Rick Junkin

https://resources.savvyaviation.com/wp-content/uploads/articles_eaa/EAA_2011-07_battery-tlc.pdf The whole article is very useful and informative, but page 3 tells you how to perform a "poor man's capacity test". I've used this myself with great success. @Will.iam was spot on, although only turning on a known equipment load makes the test more accurately quantifiable. Cheers, Rick

The example shows a cost savings of ~ $48 by refueling at the out base. Depending on how you value your time, that's a nice free lunch for 2. Cheers, Rick

Yeah, this is pretty much it. I use the standard(?) warped aviation spending logic of, "Oh look, I can fly over to KXXX and back for "free" if I buy gas there." Or get lunch for free. Or what ever rationalization strikes my fancy that particular day. Cheers, Rick

I uploaded the Apple Numbers version of this file as well. Cheers, Rick

Aero Comfort is currently scheduling yoke and glare shield work deliveries in April, and whole interiors are booked out through February 2024. I talked to Hector at Aero Comfort this morning to schedule my yoke and glare shield work while I have the airplane down for a new panel in March/April and was able to make a deposit to secure an April 10th promise date. He said he is taking orders for complete interiors with deliveries in February 2024. I was almost too late to match my order up with my panel work. I'm providing this info as a head's up to anyone thinking about having their interior rejuvenated at Aero Comfort in the near future. Cheers, Rick

I got a request from an acquaintance to help him get in contact with anyone from Ye Mystic AirKrewe of Gasparilla, a group primarily made up of Mooney pilots that was based at Tampa Executive KVDF. He said they used to have a web site but he hasn’t had any luck with web searches. Ring any bells for anyone? Thanks for any info. Cheers, Rick

My wife suggested that too. I've not written iPhone apps, this will be an opportunity to learn a new skill. Cheers, Rick

I waited one week after symptoms went away.

Let me start this out with saying I always love having a mission for each flight I make. So I'm more inclined to fly than not if I have a good or entertaining reason. I'm going to fly no matter what the fuel costs me but I found it an entertaining exercise of my atrophying algebra skills to build a spreadsheet to answer a question I think about occasionally and normally answer with a rough mental math estimate. Well, I'm retired and have time and technology at my disposal, which is a good thing because my high speed mental math abilities are... ahem... out of practice and can occasionally use an assist. Fuel at my home base is always higher than most of the surrounding airports so I sometimes I drop in to top off at a less expensive local airport. If I'm taking on a lot of fuel it's a no-brainer. But sometimes I only need 15-20 gallons and I'm going to burn some of it getting home across town, so is it really worth it in time, dollars and sense to make the stop? The other case is if I'm at home base and low on fuel, say 20 gallons, and need to top off for a long trip starting early the next day. Is it worth flying over to my favorite fueling airport, which always seems to be in the opposite direction of where I'm going, or should I just top off at home? It isn't that hard to TLAR (that looks about right) an estimate but, like I said, I had some time and my brain needed some light exercise. So I built a simple spreadsheet tool that tells me when there's a few bucks to be saved and where there isn't. It's more of a toy really, but if you find yourself asking the same question occasionally you might enjoy playing with it. It's nothing great, but it works. Someone else has no doubt done something similar but like I said, it was a fun small exercise and I'm sharing for anyone who's interested in playing with it. I built it in Numbers on a Mac and exported to Excel, so the format is utilitarian. Here's a screenshot. I'll post the file as soon as I can figure out how to do it. UPDATE: The file is in the Downloads area in the Safety and Techniques section, Cheers, Rick

Good and entertaining points Lance. I'm a fan of the vertical card compass but I'd have to modify the glare shield enclosure to accommodate one. There are other options for placement but none that I really like. The original whiskey compass in my airplane has seen better days and was recently dislodged during IFR certs when they removed the glare shield trying to find instrument serial numbers, so it got me thinking about options. It's back where it belongs but even more worse for wear. In spite of all of its high tech systems and capabilities my former work airplane retained a whiskey compass placed out of the way but in clear view. The battery on the electronic standby indicator was a grounding preflight item. Cheers, Rick

Ok, so where is it REALLY? There was discussion in another thread about whether the whiskey compass could be eliminated or not. Did you find a way, or is it just located out of frame of the picture? I'm curious because I'm finally about to start my own panel replacement. Cheers, Rick

What did you do with the compass?

