Skates97

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.

I used them when I bought my D back in 2016. I can echo this. When we bought our D it was a stretch. No major debt, just a mortgage and a car payment at the time, but I didn't have the cash to purchase it out right, although I had access to funds in the event that post purchase expenses came up as they often do. I did however know the trajectory of my finances/career (yes I know things change and don't always turn out the way we think). For about 4 years I made the payments on the plane and flew it all over the place making memories. We were able to see family in AZ (about 2-3 Mooney hours) and UT (about 3-4 Mooney hours) more than we ever did before. One weekend we flew up to UT on a Friday afternoon to surprise my sister for her 50th birthday. The next day we flew to AZ to see my parents and sisters. Then Sunday evening we flew back to CA and I was back at work Monday morning. That would have never happened without the Mooney. I bought the nicest plane I could afford that was flying consistently. Over the years as funds were available I upgraded it and the final piece went in May of this year, a GFC500. The plane was also paid off in January of this year. In June we bought a place in Pagosa Springs, CO about a mile from the airport and sitting on the 7th fairway. Yesterday morning I was able to attend the funeral for the father of one of my friends, then go to the airport and be touching down just under four hours after taking off, driving would have taken 13 hours. This morning as I'm typing I'm watching airplanes arrive and depart, hot air balloons in the distance, and enjoying the clean mountain air. But, I will also echo the comments about pressure to fly after a long work day, when you're tired, etc... It can and does lead to fatal mistakes. I was leaving the airport a couple years ago when I watched a Duke take off and crash. It was a surreal experience as I couldn't believe the fireball 2/3 of the way down the runway was the plane I had watched just lift off. He was a local dentist who had moved his family from SoCal to UT. He would work during the week and fly home on the weekends. Doing the math of the flight time he would have been flying into Heber, UT in the middle of the night. Everything in my mind as the days went by and facts started coming out was "Why didn't he just go to bed and get up to fly in the morning?" I venture to think that had he waited until the morning to fly he would not have made the fatal mistakes that he made. http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2019/04/beechcraft-b60-duke-n65my-fatal_20.html https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/224121 Probable Cause and Findings The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot’s use of an unapproved elevator control lock device, and his failure to remove that device and correctly position the elevator before flight, which resulted in a loss of control during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was his failure to perform a preflight inspection and control check, likely in part because of distractions before boarding and his late departure time.

If it is someone that I have not flown with before I always ask for their "real weight, not driver's license weight." I tell them I need to know what they weigh today with what they are wearing and if they don't know I offer that there is a scale in the hangar they can step on. I've never had anyone balk at the question.

I have the bellow out of mine from when I put in the electric step. It's sitting in the hangar. If you are interested send me a PM. That is Rob's @takair mod. It is an easy install and works great, I highly recommend it if the bellows fails or you are looking to get rid of your vacuum system.

Flight 21- Some more round-robin approaches. I pulled and included the ATC audio in the post. https://intothesky.com/2021/08/12/ifr-training-aviate-navigate-whats-next/

Flight 20, the IFR Cross Country. https://intothesky.com/2021/08/08/ifr-training-cross-country-completed/

Looks like my response to you got lost in the website transition. It was a stabilized descent on approach.