Skates97

You left out expensive...

Paul @gsxrpilot is the one that maintains the map. You need to ask him to put you on the map and then he will give you a link for it. It is only available to those who have requested to be on it.

I don't like the fisheye with the 170, but I love the extra wide view so it's a compromise I've lived with. 90 is definitely too narrow. I think I'm running 64GB cards in mine.

I have a little, the wider you get the more fisheye effect it has in the picture. When you connect it to your phone you can cycle through them and see the effect. If you have it inside the plane you should still be able to connect to it through WiFi. The one mounted under the wing I can connect from inside via WiFi but once the engine is running there is too much interference to connect so my SOP is to just get it set up the way I want using my phone to see where it is pointed, then turn off the WiFi and start recording. Having the WiFi off also extends the battery life.

I haven't had any problems with it rotating, but I have the LASAR tie-down mounts which are flat instead of round like the Mooney ones so maybe that makes a difference. Even in descent at 170+ MPH IAS (Vne 189) it hasn't moved on me. I've been using the Ghost X for almost a year now and love it. The first one I got for $80 on an Amazon deal so figured if it was a bust I wasn't out too much money. I liked it so much after a couple months I bought three more and gave my son the Apeman and Dragon cameras I had. With the Wifi off I get well over 4 hours of recording. I don't use the protective case, haven't flown through rain with it but I've been through the clouds and can see the condensation running off the lens so it at least handles some moisture without the case. Besides the great battery life I love the rotating lens. I mount it, turn on the Wifi, connect to my phone so I can rotate the lens to level the picture, then turn off the Wifi and press record on the camera. All my videos on YouTube after December 2020 are with the Ghost X Cameras. The one of the Oshkosh arrival was also using a Ghost X facing rearward in the cabin and was used to capture the cabin video and radios. The NFlightCam cable for the GoPro Hero 3 also works to plug into the Ghost X and capture audio.

I have a home-made mount that I put on the wing tie down like Mark a couple posts up. I wrote up an article in The Mooney Flyer a few months back about cameras and also how I made the under wing mount. https://themooneyflyer.com/issues/2021-AprTMF.pdf

A month ago I had my first flight in extended IMC, 1.2 actual in the logbook on a flight from KFUL to KCRQ and back. Most of it was on the flight there, on the way back I had filed 4,000 which would have put us in the clouds but they gave me 6,000, just above them, but once we began our descent we were back in the clouds until breaking out on final at KFUL. **Checkride update - I'm at 34.8 hours and was going to knock out the last of it this weekend for a check-ride on the 22nd. I'm doing the cross-country over again in a C172 that the school has with a non-waas 430 and KX155. The DPE said that the previous cross-country won't count. I flew a GPS-A (no vertical or horizontal guidance), an LNAV (horizontal but no vertical guidance), and LPV down to minimums, 250' AGL (horizontal and vertical guidance). The FAR is three different approaches with navigational systems. Even though a GPS-A is nothing like an LPV the DPE said they aren't different approaches... The ACS does have the requirement in the appendix that you have to use two different nav-aids in the check-ride that isn't specified in FAR 61.65(d)(2)(ii). But, not a big deal as a cross country in a C172 will eat up a bunch of time. Anyway, got to the airport yesterday and after pre-flight and starting up the plane when I turned on the avionics the breaker for the #2 radio popped. Even with the radio off it pops so guessing a wire that has rubbed through the insulation and grounded out. My CFII was just flying that plane the day before without issues. It will go in the shop and we'll try again the 25th. The DPE that I was scheduled with for the 22nd told my CFII "something came up" and he had to cancel (which is fine as the plane I needed for my cross-country was down). The DPE also said it "looked like he'll be busy for the next couple weeks." This is the same guy that it took 3 weeks to get an answer as to whether the previous cross-country would count. So, I'm scheduled with a different DPE for the 29th and happy about it. My CFII has used him quite a bit and from his website and things I have read he seems much more organized and not flakey like the other one.** If you're still reading this post, here is the link for my first flight in extended IMC. I loved it. https://intothesky.com/2021/09/19/ifr-training-1-2-actual-in-the-log-book-extended-imc/ Pic my CFII grabbed on final into KCRQ, I didn't even notice how beautiful it was while focusing on the instruments and staying on glideslope.

Get rid of the vacuum system. Put the electric step in, it is great. The RCA 2610-3 makes an excellent replacement for your turn coordinator and you now have a backup AI with battery backup. I don't have anything to compare the GFC500 to, but I have been thoroughly impressed by it and am glad I spent the money on it.

