Nick Pilotte

Happy Birthday Tom! One benefit to the Pilatus, there’s a bathroom. But I’d guess you could install something in yours too, or not, because you will get there faster anyways. My daughter told me last weekend that I’m “less grumpy” in the mornings if I get to fly. I told her that’s just because she catches me before I’ve had my coffee.

Oh there’s no competition. Ours are better! I’m just kidding, each brand has benefits, though ours may have a little tarnish we are recovering from. But we did just launch the new HX 2 weeks ago and that one MIGHT be some competition up in your neck of the woods.

I read his autobiography in third grade for a book report. My parents gave me a talk about how some of the language should be left out during my report. I told the class “It was a “GD” good book!”

Love the hangar but I’m digging that crane truck too! 4900? I’ll bet that will gross about 90k? I could move some serious logs with that for firewood.

I’d love to have that file to print too.

So, David MacNeil of Weathertech, he’s both a car junkie as well as aviation..... if anybody would be the one to ask, his company could probably do it (they make dog bowls now). And he’s practically @exM20K’s neighbor.

I am doing my part to keep GA alive. I was not financially stable enough in my 20’s or early 30’s to spend what I do every weekend on flying (wrenching on exotic cars during an economic crash was not a cash cow). My kids are still young enough to fit in a C model but they are quickly becoming long-body sized and I can’t legally leave them behind in place of fuel..... I didn’t do this for a career but to become capable of using a plane to visit our family which is now a minimum 3 hour drive away. If my current career path dried up, I would not hesitate to get my commercial and start flying for a job, even if it’s flying cancelled checks (I know, that’s basically obsolete now). But aviation has been in my blood for my entire life, so I’m willing to do what it takes now to keep it in my life.

Try this?

Guys, I’m happy to say it’s mine. Super excited to get word it was going to fly this week. Ah, who am I kidding. I didn’t hit the lottery, and if I did, as soon as the check cleared, my wife would have been ready to upgrade a bunch of stuff around the house to younger better models, including me. Chinoguy, I am not going to block/ignore you because I liked the video but the attitude I perceived was not positive. Work in cybersecurity for a few hours and you will see that a cryptic message with an odd link is not going to be received well. I wasn’t going to click on it. When I joined MS, it was because I love Mooney, the brand, the planes, and I loved the forum members demeanor. There is always going to be some banter, disagreement, maybe some hurt feelings occasionally, but none of us would be here long if we didn’t have a passion for aviation and the wonderful planes with the tails on the correct way, both old and new. It took me a little bit to understand Anthony’s writing style, but he is knowledgeable, as well as a respected member here. Maybe his post seemed like an attack, but I read it like I knew he is an east coaster and I found it to be frank with a bit of joking sarcasm. With your name being Chino related, perhaps it was just a difference of east and west coast dialect(if that’s the correct term here, I’m a Midwesterner so I’m surprised anyone can understand me!). Bottom line, we are all different but all the same in our passion for aviation. Don’t bring up cars though, (I prefer my engines behind me) lest the Firechicken smite thou.

@cbarry your plane was spotted in the background of the latest video Aviation101 posted. 5:02 in to the video, there’s a beautiful plane with the tail on the correct direction. The story of the video is also a good one too. Getting There is Half the Cure

You said what I was thinking! But the baby would have been floating.... @slowflyin, congrats on the new family addition. Cherish the times, they grow fast!

I want to change my answer. If I called 15 miles out, it would take me 10 minutes to get to the field because I’m flying a lowly 172. I’d probably get “Skyhawk97X, make left traffic for 20R, you are number 52 to land.

When flying in other countries besides the USA, do they still use nautical miles? Or do they use nautical Km’s? That was partially a joke. One thing I thought of after reading the responses was perhaps the controller was working on multiple frequencies and was getting overwhelmed. That does happen at my home field occasionally when they are working ground and tower, then have to get on the phone with Approach or something.

How many pilots does it take to screw in a light bulb? One. They hold it and the world revolves around them.

VFR here, but my home field, I call 10 miles out but that is a busy airfield too. The only times I don’t is when I’m flying from a local field that is less than 10 miles, and I’ve been advised to loiter “at the river” which is 5 miles west of the field when I do that and they are busy.

Right after I got married, we found a really neat 335 coupe to replace my wife’s CLK. She got flipped off and honked at more in that BMW than ever before or since. And she was/is actually a really good driver. She had it for 2 years and we replaced it with another AMG. No more honking or fingers...... You should have seen my face when she said she likes the Range Rover when our child situation dictated a coupe no longer a reasonable car. I told her if she thought she was subjected to abuse in a BMW, just wait.....

Google Lafayette Avionics GFC500. They have installed pricing published. I “think” it was about $12k for a Mooney, but not positive. They have add ons for other things like yaw dampers or G5’s if you need them too.

Ooofff, that would not have been good. I had to re-read your story too. I thought you touched down midfield and then started to take back off. I would have needed a breather too. Not something I’d want to think about shooting another approach and go around after breaking out in actual either.

Welcome Mika. As another green pilot (maybe still sprouting would be a good way to describe me) I would say a 100-200 mile trip would be handled by about any plane that isn’t 65hp. Your block times between a 110mph and a 145mph plane will be minuscule in those trips. In my experience, you will be looking at a basic IFR plane in that budget, noting there will likely be room needed in the budget for upgrades and maintenance as well. You can probably find a nice M20C for that (better do your arm curls to work the Johnson bar though). @carusoam already welcomed you. He’s got a great method of starting in Mooney’s. First you find a C to bomb around and get proficient (with a Mooney specific MAPA instructor). Then you move into an early Ovation, preferably with the 310hp STCs, then on to the Acclaim for a real time machine.

@gsxrpilot congrats on the tail wheel. That plane looks like loads of fun. Did you have an adjustment time of having mixture on the left under the yoke? @Skates97 congrats on 500 hours. I wish I was flying on Halloween too but alas, not today.

Yeah, the rabbit did NOT walk away from that one.

@JonnyMake Mooney Great Again!!! Put that on a hat! @Tim Jodice I completely agree with your sentiments. Former tech and independent shop guy here. I specialized in some of the rarer European cars and I was of the same mentality. It wasn’t worth tarnishing my reputation installing parts of unknown quality.

That’s really cool Rainman. Very happy for you.

Congrats on the new wings! And I love the paint on your J. I had to really look and see that it wasn’t an Acclaim. In fact, I just looked at your build thread. You have quite the panel and interior as well.

What’s the UL on a 195 like yours? I’d assume decent. I know it’s not blisteringly fast but I still think that’s a really cool, actually incredibly awesome plane.