Rick Junkin

Yes Anthony, I'm planning to use X-Plane as a training aid but am not planning on investing in an AATD-level device to get started. However, at the right price I may reconsider... I'm still working a day job so can't commit the full-time hours to provide the immersion instruction for another couple of years but need to get things in place incrementally so that I can hit the ground running when the time comes. Craig's AATD would be ideal for my purposes but the timing isn't quite right yet. Cheers, Rick

Yes, that's in the thought process to be implemented at some point down the road. I initially want to set this up on my own terms, in accordance with my own ideas on determination and selection of candidates, so I'm reluctant to solicit help from organizations that may have their own ideas on those things at this point. Cheers, Rick

Bottom Line Up Front: I'm establishing a non-profit C Corporation to provide no-cost accelerated flight training to select high-potential senior high students and am looking at the options for minimizing my personal expenses while providing the highest possible quality of training. I need legal help to understand what I need to do to make this go and limit liability, stay within tax law requirements, etc. and am looking to commission legal advice. Basic premise is that the Corporation will initially be funded and administered solely by me and my wife. The Corporation will own the training aircraft. I will provide the instruction for the Corporation. Once we establish a track record I would like to open up opportunities for external financial support. If you have expertise in this arena and are interested please PM me. Cheers, Rick

Another 8 quart airplane here. I put in 8 quarts of Philips X/C and a full 16oz of Camguard at oil change which registers at just over 8 quarts on the dipstick. Then add another quart of oil at about 13 hours when it gets to just over 7 quarts on the dipstick, and that carries me through to the next oil change at 25 hours. My engine has 800 hours SMOH. Cheers, Rick

NOW we're TALKING! I still like the redundancy of a stand-alone engine monitor, but this bears some more looking into. I'm wondering how the wording in the STC reads, so I now have another research/study project for the next bad weather day. Thanks Niko! @Niko182 Cheers, Rick

Hi Alex @alextstone, Did you check the torque on the exhaust flange nuts after about 10 hours of operation after the exhaust overhaul? I ask because I had similar exhaust leaks when we changed the exhaust flange gaskets after loosening things up to realign things at the v-band clamps. My mechanic was a little embarrassed that he hadn't thought to re-torque them after I had flown for a bit and everything settled into place. You will want to check the rest of them when you get this squared away, and then check them every 10 hours or so until the torque doesn't change, and then at the next oil change. I'm not a mechanic, just a "been there done that" kind of guy. Looks like a smoking gun for the cause of your CO problems (really bad pun intended). Speaking of oil changes - you said that this is your first one since installing overhauling the exhaust 48 hours ago? Or is this the first one that you've done yourself? If its the first one in 48 hours, you've overflown the recommended 25 hours between oil changes for the TIO-540-AF1B. The engine manual says 50 hours, but there is a Lycoming service letter that directs a 25 hour interval. Let me know if you need it and I'll send you a copy. Cheers, Rick

What's the shelf life on those prior to installation? Cheers, Rick

Hmmm... thanks for that, hadn't considered that the STC may be so restrictive. Possibly back to the bottom of the stack again... or possibly give me pause to consider other A/P options. I'm starting to like Don's location suggestion more and more. Cheers, Rick

Latest iteration considering all inputs thus far (THANKS!!) and making some spacing corrections to allow for for the top panel mounting screws and adding some right panel details. I'm still thinking about moving the TKS Panel up over the right screen (MFD) but want to look at that some more. Same goes for comm panels, not completely sold on the Garmin at this point. I also considered installing a GTN650 rather than the 750 to allow me to keep everything in the center stack, but ruled that out due to personal preference. And for grins, including my current panel for comparison (there's some more "stuff" at the top of the right panel that I didn't add). Thanks again for all of the great inputs, as I'm doing this upgrade for me and my preferences along with an eye toward the future when my wife/kids will have to sell the airplane when I'm gone, assuming that I don't call it quits before then. Hopefully by that time everything I'm putting in now will be obsolete and this will be a moot point, but I digress... Current panel: "Dream" panel: Cheers, Rick