You'll be fine, there is nothing magical about a Mooney. Fly the numbers on landing. I had 58.6 total hours in my logbook all in Cherokees when I bought mine. Insurance required 10 transition with a CFI and 5 on my own before carrying passengers. I was feeling comfortable around 7-8 hours in and not worried when I took my wife and son up flying. That was almost 5 years ago and I'm right at 600 hours in my plane. @Hank can tell you he did the same thing getting his plane after his PPL and there are others as well.

Don't use any tint that has an adhesive. You want to use the static cling stuff. I've had a writeup on it on my blog since 2017. It is still the most viewed page on my site. If you don't want to tint the front windows just keep a few smaller squares of the tint in the seat back. Toss it on the dash, it gets warm, and then stick it to the window wherever you need it to keep the sun off you. On descent just pull it off the window, fold it up, and put it back in the seat back for next time. https://intothesky.com/window-tinting/

The end is in sight. I have three more flights to write up and as of right now 10.1 hours to go. The check ride is tentatively scheduled for September 22nd. The flying part I feel great about, just constantly studying for the oral.

Just a touch of IMC on this flight. The next one had a good 1.2 of actual IMC. https://intothesky.com/2021/09/08/ifr-training-fullerton-to-john-wayne-and-back-with-a-touch-of-imc/

It's not difficult. My first time there in my Mooney was a harder touchdown than I wanted but I didn't adjust for the upslope runway enough. As thinwing said, just fly the numbers. I think where pilots get in trouble is because when you are getting ready to turn base you are 2,600' above the ocean, not a sight picture you are used to. Ignore how far above the ocean you are and pay attention to your altimeter. The same thing that Minivation mentions here: The other thing that gets pilots in trouble is some make a habit of dragging it in low and slow which puts you in a bad spot with a downdraft on short final.

The Southwest flights will go in the travel bank for the future Summit.

Here you go.

Definitely A good friend who enjoys a nice flying adventure.

I wonder what the going rate would be for a ferry pilot to bring it back to the states...

I was an Oshkosh Rookie this year and had an awesome time. The whole thing was fun, getting there, the time there, and getting back. I was running cameras on the final leg of the trip there and on the departure. I also did a write up of the journey there but you will have to wait for it to come out in the September edition of The Mooney Flyer. It will be the first of three articles with "The Show" in October and the trip home in November. If you don't get it in your email then you can sign up here.

I think it depends on where you are flying. As @Mooney Dog said, here in SoCal you use them.

Writing up the last two flights right now. One was a short hop from KFUL to KSNA with a climb through about an 800' layer and then foggles on for the rest of the flight. But, a little over a week ago we flew KFUL to KCRQ and almost the whole flight there was IMC. The way back we were on top of it for a bit but once descending we were back in the clouds. 1.7 total in the log book with 1.2 acutal and .3 simulated, it was great! I have a flight tonight, tomorrow morning, and possibly Sunday afternoon but I don't think I'll get any actual on any of them.

Flight #19 was the first actual IMC. For those of you that are on The Mooney Flyer list it was in the August edition. If you aren't subscribed to The Mooney Flyer I recommend it, Phil @mooneyflyer puts together a great publication. https://intothesky.com/2021/08/26/ifr-training-first-time-in-actual-imc/ Here is a video of the approach and departure that I didn't have done in time for the August publication. I'm a sucker for photos and videos that show the plane's shadow. In the approach video beginning at about 2:25 you can see the faint shadow of the plane on the cloud tops.

I guess I'm pretty boring, if I'm not checking on the engine monitor or the other instruments I'm just looking out the window. I never get tired of the view.

You can't justify the cost financially. However, after owning it for a time she will likely justify it to herself. Our typical long trips are to Salt Lake (500NM) and Phoenix (300NM). My wife makes more trips than I do to Salt Lake to see the grandkids because somebody (me) has to stay home and work to pay for it. Almost every time she flies commercial (much more affordable than me flying us in the Mooney) she is telling me about something annoying with TSA, the airport, the person in the seat next to or behind her, etc... and it ends with "I wish you could have flown me instead." If it is your own plane, do you have to keep your clothes on?

Right now it's three different colors but when I finally get to cutting a new panel to flush mount the G5's and EDM it will all be the same color. I can't decide between a beige type like RH side or something a few shades lighter than the current breaker panel.

I just use velcro to attach the 10" Android tablet on the right side of the panel. It has held there without moving even in bumps that have your back end leaving the seat. It sits about as flush as it can get to the panel, and if the person in the right seat wants to remove it to play around with it they can and easily just stick it back to the panel.