Skates97

I was using a free paint stirrer from Home Depot for awhile, but broke down and bought one of the Fuelhawk Universal Guages for $16.50. (Hopefully I won't have my CB Membership card revoked for that, but it is one of the hazards of having to drive past Aircraft Spruce every time I go to the airport...) I always put it straight down as close to the center of the cap opening and figure I am getting close enough to the same place each time. It has a method of calibrating it where you don't have to start with an empty tank, you could do the same thing with a regular stick. Preferably you want very little fuel in the tank, just enough to touch the bottom of the stick. Mark where it is on the stick, then add some fuel. They say add 5 gallons and mark again, some people add 1 gallon at a time and mark it, I did 2 gallons and marked each one down. When you have it full (my tanks hold 26 gallons) then it's simple math going backwards to find out what your starting fuel level was and each mark in between.

Thanks guys. Always a wealth of knowledge here.

I don't pay a lot of attention to the fuel gauges in my plane. They like to stick so I have to tap them with a knuckle to get them to move, and they aren't very accurate either when they do move. I stick the tanks prior to every flight, make a note of what is in each tank, and then note the time that I am on each tank. I don't have a fuel totalizer or fuel flow meter so I plan for 11 gal/hr even though I know I am going to be burning less than that. It's just a little cushion.

Great trip, and I love the pictures. My wife loves flying but is not a fan of the bumps. She hasn't flown with me in anything that I would call more than light chop yet, but she is getting more comfortable with it the more she flies with me. I don't think she will ever get to the point that she wouldn't be bothered by moderate chop, but she is getting closer to being okay with the light stuff.

I suppose that is a possibility. It was done at annual right before I purchased it and this is the first time I have even looked there. If I hadn't been up on the step stool to be able to reach the filter better I wouldn't have seen it this time.

I was doing my first oil change today and when I was up on the step stool to remove the filter I could see some oil pooled up in the low spot on the filter adapter between the filter and the engine. It can't be losing much wherever it is coming from because I only add about a 1/2 quart every 5-6 hours. If I'm a little below 6qt when doing pre-flight I'll add 1/2 to bring it back to 6 qts, anything over that and it just spits it out... It looks like maybe that is a weep hole on the end of the cable in the picture? Is it possible that it is coming from there?

If I'm not going far (pattern work, practice area, 30 minute hop to a local airport) I will take off as long as I have at least 10-15 in one tank. If it is any decent distance I am taking off with full tanks or ensuring at least a 1hr fuel reserve.

I have a flat spot that looks just like that on each of my mains. I know exactly when it happened, landing on 8R at KCNO shortly after getting my plane. I was just practicing landings and came in faster than I should have. It's not really an issue there because 8R is 7,000' long, which is one of the reasons I took the short hop there to practice. However, I tried to slow down enough to make the 1st turn off (at about 1,900') so I wouldn't have to taxi back as far. Pushed too hard on the brakes, heard the tires screech, immediately let off the brakes and rolled to the next turn off, thankful that I didn't have two flat tires... I haven't locked up the tires since. I keep an eye on them every pre-flight and haven't noticed any progression. I plan on just replacing them at my next annual unless I notice a progression in the wear.

Someone correct me if it's wrong, but I think we had three J's, two D',s and one F. (Oh, and someone parked a Cirrus there too...)

More food...

Great turn out! @Flash, @Steve W, @MooneyMitch, @jonhop, @wishboneash, @N803RM

Weather looks great! I'll be bringing a friend and his son with me.

I have sockets, open end wrenches, screw drivers, needle nose/regular/vise-grip pliers, safety wire and safety wire pliers. I also keep the best two of the last plugs I replaced, I figure if needed they will still get me where I need to go. I could basically do a lot of damage/repairs with what is in the small box in the baggage area. My question for those who carry a spare plug to change if needed, is do you also have a torque wrench in there or do you figure you'll just guess? My torque wrench has its own little case so I just keep it in the baggage area as well. I've seen plugs stripped out of heads before and that's not something I want to do.

No, it's not permanent, just the cling style. I think this is the stuff I got. https://m.lowes.com/pd/GILA-36-in-W-x-78-in-L-Smoke-Tinted-Glare-Control-Static-Cling-Window-Film/1095827 I know I didn't get the darker privacy stuff because I was concerned that flying at night it would affect my visibility too much. The box is out at the hangar but when I get out there Friday I'll see what exactly I used. Also think I might just do a write up of it on my blog and will post that too.

Sorry to the OP for hijacking the thread again. The stuff I got from Lowe's was the Gila brand.

And, if I make it (which I am planning on) I'll do a write up.

I did the same thing on my plane. I did the entire back windows but I only put a strip across the top of the front windows. It is just above eye level so it helps with the sun coming in but doesn't get in the way of my scan. I don't have sun visors so I also put a strip across the top of the windshield where the visors would be (kind of like the tinted strip across the top of your car windshield). I'll have to take a picture of it the next time I'm out there, but that won't be until Friday. It's easy to put on. I cut out a section a little bigger than the window. From the outside put the tint against the window with the paper side out (that is the way it will go on from the inside). You can hold it against the window and with your hand run your fingernail along the edge which will leave enough of a mark to use scissors to trim it out. Put it back up and see if there any places you need to trim more. Clean the windows well. Use a spray bottle with some water and a little dish soap in it. Lightly spray the window and you will be able to slide the tint around. (You could by the actual application stuff, but the CB in me wouldn't allow it.) Smooth out the bubbles (I used a plastic application thing that came with a tablet screen protector that I still had laying around.)

Very clean, I like it!

That's awesome, thanks for sharing the experience.

Grew up on Air Force Bases, my dad flew, T-37's,then instructed in T-38's and later flew C-130's. As long as I can remember I've wanted to fly, maybe it was in my blood. Somewhere there's a picture of me at about 4-5 years old with my dad's flight helmet on. I was really sick and my parents decided that maybe letting me wear his helmet would cheer me up. They were right, it put a huge smile on my face. It was almost 40 years later that I would finally get my PPL, and the smile on my face the first time I flew was just like the one 40 years earlier.

Congratulations and welcome. You're going to love it.

This one is close to you. http://www.klrdmd.com/N5918Q.html That web page says $45k but it has been listed in the Mooney Flyer for quite a few months and in the May issue the price has dropped to $42,500. @KLRDMD is familiar with the plane. I traded emails with Ken and then with the owner back in November when I was looking for a plane but I didn't want to pay as much for it as he wanted to sell it for so I moved onto a different plane. It might be worth it for you to trade pm's with Ken about it and then go take a look. It's at Chandler KCHD.

It would be interesting to see the top phrases used and their frequency of use for airplane ads.

Along with "always hangared" in the description...

I liked it. The effect of the lights reflecting off the bottom of the plane as you were coming in to land was cool. Is that just a GoPro mounted on the tail tie down?