PT20J

Takeoff trim setting should result in the trim assist bungees holding the elevators in trail with the horizontal stabilizer. If you adjust the trim for that condition, where does your trim indicator point?

I’m pretty sure that the GNS considers an approach “Activated” whenever the IAF is the active waypoint, or a leg of the approach is the active leg. Maybe @donkaye or @kortopates can clarify. Skip

Assuming we are talking about the same thing, automatic VLOC switching is a setup option. Here is the description for the GNS 430W/530W: And here’s the description for the GTN 650/750Xi:

I think all the Garmin systems will switch to VLOC based on proximity to the final approach course, FAF, and nav tuning, whether you activate or not. Many used to advocate against using VTF because it eliminated the fixes before the FAF which could be problematic if you were cleared to one of those fixes to begin the approach. Garmin seems to have fixed this (at least in the GTNs) by extending the VTF course line and including all fixes on that line. Personally, I never had an issue. If a controller cleared me to a fix I didn’t have loaded, I just asked for a different clearance. Never had one quibble. Nowadays when I get an enroute clearance to some fix I wasn’t expecting, my usual response is, “Can you give me a vector until I get that loaded, and please spell it?” Skip

I'm not sure LVL is a good choice if you suspect an autopilot malfunction since LVL uses the autopilot. It's a great choice if you hand fly yourself into an unusual attitude. "Activate" for approaches is, in my opinion, a poor choice of words because it implies that you must somehow always activate an approach before you can fly it. If you load an approach with an IAF and the flight plan has legs that get you to the IAF, the navigator will fly to the IAF and commence the procedure without any further action. Activate is just a shortcut for setting Direct To the IAF. A lot of people use "cleared for the approach" as a cue to select APR on the autopilot. Skip

I suspect at least some of the issues people have experienced are due to control friction. The GFC 500 servos seem more sensitive to this than legacy autopilots. it’s common for Mooney elevator controls to have friction especially where the control shafts pass through the panel. Mooney has used at least three different designs for this bearing over the years, so they must be trying to get it right. It is also not uncommon for the trim system to get stiff. The trim servo has to meet a trim rate specification and to do this Garmin uses a pretty large gear ratio on the chain drive which reduces the available torque. Taking care to remediate any control friction issues before installation would be a good idea. Skip

Well at least you only have to do it every ten years.

When I got tired of engineering and spent a summer flight instructing in Anchorage in 1985, the line boys at AeroTech used sit on the horizontal stabilizer and "walk" the 172's around the ramp with their feet. They were really fast.

The best integration is with G3X, G5, GFC 500 because they were all designed by the same team to work together. When you mix and match other Garmin products, you cannot assume all features of each product will still work. For example, the GTX 345 has an audible traffic call out TRAFFIC, 3 O’CLOCK, LOW! But when installed with a G3X, that is disabled and all you get is TRAFFIC! Sometimes it is difficult to know exactly what you are going to get because a lot is either undocumented or only described in installation manuals available only to dealers. Skip

For those that think always following manufacturers recommendations is a good idea, look up an old Cessna 172 maintenance manual and note that it said to push down on the front spar of the horizontal stabilizer to maneuver the airplane if no tow bar was available.

I don’t have the Garmin AOA, but I did look at the installation requirements for the probe when I was considering it. Just turn off ESP on the GFC 500 during calibration and it won’t interfere. I like to fool around doing Chandelles, wing overs, steep turn and such and find ESP annoying so I keep it turned off. It’s on my checklist to turn it on if flying IFR. Skip

I had the Aspen AOA. I never could get it calibrated to indicate properly. it was also pretty useless down on the panel. I didn’t install the Garmin AOA when I put in the G3X because the Mooney windshield is already pretty small and I didn’t want to install the rather large Garmin display to further block my view. The Garmin unit uses a special second pitot tube mounted in an inspection cover. There should be no interaction between the AOA and the GFC 500.

