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HXG

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Everything posted by HXG

  1. Smoky flight in Northern Colorado front range due to Cameron Peak fire. Flew away from the smoke but couldn’t avoid it returning to KLMO. 3SM visibility 2500 overcast smoke layer. Shiny plane covered in ash.
  2. I forgot to mention congratulations on getting your IFR certificate! File IFR as much as possible even on severe clear days. Also, practice some higher speed approaches for times you may be asked to keep your speed up on final. On these, I still settle in at 100-110 knots from the FAF if IMC. If that doesn’t work for ATC, they can vector and resequence me, but they usually won’t if you prepared them for your approach speeds before and after the FAF.
  3. I personally don’t go to full flaps from approach flaps until I break out. I even routinely practice landing with approach flaps. I would go no flaps if I had icing, but wouldn’t retract approach flaps if I was stable and near touchdown when I noticed icing. Keep the speed up and avoid speed brakes and full flaps in icing conditions. Precision approach runways to minimums are plenty long for higher speed approaches. I don’t like the idea of using full flaps from the FAF in actual IMC at/near minimums since going missed will require a bigger configuration change at the worst time. If your flying approaches in weather well above minimums then you’re flap configuration won’t matter as much, but I train and fly consistently for those rare days at minimums. I’ve never used full flaps on IFR approaches in the various singles and twins I’ve flown. In a cessna 172, I don’t use any flaps until near landing if I so desire. If you still choose to fly from the FAF with full flaps, be careful to hand wheel trim drown and smoothly add full power to avoid excessive pitch up as you retract the flaps on the MAP go around.
  4. I also favor a new IFR section or IFR/Weather section. You’re always learning flying IFR. I used to hear a few pilots say that they will never be as sharp as they were for the IFR checkride. I couldn’t disagree more and hope that’s never the case.
  5. I have not seen any increased tire wear in over 3 years of using the sidewinder. The only issues I’ve had have been in snow, where the roller gets packed with a useless snow-ice layer and on ice where traction is near nil. But, that’s not too surprising. I keep some cheap mats in my hangar to lay on the snow and ice for this reason.
  6. The best advice is to go up on a nice VFR day and figure out the Pitch + Power + Configuration = Performance numbers that work best for you in all phases of flight and different approaches including a higher speed approach for busier airports with faster traffic (see attachment fro PWS). I typically decrease power to around 22” as I slow from 140 KIAS to 120KIAS a few miles before the FAF, I drop the gear 1/2 dot above GS intercept, quickly slow to 110 kts, set 18-19”, put in approach flaps, stabilized before the FAF, then fly 105-110kts to 2 nm final, prop in, decrease power to 14”, land normally. A 90 knot approach speed is comfortable and easy, but a little slow for me especially when trying to fit in with faster traffic. I know some Cirrus sr22T (similar aircraft performance) manuals recommend 120 knots to FAF, then 100 knot approach speed.
  7. Arapahoe Aero at KAPA has been an excellent Mooney Service Center in my experience. They can be more expensive and busy than others in the Colorado Front Range area.
  8. Well done! You chose a great landing spot and focused on flying. If I had any bandwidth left at that point, I may have tried to slow a little more before touchdown (less energy to dissipate if things go really bad), kill the mixture, fuel, master, & mags, really tighten your seatbelts, & crack the door open right before touchdown. But, that’s easy for me to say sitting comfortably at home after the event. Great job! I’m glad you’re both ok.
