Skates97

That is beautiful!

Not sure about rider projections but they were originally saying it would be a 2:40 trip (it's about a 6 hour drive) from San Francisco to LA and if everything was completed on schedule it would have services beginning in 2029. They are starting with the "easy" section in hopes that if they build it and sink enough money into it that future governors won't abandon the project because they are already in too deep. Then they are hoping that fares from riders using that first segment (middle of nowhere) will provide funds to complete it to someplace actually useful. Sounds like a sound business plan to me... (Meanwhile you can fly commercial LAX to SFO for about $100.) Here's a couple articles if you feel like reading. One from the Orange County Register and one from the San Francisco Chronicle this year. I think this quote sums it up. "We’re ten years into the wasteful and impractical effort to build a bullet train from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and the first 119-mile segment — the “easy” segment — is already 77 percent over budget." https://www.ocregister.com/2018/04/03/what-the-bullet-train-boondoggle-can-tell-us-about-the-delta-tunnels/ https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Is-California-high-speed-rail-still-a-train-to-12757303.php

Actually it is supposed to be up the Central Valley with the initial segment from Bakersfield to just past Fresno, because there's all kinds of people that want to ride a bullet train between those two metropolises. They call it the Bullet train to nowhere...

Awesome, congratulations!

From the article: "I flew Hurricane Maria when it was a Category 5 at night, and it was completely clear in the eye with a full moon above us." That must have been quite the ride to get to the eye.

Exactly, just hold the bank angle and don't kick in any extra rudder. The one thing to be very careful of is when dealing with parallel runways. KCNO where I did all my PPL training had two very busy parallels. It was not uncommon to look over and see another plane flying final next to you. I would err on the side of turning base to final early and drifting into lining up so as not to overshoot and end up on the approach for the other runway.

I've miscalculated more than once and blown through final. I had it happen recently on a flight to Big Bear. When it happens I just hold the bank I had, keep the ball centered, and let the plane come around. If I have overshot so far I can't line up I'm going around. I watched this video a couple years ago when I just started my PPL. He gives the best explanation and demonstration that I have seen about a skidding turn and the forces at play.

When I was working on my PPL I would sometimes fly 30 degree turns in the pattern. My CFI would say "there you go with your fighter plane turns." He was careful to point out the dangers of too much bank along with loading up the wing. We spent some time at altitude with him showing me accelerated stalls, how you can end up in them, and what they felt like. He didn't have a problem with me flying 30 degree banks in the pattern but did say perhaps I shouldn't on my check ride just in case the DPE didn't like it. I still fly them sometimes in the Mooney, nothing wrong with a nice descending turn downwind to base and base to final. As you said, just don't try to keep the nose up.

I have an O-360 with the lower cowl enclosure and see the same spread. #2-4 all run within about 5-10 degrees of each other but #1 is consistently 70-80 degrees cooler. I have just attributed it to the difference in the sensors supplying the data.

This is what I did for about six months. Throw in any E's and F's that fit your price range too, although for the same price you will get a better equipped C. Oh, and include those a little above your price range too. It will create a bigger picture for you.

The "gradually" is very key to floating along and settling down nicely. If you pull back a little too much it will balloon up, which is still recoverable if you don't over-react.

I broke most of the rules when I bought my plane. I had the owner's mechanic do the annual/pre-buy and I paid about $1,500 more than what the bank had the plane valued at so had to put extra down above the 15% minimum. The most important thing that I did though was to pre-buy the owner. I felt he was completely upfront about everything and almost two years later still feel the same way. It was a plane that flew regularly, and having all the paperwork/logs from the day it left the factory left little to the imagination as to what had been done to the plane. He was only selling it because he had moved up to an Ovation (if I recall correctly). I knew I was paying more than the plane was technically worth, but felt it was worth that much to me so didn't mind paying the extra. In the first year the only thing I "had" to do was replace the ignition wires, voltage regulator, generator, and the 500 hour mag inspection that I knew would have to be done in the first year when I bought the plane. There were also the oil changes that I did myself. First annual was $500 with myself supplying the labor and supplies (lube, etc...), no major work needed to be done. This was logging 140 hours of flight time in it. In addition to that during the first year I also chose to install shoulder belts right after purchase (best upgrade you can do), added a EDM 830 (next best purchase), fuel cap o-rings with flourosilicone seals, spark plugs (was running but did run better after replacement), and an SL-40 (much better radio quality although the other still worked and is still my #2 in the plane). Now the second year it has been more expensive, but nothing that would have been caught at a pre-buy. I have replaced the governor, intake tube gaskets, oil return hoses, overhauled the AI and Altimeter, and replaced the ELT batteries. Still, I don't feel like I have been surprised by any of it.

