speak specifically to your alternate vacuum issue but this is why I replaced the electric turn and bank coordinator with a Garmin G5. I replaced the T&B due to my observation of the AI and the T&B during vacuum failure, while on a VFR flight. The AI was down right dangerous and the T&B bounced all over the place due to turbulence. I believe the Bonanza pilot Paul @kortopates mentioned had a T&B in place and still perished. As others have mentioned on this thread, it sounds like there is an effective way to use your installed alternate vacuum source in your recent scenario but as @Marauder pointed out, it may be safer/better to go a different route. E.g. approved EFIS AI replacements or other dual function products that provide AI functionality such as the AV-20 or AV-30. Just adding my 2¢ to a good conversation.

A future aerospace engineer and pilot if I ever saw one!

Mine stayed the same and I had a switch to Global.

José, ??? The link let me too all kinds of electrodes but I don't see the ones with missing electrodes. Someone more knowledgeable than I will have to tell us if your concern for what damage a loose iridium wire might possibly do. (I did have an engine "swallow" an exhaust valve years ago. The head of that valve, which was hundreds of times larger than a plug wire electrode, did beat up the cylinder and piston surfaces pretty badly but did not interfere with the stroke and I still had 3 cylinders producing power and no oil loss.) You seem to like anecdotal evidence. When I bought my E the previous owner had been running massives. About half the plugs had been replaced and he carried 2 back up plugs in the plane just in case. I replaced the plugs with fine wires within 25 hours having had enough with fouled plugs and hard starting. I only bought 8 plugs, now 6 years old, and I no longer carry a spare. The 8th picture from the left in the link is mine. I lost the electrode following my EDM900 install and the subsequent pre-flight testing and runups. During the search for the electrode--borescope, oil change--there was evidence of it bouncing around in the cylinder before escaping. We didn't find the electrode but several A&P's were of the opinion that it escaped via the exhaust and that it was too large to get past the multiple piston rings and into the engine. I've had two oil changes since and there was nothing in the oil when strained. Judging by looking at the piston cylinder wall and marks in the top of the piston during the borescope, I would agree with the A&Ps assessments that it escaped through the exhaust. Tempest sent me a replacement plug but did not tell me if they were going to conduct a failure analysis. I've got 60 hours on the new plug and close to 200 hours on the others. Time will tell regarding their longevity but I now have a spare, just in case.

In the US. According to Mike Bush's webinars, outside of an annual inspection the only person that can ground an aircraft is a pilot/operator who will/can conduct a flight in a given aircraft. Once an aircraft passes the threshold for its annual inspection time-frame, an A&P/IA must have performed an inspection and signed off on the airworthiness of the aircraft. If there is a disagreement and the pilot/owner wants a second opinion. The A&P/IA must document the work that was performed, annotate the outstanding inspection discrepancies--including the airworthiness items--and provide a logbook entry. The pilot/owner is then allowed to do what ever they please with an unairworthy aircraft. Owners can park the airplane or take it to another A&P/IA to resolve the issues. The annual inspection language is the concern of @DonMuncy. Annual inspections have ramifications towards FAA regulations and airworthiness and being able to fly a given aircraft. A PPI does NOT have the same ramifications. An A&P/IA may find something that they feel is an airworthiness item but the only person that can ground an in-annual airplane is an owner/operator, at least until when the next annual inspection rolls around or by a FSDO. One of the reasons for Mike Bush's webinars is to educate pilot/owners, so their airplanes don't get held hostage to unscrupulous individuals who hide behind inspections. If you are buying from a private owner who is willing to let their airplane go under the annual inspection knife then do it. Don't get offended if they don't go for it... As an owner, if I am selling my airplane that is currently in annual, I would only allow an annual inspection for the buyer if they are using a shop that I explicitly trust or my A&P/IA. I would allow and encourage a buyer to perform a prebuy with whoever they choose, but I would not allow an it to become an inspection/opportunity for my aircraft to become grounded in someone else's maintenance facility. If you are buying an airplane from a broker see if they go for an independent annual inspection. I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THEY WILL and will probably not take or respond to you as a serious buyer. Just my 2¢...