ZuluZulu

Missed it by that much.

KSZP isn't terrible but could be challenging for new, inexperienced Mooney pilots. Nonstandard traffic patterns with different procedures depending on which runway you're using and where you're coming from, ground obstacles in close proximity to the runway ends, aerobatic box nearby, a mountain to the south, lots of NORDO traffic, 2665' runway with displaced thresholds on both ends, limited space to maneuver and park on the ground. I also find the restaurant is often very busy with nowhere to sit. KCMA is only minutes away with a much more accommodating runway that should be more welcoming to all types. You might have to wait in line for food but at least there is a ton of space to sit, they'll serve you water while you wait, and the accommodations are a lot nicer IMO. Just my two cents...

It's not on the chart but you might hear slower traffic call "North Complex" and "South Complex" over LAX. The Mooney is too fast for that, so I just say I'm above LAX. By the time you finish the call you might be over Imperial Highway. Also be sure to note the maroon box between KSNA and KAVX on the sectional, which tells you what frequency to contact for flight following after you exit the LASFRA to the south (127.2). And if you're ever departing KSMO intending to fly south via the LASFRA, you can squawk 1201 even on the ground. The controllers are very familiar with the LASFRA and will know exactly what that means: a right climbing 270º turn for the Special Flight Rules. A friend who knows the controllers told me they appreciate it.

Which makes sense! Sometimes it feels like I'm making calls into the blind with not a single soul in the LASFRA with me, but other times it can be very busy. On the day I passed those two C-172's there were also a couple other planes farther toward the shoreline, and every single plane seemed to have a radically different interpretation of where the 132º radial actually is. Almost like we were all trying to fly the world's worst and most spread-out formation. It's damn unsafe to scream through such a congested area, honestly even 140 knots is pretty fast for making see-and-avoid decisions bunched so close together, especially when people insist on flying so far east of the radial that I can't pass them on the right like I'm supposed to without leaving the shoreline-threshold box I mentioned earlier. Lots of slow training traffic uses the LASFRA. And dear God, who wants a midair a few thousand feet above LAX of all places. No thanks.

Gotta love a guy actively seeking out media praise for being so calm cool and collected after nearly killing himself, his passenger, and more innocents on the ground. One reporter even compared him to Captain Sully. *eye starts twitching involuntarily*

One more thing to add about using transitions: knowing which one you are going to use is part of your preflight planning. Expect that a sector controller will ask you once you get closer: “3CA, SoCal Approach, how do you plan to transit the Los Angeles class Bravo.” Sometimes I’m asked even before I get to KSNA when heading north. They will be looking for “LA Special Flight Rules area,” or “Coastal Route,” or whatever you’ve decided on. And you’ll get, “you can expect that,” or, “roger, you can request that from the next controller.” Just don’t get caught off-guard when they ask. (LASFR is not an ATC-issued transition, but if you give it as your intention without being at the proper altitude, they might ask you to confirm. I usually just throw in, “ready to descend VFR to 4,500 whenever convenient for you” so they don’t have to waste breath asking.) Okay, two things to add. Make sure you read the entire chart. Sometimes people miss that the LASFR has a speed restriction: do not exceed 140 KIAS. In a J you will often need to slow down to comply. (And now you know why I prefer the Coastal Route if I’m not landing somewhere in the LA basin.) Even at 140 KIAS you WILL overtake the typical C-172, PA28, and CRUZ traffic using the LASFR. Once I had to pass two 172s at the same time. So be ready to pass them on the right. You’re technically supposed to follow the SMO 132° radial, but in my experience ATC will not notice as long as you remain inside of both the ocean shoreline and the eastern thresholds of the LAX runways. I have seen other aircraft WAY off the radial and nothing ever seemed to happen to them as long as they were within the boundaries I mentioned. Once my friend accidentally tuned the VNY VOR instead of SMO and we were pretty well off course. I was imagining getting intercepted by an F-22 or the dreaded phone number to copy but nothing happened because we were still inside of the shoreline and the runway thresholds. Stray outside of that “box” and you likely will be noticed. So stay on the radial unless you need to pass! Again: not a CFI! Talk to one for help instead of listening to Some Internet Guy!

Never a bad idea to bring a local CFI along when visiting SoCal. You can get recommendations on here, or PM me if you'd like some suggestions. I'm not God's gift to aviation and have made plenty of errors but here is what I've learned flying in SoCal the last several years as a newer pilot. Catalina can be done with proper planning and landing proficiency. Be disciplined enough to go around when needed instead of trying to save a bad landing and you'll be fine. Has anyone done the LAX and San Diego Bravo transitions: yes. Suggestion: Study the TAC supplement for LA ahead of time and pre-program user waypoints into your GTN 750 to help guide you. My most often used are the Coastal Route and the LA Special Flight Rules Area. As for San Diego, ATC is quite generous with Bravo transitions direct to KSEE, just expect some step-down altitude instructions from about Carlsbad-Palomar on. Many times I've simply exited the LAX special flight rules area heading southbound and -D-> KSEE with flight following from there, and I've never needed to deviate other than accepting some altitude instructions and some occasional vectors around KSNA traffic. If they haven't offered the Bravo to you by the time you're south of KSNA's Charlie, just ask for it and you'll probably get it. Sorry, not much KMYF experience, but study the sectional and get flight following. And know where Mount Soledad is. Santa Barbara is also easy. Most of the time, expect to follow the 101 as your right base into 15R coming from the west or left base into 15L coming from the east. Departure is the same, 15L or 15R, they will keep you low over the ocean (~ 1500') until you're far enough out not to interfere with airline traffic, then they'll let you climb. But if flying low over the ocean makes you nervous, you can ask for 25 instead and you'll usually get it.