My thoughts exactly. Also thinking that I should work in a go around more often on purpose so when I do one out of necessity it doesn't catch me by surprise.

No, I can't give any comparison, only that I am happy enough with the Halo's that I don't see any reason to try something different. "If it ain't broke..."

I've never tried the Clarity Aloft but have had a set of Halo's for a couple years now and have been very happy with them. I bought my wife a set earlier this year and she is very happy with them too, wishes we had gotten them sooner. (Disclaimer, both of us have been wearing earbuds with phones, music, etc... for years). Not sure about the quality comments you are referring to. I haven't had any issues with the volume control box. The cord is a little too long for me but I just coiled it up and put a small zip tie on it and it is perfect.

I agree, if someone wants to get into General Aviation now is the time. About 2 1/2 years ago my wife and I were talking about some friends of ours at church and she mentioned that he was a pilot and had his own plane. My reaction was "What, how can he afford a plane?" I knew what he did for a living and while he did well, I didn't think it was well enough to have a plane. I was talking to him the next week and asked how long he had been flying. The answer, about 30 years. I asked what kind of plane he had and he told me a Mooney. I had to look up what it was because I had never heard of one before. I have wanted to fly as long as I have memories but always thought it was beyond my reach financially. After talking with my friend I started doing some real research on the costs and decided that it actually was financially possible. One ride in his Mooney and I was hooked on them. It is all a matter of priorities. People at work are amazed that I have my own plane, yet we have customers come in every day and buy vehicles that are $50-100k. Those same people that think owning a plane is extravagant don't think a thing about that person buying a Corvette or a Cadillac Escalade. Then again, I still have to pinch myself sometimes to remind me that this isn't a dream. I actually own a plane and can fly it, dreams do come true.

I got mine in 2016 and it was right about $8,000 all in, materials, flight time, written test prep, and fee to the DPE, everything. As for popcorn, microwave just isn't the same. Grew up with Sunday afternoon after church consisting of popcorn and football or whatever other sport was on. When the Stir Crazy popper came out and you didn't have to shake it anymore to keep it from burning that was a game changer. (I did learn to make it on the stove and did so for two years as a missionary, couldn't afford to buy the popper and take it with me from one assigned area to the next). I still make popcorn almost every Sunday afternoon, I'm on about my 3rd or 4th Stir Crazy popper in the last 25 years.

Nope, they should start moving with the first pump. About 4 1/4 pumps should be full flaps.

My Mooney is part of the retirement plan. It's how I will get about to visit the kids and grandkids. The first thing my wife looks at as we think of different places to retire is how far away is the airport and what is the flight time to where the kids live.

My tablet gives me a heading to fly and makes adjustments depending on what the winds are doing if they are pushing me off track. If the indicated heading I am flying is the same as the leg shows I should fly it works perfectly. In my mind I "think" that if I set the TruTrack to the heading on the tablet it will get me there. The reality in practice may be different.

I've put a couple hundred hours on our Mooney with no auto-pilot. I'm with you that I hate to see the date slipping further back, but for what they are saying it does for the price I am willing to keep flying without one and wait a few more months. Planning on purchasing it through @Jeev and if I decide to have him do the install too the Winter/Spring months are much nicer for flying to Vegas than the Summer/Fall months.

I'm planning to do the same thing in the next couple of months with my step.

Don, our family will have you in our prayers.

Turning final at Kern Valley next to Lake Isabella a couple weeks ago. Also have video that I "think" I'm about done editing. It's a fun approach right along the hills on the west side of the valley.