Labor was roughly 50% of the first quote I got. I put two other requests out today so I’ll see how they pan out.

Yes, sorry Tom, I meant the quote was for the entire panel in the first post of this thread with the 375/255 substituted for the 750/650. Cheers, Rick

Yes indeed. There are several threads from @DVA and @Awful_Charlie that detail how to do it. I posted my JPI data from a typical sortie running ~40df LOP at 13.7GPH, 30/2200. I don’t remember the true airspeed but it was something north of 170. I’ll find it and add the link to that thread here. Cheers, Rick As promised - my post with the JPI data is about half way down the page. This was from cruise at 8,000' and 160KTAS.

Yup. The quote for my "budget" config with the 750/650 replaced with a GNC375 and GNC255 is still north of $100K. I'm still collecting quotes. Cheers, Rick

I got a quote last week for almost that exact panel. It will only cost me about 23% less than the current value of my airplane. What a bargain. Cheers, Rick

A 40% discount coupon for the panel upgrade I should have done last year.

I have an SI authorization for sleep apnea that is good for five years, requiring an annual Class 2 physical and submitting all of the required data/reports to my AME. But it’s a CACI (Condition AMEs Can Issue) authorization and my AME gives me a renewed medical certificate on the spot. We mail the data package to Oklahoma City and I’m good to go for another year. I got a letter asking for more data once, but that letter said I could continue flying on my issued certificate while they reviewed the data. My five year authorization letter has been renewed twice with no issues. Not all SIs are the same, but if yours is truly just for sleep apnea I’d ask your AME about requesting an extended CACI authorization. Cheers, Rick

@Ned Gravel and @ragedracer1977 are correct. It is only mentioned in one place in Foreflight documentation, in the Foreflight Legends Guide on page 17. There are references in the main Foreflight Mobile Pilot’s Guide to the XM storm cell predictions but nothing about the internal Foreflight storm track prediction capability. Cheers, Rick

This is exactly what Boeing did to me. In true Boeing passive-aggressive style they wouldn’t directly tell me and other pilots no, they just levied a new requirement for $3M liability that none of us as personal entities were able to get. We had been able to fly with VP approval and $1M liability up to that point. I loved the work, the culture not so much. Cheers, Rick

I use a Bluetooth adapter something like this, although a much older iteration. Makes it just like playing music in your car from your phone. https://smile.amazon.com/Upgraded-Bluetooth-Cancelling-Headphones-Hands-Free/dp/B08KY684PB/ref=sr_1_4?crid=12C1U0TXZTB9G&keywords=bluetooth+car+adapter&qid=1670126157&sprefix=Bluetooth%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-4 Cheers, Rick

I’m going to ask an obvious question that I’d guess you’ve probably already checked but - did you double check your aircraft profile to see what you have set for the maximum ceiling under Altitudes? I noticed some minor changes in my aircraft profiles with some of the updates in the last year or so. Where are you seeing the limited winds aloft? In the FPL edit mode or somewhere else? Cheers, Rick

Hi Charlie, I sent you a DM. Cheers, Rick

$400 for a package of equipment worth over $500 on the used market. All you'll need to supply is the mounting hardware. Everything is in like new condition. I upgraded to an iPad Mini 6 with my iPhone as backup so I'm offering this as a complete package (minus the mounting hardware). I keep the iPad and Pencil in an easily removed case (included) when not in the cockpit, and I added a silicone pencil holder to the side of the X-Naut. Also included is an adapter for charging the Apple Pencil directly from a lightening cable, and a dedicated Apple Pencil charging cable. I never liked the idea of the pencil sticking out the bottom of the iPad while charging. iPad battery is in good condition and supports 5+ hours continuous operation of Foreflight at half brightness. iPad Mini 5 Wifi+Cellular 128GB Apple Pencil version 1 X-Naut Cooling Case Case for iPad & Pencil Apple Pencil charging accessories The package price is $400, and $400 shall be the price , and this is an all or nothing deal. If you buy it and determine it doesn't work for you just send everything back to me and I'll return your money. Direct Message me if interested. Cheers, Rick