Visit SMO before it closes after 2028. Plus: AVX (Catalina), MYF (San Diego/Montgomery) or SEE (San Diego/El Cajon), HII (Havasu), L35 (Big Bear), CMA (Camarillo--Waypoint Cafe), SBA (Santa Barbara), SEZ (Sedona).

I sometimes have very minor, almost imperceptible pitch oscillations in cruise in my M20J. I have all four servos, including YD. You can only tell by looking at the tape on the G5. Anecdotally I think they're linked to lubrication--they only seem to appear and get worse the longer it is after the controls received a good lubing. Only after it's been a while can you feel them, otherwise most people probably wouldn't know.

When I bought my J in 2020 I was very similarly situated. Like you, I had 150 hours TT, no complex endorsement, and no IR. Only 1.1 hours in a Mooney. Similar hull value, maybe slightly less. My insurance for the first year was a few hundred shy of $4K. Your quotes say it’s pretty much doubled since then. I’ve added 200 more hours in type and it really hasn’t come down much—market inflation has probably wiped out any reductions I would have otherwise received. No IR, but hoping to add it next year. We’ll see if it makes much of a difference but I’m still paying mid-$3K.

To add on, SavvyMX is the service where Savvy actually comes on board as, effectively, your maintenance manager and will stand between you and your shop as your representative. They communicate with the shop directly on your behalf. Kind of like a project manager or general contractor, with the project being your airplane and the subcontractor being your maintenance vendors. To protect themselves in this role, Savvy also requires you add them to your insurance and make other promises in your contract. A middle ground (and less expensive) option is SavvyQA. You still manage your relationship with your shop directly, but you have an adviser (actually a team of advisers) on retainer you can ask questions of whenever you want. Savvy does NOT (and will not) communicate directly with your shop on a QA plan so it falls on you to keep them informed and intentionally seek specific advice, but it can be very helpful to a new owner to have their assistance especially on tricky problems without an obvious solution. I use SavvyQA and have been pretty happy with it because I recognize I am new and don’t know everything (far from it) yet I still enjoy being hands-on in my maintenance and personally invested in the relationship with my A&P/IA. I think my A&P appreciates the fact that he deals directly with me, or at least he’s tactful enough not to tell me otherwise.

In other news, I’m sorry to report that Babe Ruth is no longer available from the Boston Red Sox. Rumor has it the Yankees got him.

Note you're replying to an 8-month-old thread.

If you held the car through an LLC I wonder how hard it would be to get your LLC listed in ForeFlight's "FBO" tab as one of the services available at your airport...

Which washers would you recommend? Which, if any, of these? https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/nas549washers2.php?clickkey=3008341 Or these? https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/g8washers.php?clickkey=3008341

Does Lance know you have his plane? Lol.

Do you have any photos with the washers in place?

@Niko182 Maybe?

Question for you, @Don Gates

The EI CGR-30 requires two units to replace all primary functions. You're seeing the CGR-30 combo.

Aesthetically, putting it in the TC spot would drive me nuts if I was looking at it every day. It's going to look out of place and bolted on because of the overhang, that space is designed for a round or square instrument, not a rectangle. Personally I would put it above or in the Stormscope spot and relocate the items above the Stormscope (easier because they're smaller?) or the Stormscope itself (harder?) to the right side. Or if one of the indicators in your fourth column of round instruments can be removed or indicated by a GI-275 (such as the CDI), put it there. Two photos below to give an idea of what that might look like. If you don't want to do any of that you could also put the 900 somewhere on the right side of the panel and then, since it's not directly in front of you, install the mandatory idiot light and digital indicator in the vacated engine instrument strip above your primary instruments that's going to be filled in with a blanking plate anyway. AND FINALLY, the cleaner looking alternative to the above: cut a new panel and put this stuff precisely where you want it. (Yes the photo of N57785 is actually an EDM-830 not the larger 900 but you get the idea.)

Are you pulling the switches under the TC? The 900 won't fit perfectly in that square footprint, there will be some overhang. Since you're keeping the ASI, the 900 either has to overhang to the left (might interfere with the switches on your leftmost panel) or it has to overhang below (which would interfere with the existing switches underneath the TC).

I tend the battery with a BatteryMinder but run avionics off of this (which you can find used on here, or BT, etc. if you're patient): https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/portPowerCharger24ces.php?clickkey=6344 It has a loud (for its size) cooling fan but otherwise works fine.

We all want the same thing, pilots and non-pilots alike: