flyingscot

Depends on when you go, I suppose. I've had both experiences there. Once was smooth and hassle free; limited crowds, and no issues. The other was a mess - I think it was spring break. There were no rental cars available in town, and one family had been waiting for over three hours at the FBO for a taxi when we got there, and one of the group was almost in tears. Hotels were booked solid. No local rooms + no transportation off-field = hassle for an overnight. On this latter occasion, the FBO was friendly as always, but they were pretty much helpless to do anything and were kind of throwing up their hands. I guess the lesson is that if you are going to Sedona, make advance arrangements to be sure there will be availability when you get there.

Recommendations: KFSM - Fort Smith AK has great fuel prices - if you skip the FBO'S & go to the self serve at "Charlie South" off of Rwy 25 near the Tower. Nice small crew lounge (unattended) adjacent in the first row of t-hangars. KTHA - Tullahoma TN. Great SS Fuel and really nice/modern terminal/FBO facility, and the Beech Museum is on the field. KPWA - Wiley Post in OKC - use Meta FBO. Super folks and a great overnight stop (think steak) KEXX - Lexington, NC - the best BBQ on the planet is just a courtesy car ride away (Lexington #1) - it's really close to Charlotte. KSEZ - USS Sedona (AZ) - enough said - great restaurant on field, but overnighting here can be a hassle. Don't pass on a Grand Canyon overflight if you go this way. KAEG - Double Eagle, just outside of ABQ. Good (simple) cafe on field, and a good stop if you are going around the Rockies to the south. Use KSAF instead if overnight - Jet Center FBO. Highly recommended -> In the morning if 9K and 12K winds permit, from KAEG or KSAF you can go north up the valley past Alamosa (KALS) Colorado, past 04V (Saguache) then through the North Pass (~10K') to Gunnison, then Montrose. From there you can head south towards Page (KPGA) past Abajo Peak, Monument Valley, and then over Lake Powell and finally the Grand Canyon through the Zuni Point or Dragon Corridors. From there its a short hop to Sedona. May seem the long way, but if visibility is good I promise you won't regret it.

Transiting the South-central CO Rocky Mountains via Gunnison through North Cochetopa Pass past the Great Sand Dunes exiting through La Veta Pass

Early Morning Meeting of the Mooneys in Sedona.

Early morning throttled back flight in the Appalachians near KAVL. Severe clear, crisp, and totally calm. Like a meditation - only better.

I know this doesn't answer the original question, but... I have a Reiff which I use when I need to heat the engine from cold in a few hours, but normally on shutdown I: 1.] open the Oil dipstick, and let the steam out (5-10 min, while I'm backing it into the hangar and battling the ice on the ramp) 2.] insert a twin hornet (these things are great) in the left (pilot) side cowl opening and position it on top of the front cylinder 3.] Lock it in place with Bruce cowl plugs, 4. ] Wrap the cowling with a Bruce Engine Blanket 5.] Attach a Black Max Dehumidifier (https://flyingsafer.com/2065) to the oil breather. Overkill? Perhaps, but because I put the Twin Hornet in right after shutdown (it's rated for this, but the way), it never lets the engine cool down completely and cold soak - it simply cools to ~60-70 degrees and holds there, just like it does on a nice spring day ;). I have an uninsulated hangar, and the internal hangar temp this time of year regularly gets down into the single digits. The oil and CHT temps, however never get below 60. They usually are closer to 70. I love this combo, because it is a set-up and forget, and whenever I need to go the plane is ready - No timer, switch or other stuff needed...

Why they call them the Great Smoky Mountains

Off PWK in the early AM with Chicago in the distance and the marine layer hanging over the lake (lake effect snow in progress). All the bizjets in the departure conga line were heading to St Thomas, Cabo, Freeport, Naples... Not me, though. Launched into severe clear and landed one hour later with the TKS on in solid IFR and blowing snow. Ahh, the joys of flying around the Great Lakes in winter...

Quick overnight round trip from MI to Ithaca; interesting weather both ways - ILS to mins in worse than forecast blowing snow upon arrival - then hurricane force headwinds (but smooth) on the way back - steady 50kts off the nose at 6000’ - worse higher. Uugh. Turned Mooney TAS into a C172 ground speed. Max I saw was 70+ kts - winds worthy of the west. Detroit from 11K’: Surfing the layers on the return: Aargh....

NC to MI on a beautiful - and cold - winter’s day. A change from the usual low overcast with icing typical for this time of year. Destination had a density altitude of -3000 feet. 30 kt headwind just meant more time to enjoy the flight -