Thanks Don, I'm considering your thoughts on moving the GFC500. It gives the added benefit of being able to rest my hand on the glare shield in turbulence rather than on the mixture control as I do now. I like that idea. I should still be able to reach the comm panel with my thumb with my hand in the same position. My thoughts on the real estate at the bottom right of the panel are that I want to have the things that I need to touch inflight close to my right hand. In doing that, I don't have room there for the EDM900. I don't expect to have much inflight manual interaction with the EDM900, other than select "NORMALIZE" mode in cruise, so it makes sense to have it in a lower priority position as far as right-hand reach goes. Yes, its more difficult to see from the right seat, but the EDM830 that I have installed on the left side now typically IS my copilot. And the two important things for emergency operation (MP and RPM) in the event of my incapacitation are still large enough to be read from the right seat if anyone is there. It may be a factor, though, for the potential purchasers when my heirs sell the airplane, so I'll give that some more consideration. Thanks for your thoughts! Cheers, Rick

I did a quick perusal of the TXi manual. I looked through all of the setup tables and didn't see any mention of % HP. Cheers, Junkman

Here's the latest iteration, and the last for a bit. I already have a GTX345 installed, so that's also one of the reasons for preserving the box in the panel. This looks a lot cleaner to me, but I want to consider the suggestions about using different switches and about getting a newer annunciator panel. The legend on my current annunciator is pretty ratty looking and I haven't been able to find a replacement, so if a newer panel is an option I'd like to look at that. What's involved with swapping one configuration for another? Incidentally, I don't think the annunciator I have is original to this airplane as it doesn't match what's in the parts catalog for 27-0019. Thanks for all of the suggestions! Cheers, Rick

Oh NOOooo! What's the driver for that? I thought the shop had already coordinated with Aspen, and everything was laying flat in that regard. Or is it just that the paperwork at completion needs to make the rounds for the final okee dokee? Cheers (and sympathy), Rick P.S. I guess you won't need me to give you a lift over to pick up your airplane anytime soon then. Maybe mine will be fixed by then....

I've been a member for a few years, from before I bought my airplane. Is the manual available for purchase separately, or is it only available as part of the PPP? I haven' been able to make one of those yet due to work scheduling conflicts. Someday soon I hope. Cheers, Rick

Thanks! Cheers, Rick

How does one acquire a MAPA Manual? Is it only available if you attend a PPP, or is it available online? Cheers Rick

Here it is from the Garmin web site: EIS TXi Dedicated 7" Portrait EIS Display - Single 4 Cylinder Piston Engine $11,940.00 USD A little further down the page: A single 10.6” TXi display can accommodate PFD information, a multifunction display (MFD) and a vertical EIS strip. And the 7” formats can act as dedicated EIS displays or as split-screen MFD/EIS displays1. And finally, the footnote: ¹7” display split-screen MFD/EIS format is available for single-engine piston aircraft only This would appear to prevent it from being used as a PFD backup, which then would require the installation of a G5 to back up the 7" PFD. That's a non-starter for me. And also makes the JPI 900 look like a steal! Cheers, Rick

I might have this wrong, but I THINK I read that if you use a 7" TXi as an EIS, that's ALL you can use it for. It doesn't make sense now that I've typed it, but I remember thinking that it didn't make sense when I read it, either. I was hard-over on going Dynon at the time and didn't look into it anymore deeply. I'll have to go back and perform my due diligence. I remember thinking that it would cost me more to go the Garmin EIS route because I already have the JPI probes and harnesses, I'm familiar with the JPI, yada yada. For those questioning what turned me off of Dynon, see Anthony's #7 above. Too many unknowns about the autopilot/trim capability at this point, and those are extremely important selling points for me. PLUS the fact that I have to install a D10 backup. Now if they come out with certified display configurations similar to Garmin... Cheers, Junkman

That was the first thing that went in the panel plan, Dan. Glennie was very happy about that too. Cheers, Rick