I wonder what happens if you’re inverted?

So I tried an experiment today. Trimmed in cruise flight in my M20J, I trimmed full nose down. It took 40 lbs (measured with a spring scale) to hold it in level flight.

This one had a gloss. Not sure it was as glossy as Jet Glo, but it wasn’t flat.

On top of the stick. You work it with your thumb. Left/right for aileron trim and forward/back for pitch trim. I thought I was the only one who confused the mic button with trim.

The Museum of Flight in Seattle had a B-52 painted outside at KPAE by a company that specializes in doing that. They used rollers and bucket trucks. Not sure what paint. It looks great even up close.

I had a KI 256 attitude gyro on a KFC 200 fail once in VFR. It slowly pitched down with the autopilot dutifully following. It was pretty subtle. I gave a lot of thought to failure modes when designing the new panel. I have a G3X with its ADAHRS powered by ship's power. I have a G5 backup with separate ADAHRS which will run on the G5 battery if ship's power fails. During normal operation, if the G3X ADAHRS fails, it just uses the G5 ADAHRS. The software compares the two ADAHRS, and if there is a soft failure, a MISCOMPARE is annunciated. I have an AV-20-S as a tie breaker if that ever happens. The GFC 500 also has a AHRS internal to the GMC 507 and it will disconnect the autopilot if if senses something amiss with the primary ADAHRS (I know this works because it happened once. It was a false alarm, but better to be too sensitive than not enough so long as it doesn't cry wolf too often). The ship's battery is 16 Ah. My panel with everything running draws about 10 A. So, I should have over an hour of power if the alternator quits even if I don't shut down non-essential equipment. In the unlikely event that I suffer a catastrophic electrical system failure as Don did, I'd be down to a G5 and an iPad. My iPad is always fully charged because I power it in flight with a dedicated USB power cube. Lastly, I don't have a turbo or FIKI, so I don't fly all that much IFR which minimizes my exposure. Skip

One of the selling points of the GTX 345 is that it has a AHRS that can be Bluetooth linked to an iPad running Garmin Pilot or ForeFlight. I tried it with both apps and all it was good for was directing me into an unusual attitude. I had the GTX 345 replaced on warranty and the second one was better but would pitch a few degrees when turning and would drift after a while. I would not want to trust my life to it. Interestingly, when a G3X is installed with a GTX, the software disables the GTX AHRS. So, I think some AHRS, even from Garmin, are just toys. Skip

Previous owner installed one in my plane. Fortunately, I’ve never had to use it But it seems like a good unit and ACK has a good reputation. ACK started out when the founder figured out that the only requirement for ELT batteries was that they be labeled with an expiration date by the manufacturer. So, he designed an ELT to use Duracell Alkaline D cells which made it the least expensive unit to maintain. Alas, the 406 MHz ELTs required larger batteries, so they now have an expensive battery pack to replace every few years. Skip

I’ve got some Cirrus time. I’d take it over a Mooney for primary training. It’s simpler to operate and has a better cockpit layout. The side stick is no big deal, and actually avoids the negative transference from experience with automobiles. The only ding is the high wing loading.

You must have really long arms to do the emergency gear extension test required by the Mooney annual/100 hr inspection checklist.

From the Garmin website Aera 760 FAQ https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=VFLTVe7r9X7NFh5lttExZA#:~:text=The Aera 760 will only,then press "More Options.": "The Aera 760 will only be able to use its own internal AHRS if it is panel mounted. If the device is mounted on the yoke, the internal AHRS will not work as expected. "

Don, I've heard that Garmin avionics do not take well to being powered down during a database update. I have a Garmin Nuvi in the car and it bricked after I accidentally powered it down during a database update. I finally got it working again but I had to do a hard reset and delete and reinstall the desktop update app and basically start from scratch. So, when you get your power issue resolved, let us know if there is an issue completing the update. Good luck, Skip

Thanks -- fixed it.