ilovecornfields

I loved it when it worked. Apparently it’s “sealed at the factory” so there’s no way to replace the battery (which I suspect is bad). I guess I get to open it up and mess around with it now since it’s otherwise junk.

Welp, I guess my enthusiastic reviews of the Wombat weren’t enough to keep it alive. Mine stopped charging and when I emailed them for support this is what I received: Thank you for the information, our deepest apologies, this device is beyond the warranty replacement window. Seemingly your Bad Elf Wombat has failed, we are sorry for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, there's a small stumbling block on this end our contract manufacturer of the Wombat didn't survive the past two years of the pandemic. Our warehouse is in the process of inventorying devices that didn't match our expectations cosmetically for a sale later this year. I've taken your contact information, If you are interested in being contacted if more Bad Elf Wombats become available.

Great question. I think to some people feeling like you have more privacy is important. To others, it isn’t. It seems there was a huge backlash and a lot of conspiracy theories over the amount of information that was publicly available about airplanes and owners, especially with the ADS-B out requirement. For example, someone could google your tail number while having coffee at the airport cafe, find out who you are, then ask you embarrassing questions or try to use the information from a quick internet search to scam you somehow. The rest us aren’t that important and don’t care. I just did it to try it out because it was free and seemed interesting. Then I didn’t change it back because it was a pain to reconfigure everything and it didn’t bother me. @jaylw314, I got my callsign through ForeFlight but there are various ways to get one. You just have to go through someone who has set it up with the FAA. https://foreflight.com/support/call-signs/ https://flttrack.fltplan.com/FltPlanInfo/DCMCallSigns.htm

Once I got the bugs worked out I started to really like it. The FAA basically gives you a “fake” N-number which is linked to your call sign so this is what you transmit. The only issue I had was getting the GDL88D to recognize the new n-number as my own airplane which had to do with different ways to input the ICAO address and I had to figure out how to convert the hex code to the format the GDL88 could understand. I don’t use ADS-B exchange but since there’s nothing on my plane that sends out my “real” N-number I assume it would just pick up the “fake” N-number. I guess someone could still track me this way if they were really bored but I don’t think the registration on the fake number would be linked to me publicly. I really just did it as an experiment. I basically just fly to and from work and don’t do anything exciting in my plane but I was curious how the process worked. Subjectively, it seems like ATC does treat you more professionally with the call sign but maybe I’m just imagining that.

You can always use your call sign. Even VFR or without a flight plan/flight following. I don’t go back and forth because I would have to reprogram my transponder and ADS-B IN each time so they I don’t get traffic alerts constantly because of “ownship” recognition. You basically just replace your N-number with the call sign. Although every once in a while the ground controller at my home airport gets confused and still calls me by my N-number which is fine. Edit: To answer your question more directly, if you fly VFR using your N-number then you do have to reprogram your transponder. If you fly VFR using your call sign you don’t have to reprogram anything.

Send me your $ and number. I’ll call you back. I’ll give you exclusive access to my “archives.”

Are you doing this just for fun or are you planning on selling it or getting it certified?

Well, this is certainly timely! A Mooney Special Letter on ADS-B and traffic alerting. SL_22-03.pdf

I wouldn’t expect the guy in the 152 to know how fast the 340 was going, but I would expect him to know there was a potential conflict and ensure it was resolved before committing himself to base/final. He KNEW someone was on final before he turned base. When there is uncertainty, assuming the least dangerous alternative isn’t usually good for your health. Again, not tying to blame the 152. I think what the 340 did was clearly “wrong” but I also know people will do stupid things so when there’s a potential threat (someone else in the pattern that might arrive on final at the same time as me) I try to do everything possible to mitigate the threat and I certainly don’t want to put myself in situations where my options become increasingly limited. Maybe it’s too much to expect that from the 152 pilot, but it certainly should be something a good instructor would teach before letting someone fly solo. Maybe since I’m not a CFI I don’t “get it” but we spent a ton of time on situational awareness and knowing where everyone was in the pattern before my first solo.

Ideally, at the 10 mile final call you would think “Oh, there’s someone else coming in on a straight in. Better keep and eye out for them.” You have a lot of options at this point - slow down, do a 360, extend downwind, leave the pattern, clarify who is going first, etc. I would not turn base knowing there is someone on final unless I was clear about our relative positions, closure rate and who was landing first. As soon as you turn base your options are narrowed and even less options on final. Maybe he thought “I can always go around.” Apparently, he couldn’t. Again, I’m not trying to place blame on anyone and I definitely won’t try to defend (or even pretend to understand) what the 340 was doing, but if you “think you might make it” then you probably shouldn’t be doing it. I’ve scrubbed plenty of flights that I “probably could have made” because you only need to be wrong once to have a fatal outcome.

Juan Brown said a single occupant in the 152, two in the 340.

I was talking to one of my CFI friends about this crash on Friday. We were talking about how learners often can’t see the situation that is developing as well as more experienced people and as you progress further along the accident trajectory (to borrow from Mr. Reasons’s Swiss cheese model) your options become more limited. Even worse, the rate at which your options become more limited accelerates as you get closer to the accident. In retrospect, the accident was waiting to happen when the 340 announced he was on a 10 mile straight-in and the 152 was on crosswind. The available options rapidly narrowed as soon as the 152 turned base and essentially went away completely once he was on final. I’m not going to assign blame or comment on right-of-way rules, but it seems like this was avoidable with better situational awareness. Both myself and my CFI friend did our primary training before the days of GPS and ADS-B and it seemed a lot more emphasis was placed on situational awareness and knowing where you were relative to other planes, navaids and terrain. He said they don’t really teach the “I’m lost” three C’s anymore (climb, conserve, confess), DF steers or how to buzz a water tower to find out where you are. That’s fine. I don’t miss NDB approaches and I love my moving maps. Technology is good, but not when it is used as a substitute for situational awareness. Edit: I also wanted to agree with the practice of coordinating what order planes are going to land in. I don’t mean you should try to play air traffic controller, but I think if there is any doubt about the order it is best to work that out explicitly “Twin Cessna on final, I’m going to turn base behind you,” for example.

Little Dude started taking lessons again in the Mighty 172. His instructor said he did pretty well for not logging any time in the last two years. Now that he’s 12 he has to fly AND make all the radio calls. Growing up is tough!

I wouldn’t mind one if you’re offering. I called a Cirrus dealer a couple of years ago to see about trading in my Mooney for an SR-22. His response was “why would you want to do that?!”

It’s pretty disturbing. They have a link to the audio there where the 152 says he’s going around because the 340 is coming up too quickly behind him. That was his last transmission. At PRB (Paso Robles) I’ve never seen a jet fly the pattern or give way to anyone else in the pattern. I know a 340 isn’t a jet but it seems like he had the same mindset that he was going to do a straight in and everyone else better just get out of the way.

Your logic and sound advice has no place here. Move along now…

Mine is FIKi. With a turbo, parachute and gross weight increase it’ll be perfect. That’s not too much to ask for, right?

Let me know if you get them to do it. I wouldn’t mind a turbo either.

Paul is extremely kind, knowledgeable and generous with his time but when I want him to weigh in on my engine monitor data I submit a ticket through Savvy instead of posting it online and expecting him to do it for free. I think it’s well worth the price.

I like the Gee Bee baffle kit, too. I fly out of the desert and Central Valley sometimes when the OAT is over 100 F. If I climb out at 2700 RPM my CHTs get high. If I climb out at 2400 RPM I never have a problem. If replacing the baffles doesn’t work you might try running richer/leaner or have someone who actually knows what they’re talking about take a look at your graphs. I have no idea how to interpret them but I know @kortopatesdoes. Hopefully you purchased a Savvy subscription and submitted a ticket as well as doing their GAMI lean checks and LOP mag checks. Otherwise, you are just going to waste your time getting advice from randos on the internet that doesn’t let the fact that they have no formal training stop them from authoritatively telling you what to do. Like me.

Actually, the POH does have a limit on the speed at which you can have the storm window open. I remember my dad telling me (after I did something particularly dumb) that the difference between children and adults is that adults don’t do something just because they can. You must have been fun as a resident. I can imagine you gave your attendings some grey hairs.

So, at what speed does the POH recommend partial flaps? That is where I have an issue with that line of thinking. If the top of the white arc is 110 KTS, can I put in takeoff flaps at 120, 130, 140? Seems like if the factory thought it was a good idea to do that then they would have published a number.

I’ve done the same taking off out of a short field so I didn’t raise the flaps when I normally do. Fortunately it was only a 20 min flight and I wasn’t going very fast. Some people claim (and I disagree) that the white arc on the Mooney only represents full flap speed and you can lower the takeoff flaps at a much higher airspeeds. The people who make this point tend to be more mechanically knowledge and more experienced than I am but despite this I remain unconvinced.

Would be great to have some information on what the actual distances are. I found this video of a Cessna 210 landing gear up in San Luis Obispo (KSBP) at 2:56 and it looks like they slide past where I usually stop with the gear down. I'm assuming you might still have a little bit of steering with the rudder for the first few seconds landing gear up. With damaged or sheared landing gear you may lose directional control faster than you would with a flat surface. I agree. Doesn't look like the most favorable landing site.

I thought the “experts” said you were supposed to land gear up in a field so the gear didn’t get caught on something or flip you over? I think sometimes you’re just screwed no matter what you do. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to Bob Hoover it, but some situations are going to have crappy endings no matter what. Your only option may be to choose the least crappy alternative.