  9. While I don’t recall a similar Mooney TKS limitation, the Cirrus SR composite wing has a minimum TKS operating temperature of -30F/ -34C despite a TKS reported freezing point of -76F/-60C. A Cirrus instructor and student found out that TKS inappropriately used below the limitation can lead to a freezing gel like mess on the wings as was discussed in a Pilots of America 2017 thread (2 Photos from that thread below):
  10. Bob, I think you are correct. That was my original understanding, but the article I quoted below confused me on that point with their commentary in the last paragraph I quoted below. “FAR 61.57 (c)(1)(2) in part says: “A person may act as pilot-in-command under IFR or weather conditions less than the minimum prescribed for VFR only if: (1) Use of an airplane, powered lift, helicopter or airship for maintaining instrument experience. Within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight, that person performed and logged at least the following tasks and iterations in an airplane, powered lift, helicopter, airship as appropriate for the instrument rating privileges to be maintained in actual weather conditions, or under simulated conditions using a view limiting device that involves having performed the following. (i). Six instrument approaches, (ii) holding procedures and tasks, (iii) intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigational electronic systems.” As a result of this wording, the pilot is considered to be current any time during this six-month period. Therefore, the non-current period begins after the initial six months. Further, FAR 61.57(d) states: “…a person who has failed to meet the instrument experience requirements of paragraph (c) of this section for more than six calendar months may reestablish instrument currency only by completing an instrument proficiency check.” The key here is the fact that failure to meet the experience requirements begins after the initial six-month period in which the pilot is current by definition. Thus, a full twelve (12) months exist between the initial time and the need for an instrument proficiency check (IPC). One needs to be aware of the statement “Within the six months preceding the flight.” This means that if you are planning to fly in December, the six months preceding ends in November. This is a change in how the months are counted.“
  11. I believe this to be correct. July thru December is the the 6 calendar months “preceding”. You would lose currency January 31st. “Within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight,”
  12. The IPC makes you IFR current for the next 6 Calendar months. But, you will need to meet the instrument experience in paragraph (c) to be current to fly IFR after that. So, if you haven’t met the 6 approaches etc. or simulator requirements in the past 6 months and another 6 months has lapsed since your experience met the requirements, an IPC (as apposed to simulator or safety pilot approaches) is your only option to regain IFR currency.
  13. If you look online at the FAA electronic FARs, the more recent list of date changes are not included at the end of FAR 61.57 for some reason. But, changes were clearly made since then. The actual FARs text is current, updated and correct. My ASA Paper copy FAR AIM 2020 has a much longer list of changes with dates from April 4, 1997 thru June 27, 2018. I like that the ASA paper copy has vertical bold lines adjacent to updated text for easy identification.
  14. Correct. “In summary, this new wording makes no significant change to the experience requirements. What has changed is the fact that currency can be maintained using a flight simulator, FTD or ATD and an instructor sign off on such activities is no longer required. In addition, now it is necessary to count the six-month period to conclude in the calendar month before the month of the intended flight.”
  15. A few subtle changes described as well as I could describe them in the link I provided. The wording changes are in the current FARS. https://midwestflyer.com/?p=12958
  16. I hope nobody else has any further issues with the Aspen Max. Most do not have problems with the Max Aspen upgrade. In my case, the EA 100 or wiring issue was suspected, but never confirmed as the cause of 2 of my 3 unit failures (frequent random in flight reboots). A third unit just completely died and resulted in loss of altitude transponder reporting in class Bravo. At that point, I had enough and went back to my old reliable pre-Max Aspen Pro 1000, which has always worked well for me.
  17. Thanks for the write up Alex. I had 3 separate Aspen Max unit failures in less than a month in the fall in my Bravo including one complete fatal failure. 2 unit repeated failures were on IFR flights. While Aspen customer service was very good, I went back to the older trouble free pre- Max Aspen 1000 pro. No problems with the older unit. Personally, I lost all trust in the Max in any IMC since it’s failure modes render it useless and take away my autopilot. If the Aspen Max works for others, that’s great, but my experience with the unit led to a lot of canceled trips, cost, and frustration. The only benefit is that I became quite adept anticipating Aspen primary failure and flying on my backup instruments.
  18. Don, You’re probably aware of the BeechTalk thread regarding reported GFC500 oscillations in the F33As, which Garmin reported they were working on. Some reported increased tension settings and replacing elevator control rod ends as a possible fix. But, I don’t know why your oscillations only occur in approach mode. Hopefully, this will get sorted out as more Mooney long bodies get the GFC-500 install. Hopefully, before my planned Bravo GFC 500 install this spring.
  19. Personally, I go right to the manual trim wheel on a go around or whenever quick big trim changes are needed. Unlike the slower acting electric trim button, immediately turning the manual trim wheel allows for much quicker trim changes that may prevent a departure stall.
  20. I agree. It’s a last resort with primary and backup instrument failures. I have practiced it with a safety pilot in a cessna 172 once. It worked well in the low stress practice environment. It’s a fun exercise in a simulator when you add bad weather and other system failures. I will say that it takes practice to do it well (i.e. activate legs on approach to use Ipad HSI etc.).
  21. Consider practicing a worst case scenario Ipad Emergency approach with Synthetic Vision in a safe environment.
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