Rat farts! You're right. I bit off on this once before and forgot about it - the M20M panel blank in Panel Planner is taller than the TLS panel that I have. Updated plan below, with annunciator moved front and center and the TKS panel trimmed to minimum dimension: Cheers, Rick

When I was talking to Garmin about them using my airplane for the GFC500 STC work, I told them (by email) that I wasn't interested because I didn't want to put a G5 in my airplane, and the GFC500 wouldn't be an option for me because of that. I was asked to call the rep. By the time I called him, he had a candidate airplane selected for the STC work, but he continued the conversation with me about what I wanted to do with my panel. The conversation turned a little cloak-and-dagger with him saying he couldn't tell me directly what Garmin had in the works, but that I should think in terms of what it might take to get the widest sales of the GFC500 beyond the G5 market, and that would lead me to a future GFC500 solution with my panel configuration plans. He wouldn't give me a time frame, but that's no surprise. I'm guessing 2-3 years minimum, which hits my upgrade timeframe. If I'm wrong, I go a different direction with my panel, or at least the autopilot. Like you said, its software in the G5 that drives the GFC500. The TXi runs on software too, Garmin holds the code for both, cats and dogs occasionally sleep together and from those strange bedfellows emerge interesting results. Again as you said, time will tell. Cheers, Rick

You’re going to be hearing more about GFC500 requirements from Garmin as time goes on. I won’t need the G5 by the time I’m ready to pull the trigger on this. Cheers, Rick

I'm going to upgrade my panel at some point, and have arrived at my latest favorite configuration. This will be a complete R&R of the panel aside from the things that must remain for certification requirements. I've moved some standard things around, like trim indicators and light switches, to make for a better flow with the new configuration and to move everything to my right hand. For instance, I put the switches for taxi lights, landing lights and the boost pump together at the bottom of the panel for easier pre-landing cross check (all three switches are ON for landing in my personal procedures). The iPad mini on the right is representative, as it is intended to serve mainly as inflight entertainment for my primary passenger and I may use a larger iPad on a flexible mount to allow landscape orientation.There isn't a convenient place to stash an iPad that isn't in use, and attaching it to the panel keeps it from being loose in the cockpit. Plus it gives me another display option if Glennie isn't with me. I like the two 7" TXi displays as this configuration requires no backup instruments and helps clean the panel that much more. I want a dedicated engine display and I spent quite a while thinking about where to put the JPI 900 and decided on where I have it to provide an easy crosscheck in the (left hand) VFR pattern, which I fly about 50% of the time. Plus I already have an 830 in the airplane on that side of the panel so it will reduce the effort to move/extend the harnesses. I know, that would be the LEAST of my financial concern with this project, but it's something anyway. And I like the 900 over the 930. I also like redundancy, hence the comm panel and the transponder in the stack so that I don't have the single point failure of controlling remote units through the 750. Oh, the TKS panel (NOT FIKI) is currently installed in the radio stack so is oversized from what it needs to be in width, but I kept it's current dimensions for this exercise. I have witnessed some of you taking the spending of other people's money to a high art form, so for you this should be fun. Here's what I have so far, minus some obvious details, like the landing gear switch, that I haven't figured out how to replicate in Panel Planner. I'm really liking it... aside from my estimated cost of, well, a LOT. This will be going into an M20M, one of the original TLS birds. Thanks for your inputs. Cheers, Rick

I've been really happy with the performance of this stylus, using the small tip. No charging required. But I don't know what I don't know about the Apple Pencil and it's capabilities. All I need to do is write, and sometimes draw on plates... https://www.amazon.com/Bargains-Depot-Capacitive-Universal-Replaceable/dp/B00D5GC78O/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=bargains+depot&qid=1547745116&s=Electronics&sr=1-4 I've got a Mini 4 with a Mini 3 backup. Yes, I was "one of those people" who bought a Mini 3. The stylus works great on both. Cheers, Rick

Awesome, thank you! And thanks to Anthony @carusoam for alerting the MS experts to help me get to resolution and back in the air! Cheers, Rick