Happy New Year to everyone! I see that the "I fly turbos - I fly NA Mooneys" schism is alive and well! Let me add my thoughts... The definitive bottom line is that Mooneys are marvelous airplanes, and I feel truly privileged to have the opportunity to fly them as long as I have (now 32 years and counting...). I love my Ovation, I really do, and, like many of you I have flown a lot of different GA aircraft over the years. Mooneys are marvelous. Every time I slip into the left seat I get a big smile on my face. I noticed that my Acclaim-owning friend a few hangars down has the same smile on his face too. I have flown Acclaims as well, and the smile appeared on my face then too. Both Ovations and Acclaims, and by extension their M20 brethren of both stripes, are awesome platforms. Which you pick really is personal preference and mission driven, as has been so often said. For me, I fly in the mid-teens frequently, depending on winds and weather, but my passengers usually prefer lower (10 or even lower), so I am happy to oblige unless conditions don't permit. My O loves 10-12K. When I am solo I typically fly 10-16. I see 180-185 true ROP at a high cruse power setting all the way up to 14/15K' in fire-breathing mode (which I have to admit is fun albeit more expensive). My O climbs like a homesick angel up to 10, then less so up higher, but 500-600 fpm is no problem in the mid teens; I see 168-174 true LOP at lower power settings, which give me more endurance that my derriere has to be sure. The difference between the Acclaim and Ovation in my experience is pretty negligible up to 10-ish, higher the Acclaim keeps going strong as the O starts to wane. Personally I don't like wearing masks (I have a beard) so mid-teens and a cannula almost always works just fine for me. And I'm sure the A would shave a few 10's of minutes off my typical trip, but then that's a few 10's of minutes smiling less. I flew over 200 hrs last year, and fly to the west coast several times a year... as well as the SE US during convection season. I have a son who lives in the Rocky Mountains, so I get to experience those when I visit. The O does just fine in all of these scenarios, and I'm sure an A would be stronger at high altitudes and DA's, but I am quite happy with the O's performance. Bad planning in the mountains doesn't care what plane you are flying... As the year ends I am just very grateful to be one of the few people who have had the privilege to own and fly one of these marvelous airplanes - and to have the opportunity to interact and share that experience with all of you marvelous people. So as Tiny Tim said...God bless us, everyone. Have a great New Year y'all. - Bob

210 and loved every minute including 2 RT across the country (no pics of approaches, though, b/c I was otherwise occupied )

So far - great. Turns a bit faster and seems stronger. Usually fires in 2 blades - plus it looks good

Today 3 hours of cloud deck as far as you could see punctuated by the Appalachians “peeking” above the deck. Everything was smooth and tranquil right up through the approach - then on short final winds variable from 30deg to direct crosswind 12G20. Whoever said “there isn’t such a thing as too much crosswind practice” was absolutely right -

Hector does awesome work. Did a custom embroidered floor mat for me. Beautiful job.

I follow a very similar procedure. I always top off the system to the point it overflowing before departing – it’s the only way I know I have a full tank. The important thing I have found is to frequently prime the system by turning it on - in flight, not on the ground, because the pressures on the wing in flight help the system flow evenly across all panels. I do this every flight in winter without fail. If you let the system dry out, it can take a long time for it to flow again correctly. I also test the system on the ground just to confirm operation every few flights as a sanity check (but never in the hangar, b/c it makes a mess). if you keep it primed however, it’s actually pretty surprising how quickly the wings wet once you turn it on. Just a few minutes. This makes it possible to activate system essentially when you need it. I always turn it on a few minutes before entering layers when icing may be present, on low is usually sufficient. I use the high setting only rarely, like if there’s a visible frozen precipitation like moderate snow (but never go anywhere near SLD!) I fly a lot in the great lakes ice machine, so having TKS on the plane gives me a lot of peace of mind, not to mention that of my pax. I have also found the system uses a surprising amount of fluid if you have to use it for extended periods, so I always make arrangements to have extra available, either by carrying it or storing it at frequent destinations.

Just Swapped in a PM2407 - PIREP to come -

Thanks for this - it is very helpful

Bryson city is a beautiful area – Andrews is not too far away from there, but neither is Franklin North Carolina. Macon county airport (1A5) is a great strip – 5000 feet, and they may have hangers available - I don’t know. They are super people. I fly in and out of there a lot, and it can be challenging, especially in marginal conditions. There’s high terrain in all quadrants, and only a circle to land GPS-A approach. The wind always seems to be either right down the runway, or mountain-wave-swirling at a 90° crosswind. Andrews is also a really nice airport, and easier to get in and out of because of the local geography. Feel free to PM me if I can be a help to you about opportunities on the NC side of the mountains. I might also recommend you check out Tusquittee Fly-in community (NC08) near Hayesville. Beautiful and very cool, but at 2700’ and very good grass - doable but maybe on the margins of comfort.

I recently heard, but did not confirm, that there is some availability at KRHP (Western Carolina Regional) near Andrews, NC. Not east TN but just as beautiful -

Doesn't SJSU operate a flying School out of RHV? Any word as to what they are going to do? Seems like they could be a strong voice in this -

My wife and I love these (Brompton H6R) - and we have bags (lamaki:lab Transport Bags from Amazon) for both that make them easy to handle - up front cost is steep, but they are extremely well built, easy to load/fold get into the plane, compact & light enough to leave room for other cargo, and great to ride. Total weight for 2 with all accessories is <60lbs. No batteries, but great exercise. Has changed our thinking about day trips in the plane and opened a lot of options.

On the GTN, the DB in use is internal to the device. So you can download the upcoming update to the card before expiration and install it to the device on the day it expires. Same with GI275s. (Don’t know if this applies to the G3X.) I do the update this way on occasion, but usually I just haul my laptop and use it to update everything.

From beautiful over the NC mountains to Snow, ice in the layers, and a low approach in the grips of the Great Lakes Snow & Ice Machine…

Thanksgiving Flight from FL to NC up the Coast - a beautiful day to fly! (from foreground back) Sapelo Island, Sea Island, St Simons, Jekyll and Cumberland (under the elevator)- What's under p-50 Jekyll Island - a great place to stop. Tybee, Dalfuskie, Hilton Head, and Savannah